The Beautiful History of the Birth Place of Humankind

The Beautiful History of the Birth Place of Humankind

Sisay Girmay

English 191

Section 21

Specht-Jar

December 2009

The Beautiful History of the Birth Place of Humankind

Ethiopia is known to be one of the oldest countries in the world. Historic records suggest the history of Ethiopia extends beyond 5,000 years. Archeologists have revealed that the country dates back millions of years. According to historian studies and archeological evidence, Ethiopia is claimed to hold the foundation of human life. Recent discoveries indicate that Ethiopia is the ancestral home in which “homo sapiens” ³ took its first faltering footsteps away from the apes and towards its own unique identity. The cradle of mankind lies in the sere north-east part of the country, close to the banks of the Awash River- where the Great Rift Valley forms a wide, low-lying triangle. There the fossilized remains of the oldest direct human ancestor, Australopithecus Afarensis (“Afar Ape-man”) ³, dating back 3.5 million years older than any previous hominid remains, were discovered. The initial find in 1974 took the form of an almost complete female skeleton. Nicknamed Lucy by paleontologist Dr. Donald Johanson, of the US Institute of Human Origins, this fossil is better known to Ethiopians as Dinquinesh-meaning “thou art wonderful”. Other than Lucy, evidence of human ancestors also has been found in different regions of Ethiopia.¹

Supplemented in the 1980’s and 1990’s by many other findings of similar antiquity along the Awash, and in the Omo River Valley further south, Dinquinesh was an upright-walking hominid under four feet tall with a small brain and ape-like features. Her teeth, legs and pelvic bones, however, were distinctly human¹. The discovery pushed the horizon of mankind’s ancestry back to a remote and unimaginable distant past. Ethiopia was not only known as a human origin but also by the relationship that Ethiopia had with the outside world.

In early times Ethiopia was linked to the outside world in two ways: the Great Rift Valley and the Valley of the Nile. The Great Rift Valley is a gorge that extends from Syria to Mozambique. The Valley of Nile or the Nile River is the other link contributed to the early civilization between Egypt and Ethiopia. The Nile River flows from Ethiopia and is known to transport fertile soil, rock deposits to Egypt. The early settlers that end up settling around the Nile River in Ethiopia were farmers.

The most interesting agricultural invention of early settlers was the introduction of an Ethiopian grain. This which still remains cultivated is known as “Teff”². Teff until this date comprises the majority of an everyday meal which is cultivated only in highlands of Ethiopia. It scientifically found to contain high food value and mineral content. As the Teff flour backed and placed on a griddle, it comes out as flat bread, 2 foot in diameter called “Injera”. Ethiopia is also famous in providing an Ethiopia origin Coffee. The word Coffee is an Arabic term which originated from the term Kaffa, a region in western Ethiopia⁸. It is believed that coffee have been transported through the Red Sea to Yemen which was then introduced to Europe by the Ottoman Turks.

In the early years of the land, items such as pottery, glass, scarabs and metal were exchanged in commerce for slaves, ivory, spices and religious ornaments traded. Inventions of new trade routes have also allowed regions of East Africa and the Middle East to discuss on their political state of affairs. Around 1000 B.C. Ethiopia was known to have a powerful Kingdom called the Axumite. Historical records show that powerful queen, Queen of Sheba, once used to lead the Axumite Empire. ⁷

Although not written until the early medieval era, it is around this time that paramythical stories such as the affair of King Solomon with Makeda, Queen of Saba or Queen of Sheba, and the coming of the Ark of the Covenant take place. Although the subject matter is highly controversial, it is said that Queen Makeda—who supposedly ruled over a very small area in modern-day southern Eritrea—made a long distance pilgrimage to Jerusalem as a result of her fascination with his famed wisdom. During her stay, King Solomon was so much entranced with her beauty and her fidelity; he felt he had to have her. So one evening, he ordered his royal cooks to increase the amount of pepper in the meal which would be served for dinner. However, he also ordered the water bearers not to give anyone any water unless specifically authorized by him and to also place a jug of water in his bedchamber. Queen Makeda, realizing his trickery, played along with him thinking that she could easily go without water for the evening. Her self-confidence unfortunately proved to be quite too high when she, unable to cope with her dehydration, finally gave in to his desire and slept with him for a drink of water. The affair between Queen Makeda and King Solomon created advantage to the Axumite kingdom. ⁷ After wards The Axumite kingdom dominated the vital crossroads of Africa and Asia for almost a thousand years.

A Persian Prophet known as Mani who lived in 3^rd century A.D. wrote, “There are four great kingdoms on earth: the first is the kingdom of Babylon and Persia; the second is the kingdom of Rome; the third is the kingdom of the Axumites and the fourth is the kingdom of the Chinese”.² Conducting its foreign trade through the Red Sea port of Adulis, the Axumite kingdom’s capital was Axum, described by the Ambassador of the Roman Emperor Justinian, as the greatest city of all Ethiopia. ¹

Axum (Northern part of Ethiopia) was known to be political center around the 9 B.C. Axum was itself descended from an even more ancient city-state nearby Yeha, whose fabulous ruins still stand. However, little of the substance is known about Yeha. ¹

The Axumites introduced a written language, Ge’ez. Ge’ez took 24 symbols from the Sabean writing system. The early form of Ge’ez was written in boustrophedon, which is writing in alternate lines in opposite directions, as from left to right and then from right to left on the next line, and then left to right on the next line, and so on. ⁶ Ge’ez is to Ethiopia as Latin is to the west. Ge’ez, like Latin, was not used as a spoken language for a very long time. But like Latin, Ge’ez is the precursor of Ethiopia’s three major Semitic languages: Amharic, Tigrinya and Tigre. ⁷ If Ge’ez is compared to Latin, Tigrinya takes the place of Italian (both because it is most closely a kin to the ‘parent’ tongue and also on account of its continuance in the original home). Tigré would then be a parallel to Spanish, and Amharic to French.’’ ⁶ Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia and it is spoken most widely in the northwest and central part of the country. Tigrinya is mostly spoken in northern and northeastern Ethiopia. Tigré is spoken in the independent nation of Eritrea, formerly part of Ethiopia ⁵.

Before the fourth century, Ge’ez had not made use of vowels. But the usage of vowels was incorporated into Ge’ez when the Axsumites converted to Christianity, which occurred sometime in the fourth century. Pankhurst suggests that the reason that the alphabet was modified at the time could have been due to “the wish to make Biblical texts more intelligible to the newly literate.” The bible was translated into Ge’ez from Greek. Greek influence is also seen in the organization of the Ge’ez letters, which is very similar to Greek alphabet in organization.

Ge’ez ceased to be used as a spoken language most likely a short time before the tenth century C.E. Nonetheless, it is being used today as the “liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and was the only official written language of Ethiopia practically up to the end of the nineteenth century.” ⁴

The Axumites also introduced a new religion, Christianity in the fourth century A.D. Their sophisticated and prosperous culture mobilized large groups of labor and enough wealth to build great edifices, monumental architecture and churches that survive to the present day. These massive buildings and towering stone sculptures are eloquent witnesses to a high level of artistic ability and advanced engineering and mathematical skills. ²

From the 1700s, for roughly 100 years, there was no central power in Ethiopia. This "Era of the Princes" was characterized by the turmoil caused by local rulers competing against each other. ⁵ In 1869, however, Emperor Tewodros brought many of the princes together, and was a significant unifying force. He was succeeded by Emperor Yohannes, who built upon the efforts made by Tewodros, as well as beating off invasion attempts by the Dervish and the Sudanese.

Emperor Menelik II reigned from 1889 to 1913, fending off the encroachment of European powers. During that time, Italy posed the greatest threat, having begun to colonize part of what would become its future colony of Eritrea in the mid 1880s. In 1896 Ethiopia defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa, which remains famous today as the first victory of an African nation over a colonial power. ⁸

In 1916, the Christian nobility deposed the sitting king, Lij Iyassu because of his Muslim sympathies and made his predecessor's, (King Menelik 11 1889 - 1913), daughter, Zewditu, Empress. Her cousin, Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975) was appointed regent and successor to the throne. Zewditu died in 1930, after which the regent - adopting the name Haileselassie, whom became Emperor. His reign was interrupted in 1936 when Italian forces briefly invaded and occupied Ethiopia. Haileselassie then appealed to the League of Nations, but that appeal fell on deaf ears and he fled to exile in the United Kingdom, where he spent five years until the Ethiopian patriotic resistance forces with the help of the British defeated the Italians and he returned to his throne. ⁵

Haileselassie then reigned until 1974 when he was deposed by a provisional council of soldiers (the Derg, meaning committee) seized power and installed a government which was socialist in name and military in style. Fifty nine members of the Royal Family and ministers and generals from the Imperial Government were summarily executed. Haileselassie himself was strangled in the basement of his palace in August 1975. Major Mengistu Haile Mariam assumed power as head of state and Derg chairman after having his two predecessors killed. His years in office were marked by a totalitarian style government and the country's massive militarization financed and supplied by the Soviet Union and assisted by Cuba.The brutality of the regime over a period of 17 years - aided by droughts and famine which leads to collapse of the Derg's regime. ⁸

Insurrections occurred throughout Ethiopia, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea. In 1989, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) merged with the Amhara and Oromo Liberation Fronts (EPDM and OPDO) to form the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In May 1991, the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) forces advanced on Addis Ababa forcing Mengistu, chairman of Derg's regime to flee to Zimbabwe.

In 1991, the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) was set up from the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and other political parties in the country with an 87 strong Council of Representatives and a transitional constitution. Meanwhile, in May 1991, The Eritrean People's Liberation front (EPLF), led by Isaias Afworki assumed control of Eritrea after 30 years of struggle and established a provisional government. This ran Eritrea until April 1993 when Eritreans voted for independence in a United Nation (UN) monitored referendum. ^{3, 5}

In Ethiopia, President Meles Zenawi and members of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) pledged to oversee the formation of a multi-party democracy. The election for a 548 member constituent assembly was held in June 1994. This assembly adopted the constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in December 1994. Elections for the first parliament were held in 1995 and the government was installed in August of that year. The Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) is still in power.

Works Cited

1. Hancock, Graham. The Beauty of Historic Ethiopia. Nairobi: Camerapix, 1994. Print.

2. Henze, Paul B., and click. "Ethiopia - A Brief History." Embassy of Ethiopia, London. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. .

3. Henze, Paul B.. Layers of Time: a History of Ethiopia. New York: Palgrave, London, 2001. Print.

4. Hetzron, Robert. The Semitic Languages (Routledge Language Family Descriptions). New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.

5. Pankhurst, Richard. The Ethiopians: A History (Peoples of Africa). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2001. Print.

6. Ullendorff, Edward. An Amharic Chrestomathy. Unknown: Oxford Univ Pr, 1965. Print.

7. The Amharic Letters of Emperor Theodore of Ethiopia to Queen Victoria and Her Special Envoy. London: Longwood Pr Ltd, 1979. Print.

8. " A brief history of Ethiopia." Harowo.com - Somaliland News and analysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. .

Food around the world

Outline for the topic Food around the world

Food around the world has different preparation and eating style

I. Food around the world
- Everyday foods Vs Special occasion foods.
- Where they eat their food, inside the car or properly in the house.
- " Rules of the dinner table"
- Food and Social interaction.

II. Preparation of the food
- Buying fresh
- Who makes the meal
- Roles of markets

III. Other interesting topics with food

- Special seating at the table

- What they eat food with

- Restaurants

Out line for my final paper

Introduction

• History of the first human kind discovered in Ethiopia.
  
• How Ethiopia is known to be one of the oldest country in the world.
  
• How Ethiopia In early times linked to the outside world.

Body

• How Ethiopia known to have a powerful Kingdom in the early 4th century.
  
• How Christianity introduced in the fourth century A.D in Ethiopia when other countries were pagan.
  
• Historical places found in Ethiopia built in the early 4th century.
  
• The most interesting agricultural invention of early settlers in Ethiopia.
  
  

Conclusion

Topic for fianl paper

My topic for my final paper is about "Ethiopia's historical places and culture."

Report of the second and third report

Sisay Girmay

Engl 191 sec.21

Report of the second and third interview

I used almost the same questions for my second and third interview but added some more questions. For example, “who earns an income in your family?’’, “who make decisions in your family?” and so on. The reason I added these questions is because I thought they are an interesting topics to talk about. I send the questions to my interviewees two days before the day of the interview so that my interviewee would know what I am going to ask them. I wrote my objectives and posted on my blog for some comments and after getting helpful comments, I edited my objectives by adding more things that I have to include in my previous objective. I followed the same objectives as a guide line because my first interview went well as I followed my objectives. I did my interviews in the St. Cloud Miller library. I chose the library because it is quite and there is nothing that could interrupt us during the interview. For the interview I used a digital camera to record the interview after asking my interviewees the permission to record the whole interview.

The people that I chose for my second and third interview are from West and East Africa. The second person that I approached for my second interview was from Nigeria, I met her when I was a freshman and we were in the same class. So when I ask her if I could interview her, she was happy to do it. We agreed to do the interview on Monday, 10/26/09. The third person that I approached was from Ethiopia, we met when I came to St. Cloud for the first time. She was willing to do the interview when I asked her and we agreed to met on Thursday, 10/29/09.

I conducted my second interview with my interviewee from Nigeria. I did the interview on Monday, 10/26/09. I reserved a room at the library for our interview because it’s a quite place and there is no interruption during the interview. After we met on Monday at the library we talked about how her classes are and what she did during the weekends and other common stuffs. Before we start the interview I thanked her for doing the interview and I asked her if it’s ok to record the interview. After I have got her permission to record the interview, I prepared my recorder and we started the interview. I conducted my third interview with my friend from Ethiopia on Thursday, 10/29/09 after reserving a room at the St. Cloud Miller library.

My second interviewee is originally from Nigeria which is located in the western part of Africa. Her name is Lolade Asma. Lolade came to the United States before a year for school and she is currently attending her freshman year at St. Cloud State University. She is majoring in computer science and thinking to get her bachelor degree from St. Cloud State University. My third interview was Soliana Abate. She is from Ethiopia, Eastern Africa. She is a sophomore student currently enrolled at St. Cloud State University. She is double majoring in business and aviation. She came to the United States of America before five years. She is hoping to finish her bachelor degree in St. Cloud state university and her masters in University of Minnesota. She likes Minnesota and that’s why she wants to finish school in Minnesota.

The second and the third interview went well like the first one. I didn’t transcribe my second interview because my interviewee is from Nigeria, West Africa and I already interviewed someone from Ghana which is also located in West Africa for my first interview. When I did my second interview I noticed that there are more similarities than differences between my first and second interviewees in culture, religion and geography. The other thing is that the official language in both my first and second interviewee’s country is English. This is due to the colonialism of the countries by Great Britain. I transcribed my third interview because my interviewee is from Ethiopia, East Africa. As I noticed from the interviews, East African countries have more difference in culture and geography than West African countries. As my third interviewee told me, Ethiopia was the only Africa country that hasn’t been colonized. The native and working language in Ethiopia is Amharic not English. I had learned a lot, but there were some parts that impressed me when I asked my interviewee from Ethiopia. For example, I asked her whether United States has affected her country in any ways, she told me that younger people are forgetting their culture because they were imitating what they see on TV.

Nigeria

Geography

Nigeria is located in western Africa “on the gulf of Guinea, it is the world’s 32^nd largest country. Nigeria has a varied landscape, from hills in the southeast through the beaches in the south, the rainforest, the savanna in the middle and southwest of the country and the encroaching Sahara in the extreme north.” [1]. “The landscapes in Nigeria are tropical with variations governed by interaction of moist southwest monsoon and dry northeast winds.” [3]

Climate
“The climatic condition in Nigeria is tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north.” [2]

Natural resources
The main natural resources that are found in Nigeria are “cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rubber, crude oil, tin, and coal.” [2]

Population
According to “the 2005 census, the total population was 128,771,988.” [2]
Religions
The main religions are in Nigeria are Islam, Christianity, and indigenous religions. “Christianity is concentrated in the south while Islam dominates in the north; central regions tend to be religiously divided.” [3]
Languages
The official language of Nigeria is English. “English was chosen to facilitate the cultural and linguistic unity of the country. The choice of English as the official language was partially related to the fact that a part of the Nigerian population spoke English as a result of British colonization that ended in 1960.” [4]
Culture
The Culture of Nigeria is shaped by Nigeria’s multiple ethnic groups. “The country has over 250 different languages and cultures. However, the three largest are the Hausa-Fulani who are predominant in the north, the Igbo who are predominant in the southeast, the Yoruba who are predominant in the southwest.” [4]

Ethiopia

Back ground

Ethiopia is unique among African countries, “because it maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 1936-41. A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995.”

Geography

Ethiopia is the world's 27^th-largest country. “The major portion of Ethiopia lies on the horn of Africa, which is the easternmost part of the African landmass. Bordering Ethiopia is Sudan to the west, Djibouti and Eretria to the north, Somalia to the east, and Kenya to the south.” [4]

Population
“According to the 2005 census, the total population was 85,237,338.” [2]

Climate
The climatic condition in Ethiopia is tropical and arid. “Elevation and geographic location produce three climatic zones: the cool zone above 2,400 meters (7,874 ft) where temperatures range from near freezing to 16 ^oC; the temperate zone at elevations of 1,500 to 2,400 meters (4,921 to 7,874 ft) with temperatures from 16 ^oC ; and the hot zone temperatures ranging from 27 °C to 50 °C.” [4]

Natural resources
The main natural resources that are found in Ethiopia are “small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower.” [2]

Population
“According to the 2005 census, the total population was 128,771,988.” [2]
Religions
The main religions in Ethiopia are “Christians make up 62.8% of the country's population (43.5% Ethiopian Orthodox, 19.3% other denominations), Muslims 33.9%, practitioners of traditional faiths 2.6%, and other religions 0.6%.” [1]
Languages
The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic. “Ethiopia has eighty-four indigenous languages” [4]

Cited sources

1. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html.10/25/09)

2. (http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcghana.htm.10/20/09)

3. (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107584.html.10/20/09)

4. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana. 10/20/09)

Interview # 2

Name SISAY GIRMAY

Class English 191

Section 21

Interviewee Soliana Abate

Country Ethiopia

Date 10/29/2009

My interviewee is from Ethiopia, Eastern part of Africa. Her name is Soliana Abate; she is a sophomore student currently enrolled at St. Cloud State University. She is double majoring in business and aviation. I did my interview on October 29, 2009.

Sisay: - Tell me about Ethiopia.

Soliana: - Ethiopia I guess the first thing that I tell people about Ethiopia is that coffee is first originated in Ethiopia because most people which are the majority of the citizens of America are coffee drinkers so that’s one interesting thing that I can tell you. Ethiopia is located on the eastern part of Africa. Umm and it’s called the horn of Africa. There are a lot of ethnic groups in Ethiopia as religion wise they are different kind Muslim, Christianity and Protestant are the three main religion but am not sure about the percentage or number.

Sisay: - How long have you been in United States of America?

Soliana: - I have been here for actually it’s going to be five years in July so it’s four years and something.

Sisay: - How was the home sickness?

Soliana: - Not so bad I want to say and it didn’t hit me until sometime but not so bad.

Sisay: - Do you have families or siblings in the United States?

Soliana: - Yes I do. Well in generally I have eight siblings and one of my sister lives in DC, the rest of them live back home and as for the majority part of my family they live in Washington DC, my aunts, uncles and extended family members.

Sisay: - How did you keep in touch with your families and friends back home?

Soliana: - Mostly of course telephone is the main one another access is internet through e-mails so that’s the way we usually keep in touch and I also get to see some of my family members because they travel they come here and I also have the privilege to go home.

Sisay: - What is the family life like in your country? Who plays the dominant role?

Soliana: - Family in Ethiopia is I want to say that our culture is family oriented but speaking of my family I really cannot say there is a dominant person who play a dominant role because my mom and my dad had pretty much like an equal sharing type of thing. So there wasn’t a specific role they were playing besides being the father and the mother. My mom used to earn an income until some point and then well my father is a business man so he has been contributing to the income from whatever time I can remember but mostly I guess my dad he does he works then my mom became a house wife after sometime. Both of them determine what happens in the house because my mom is a strong woman to decide. Of course sometime it had to come from my dad but we decide things as a family what works best and what doesn’t.

Sisay: - What do you and your friends do for fun back home?

Soliana: - Mostly it’s just family gathering because I had a very strict family so I wasn’t early allowed to go out of the house beside school family was my life and of course church. So fun would be a normal day having my cousins come over to the house just for a family gathering and friend wise I guess sports we used to play volleyball which is another fun thing.

Sisay: - Have you experience any culture shock?

Soliana: - Yes I have. One thing I was really shocked about was how students treat their teachers, the communication that teachers had with their students and how young people treat older people so that was completely different for me because back home you have the authority to ask to some point but you cannot question all the way and you had to be very respectful and that goes both ways for teachers and how you treat adults as well.

Sisay: - What is your first coming experience to United States of America?

Soliana: - It’s ok because there were some things that I expected and I didn’t get or see and there were some things that I didn’t expect at all and so I had to experience it. So I guess the one thing I would say is the race difference; racism because when I first moved I moved to Duluth so I went to high school that was not diversified at all so that was a very big shock for me and actually I experience racism.

Sisay: - What was your first impression of the United States and what is your opinion now?

Soliana: - I used to come here for vacation before I moved to the United States of America so I kind of had a little bit of experience in what to expect like I said. I expected Ethiopian people to keep their culture but most of them were different. My view about America was changed after I came here because actually when I was back home the thought that I had was that everything comes kind of easy, you have to work but you didn’t have to work as hard as back home I guess. So that what I thought and obviously life teaches you one day at a time that it’s not easy. Every day is learning experience for me so I like it being here.

Sisay: - Did you find it easy to make friends or did you feel alienated?

Soliana: - It depends where you, where as speaking of state to state or city to city, here in Minnesota I found it a little bit harder than other places. I think people are not ready to leave their comfort zone which makes it harder for me or for us. It’s easier to make international students because we are from the same back ground and we can understand each other. But to make friends from here or even from Europe it’s harder for me because you are seen like a different person.

Sisay: - Why did you choose Saint Cloud State University?

Soliana: - That’s a good question. Like I said I was in Duluth so I want to move from Duluth because they don’t have my major. So the only place I looked is Saint Cloud and I heard that they have the best business and aviation programs and as for expense tuition wise it wasn’t too bad and there were more Ethiopians here and I wasn’t far away from the cities and that I know I don’t want to move out of Minnesota so I thought that it’s more convenient.

Sisay: - How is your country’s educational structure when compared with United States of America?

Soliana: - I want to say it’s very tough. Well I went to a private school when I was in Ethiopia so we went through the Ethiopian curriculum until six grade and then through the Cambridge that comes from London. So the Ethiopia’s was harder as it compared. Education was taken seriously when we see the relationship between students and professors.

Sisay: - What are your goals in life?

Soliana: - I feel like I have too many and I can’t even follow one but my goal right now is to graduate obviously with my major and I plan hopefully the economy will be better and I will find a job with my aviation major. After I had some work experience I will do my masters and will back to my country and work for Ethiopian airlines and start my own business and my own life there I guess.

Sisay: - Do you think coming to America will help you achieve those goals?

Soliana: - Oh yes definitely and that’s if I work hard of course. Like as I said things are easier here and it cost many things of course but it really is much easier here where as I wouldn’t have the opportunity to choose what it is I want to do if I was there. I would have been limited actually because I would have either joined my father’s company and I would have been ended working for him and I would have been more discourage to seek what I want to do because everything is laid out there for me where as here I have to work for it myself.

Sisay: - What is your native language?

Soliana: - the native language is Amharic and the working language too. English is the medium of instruction in Ethiopian colleges and universities. Other languages such as Tigrigna and Oromigna are also commonly speaking languages.

Sisay: - What are the main festivals in your country and how do they compare to the festivals that we celebrate here?

Soliana: - the one thing that comes to my mind when I was thinking about festivals or holidays is food and depending on your religion, church or mosque you will go there. When they get back it’s all about eating and having fun with family. The main holidays in Ethiopia are Christmas and Easter.

Sisay: - Do you think the United States has affected your country in any ways? Positive or negative?

Soliana: - I want to say a little bit of negative and a little bit positive. The negative thing that I say is it has somewhat influenced our culture and when I say our culture, people are somewhat losing our culture and holding to the hip-hop and the Rand B not to say that’s the only culture that America has but that’s something we have learned from here so it has influenced us in a negative way. In the positive side, the work ethic, in the work area people are striving more and are getting new ideas as to business wise I think that’s something positive and I can’t really talk much about the government but people are working for a democracy.

Sisay: - Is it important to separate state and religious function?

Soliana: - I personally believe that they have to be separate but somewhat or some way that they are going to interact. They should stay separate when religion gets into the state it’s not going to be good because there are different religions in the country and it will not going to support only one religion. So you have to make sure that every one’s opinion is heard and their thought has to be respected.

Sisay: - You have answered all of my questions, thank you. Do you have anything that you would like to add?

Soliana: - Thank you for having me and no actually you have covered all the topics.