Selam Hiz’boche – returned fastly to bask in the glory that is Wondinet Haile and my inner workings.
I took a voyage to the distant land, ye Hiz’boche oasis. There is so many of the gathered around the watering hole, that there isn’t to stretch my arms out. My zemedoch pulled me out and exhibited me the land, the oasis of Abeshoch. They call it DC!
Friday night we went to the injera bet forenamed Dukem, but they should have called it meT’erkosha! We sat at they bar since there was no seats left but the table was filled with ye’Gissela powder that missed the ten ashtrays that was present on the table! I thought the packo came with ashtray targeting instructions, it should. Anyhow I exonerate you; the chis might have mislaid your focus!
Saturday night we went to the club, I decided to jump of my zemed’s camry to check the seen out before we parked the car! Hey Zemed is this really Abeshoch party it looks like smokers convention? I had a breathtaking night; I even met a beautiful chiminey I knew from back home. I was dazed, that couldn’t be her and is that little Mimi, cute little Mimi running around with a lit chibo in her hand.
Sunday morning we went to church, my Zemed is Pente and decided to join him to sing some Mezmur! Perhaps I’ll meet Chewa Pente girls. We took the long route as my Zemed wanted to stop by Abesha sefer to pick up Rothmans in the Arab Souk!
As we were walking in to the church another gathering at the door, ayeee Pente Tembuhamoch!!
Published by November 15th, 2006 in Social.
Wondata love it! Can’t wait to get to DC for the Abesha experience.
A funny story that happened to me in DC a few years back in the 18th st district. I went out bar hopping with some friends and one of the guys with us asked me to get him some cigara, but he didn’t state which brand and I didn’t ask because I didn’t know to ask. So I walked over to some people asked where I could get it and they told me there is some vending machine, over there. I walked and found this rusted up vending machine harboring cigaroch that were dying to come out. I was totally clueless as to which one to pick and I just went for the camels unfiltered (I didn’t know the difference between filtered/unfiltered). When I got back to the table he just stared at me totally speechless. So my punishment was to smoke one. I love being punished but I hate cigara so I paid my dues and blew smoke with style. I coughed a few times but got the hang of it. I didn’t feel anything cause the smooth liquid had my throat numb.
The next day I couldn’t talk worth a lick. I sounded like a woman impersonating a 1970′s horror movie character. We went out to eat injera and I swear I couldn’t taste anything, not even the qareya. I think I bit my tongue a few times because it was numb. Never, ever since that time have I attempted to smoke.
Wondata,tks for the insight.
Ayeeee, that wasn’t the picture I had imagined of DC when I planned to go though.
Call me vain but what gets to me most about smoking environments is how I end up smelling like smoke although I didn’t participate and the general suffocating smell.A couple of years ago, all Canadian cities banned indoor smoking so now I’m used to that and DC is sounding less of a thrill.
Wondata or should I just call you Wonde!
Excellent choice of topic! Tembuhamoch!!
We as Habesha’s (Philip Morris’s #2 consumers beside Arabs) We need to discuss maybe will find a solution or easy ways quit smoking!!
I myself smoke occasionly when I’m socializing…
Cigara Aleh? This seems to be the common conversation last time I was in DC…
“Cigara Aleh??” This question is the absolute symbol of the paradoxical of Ethiopian mind. In the same manner as the tiny lemming drive themselves across the town to buy a pack from 711, many Habesah’s seem to purposely drive their bodies to destruction for no apparent reason. For every effect there is a cause, though. The lemmings make their fatal dash to the clubs and bars for the sake of survival. Their prolific birth rate would, without the mass “suicidal” drives, cause overpopulation of Ethiopians in DC, shortage of Injera, and eventual extinction of Tibs. Just kidding…
The Habesha’s drive is not based upon anything as noble as survival within social belongings in DC;
Most Habesha works for self destruction simply out of habit: they “need” to smoke. Self-destruction is taken along many pathways, all of which involve the taking into the body substances which serve only to destroy. These paths may include Buna (Cofee), Chai (tea), Bira (beer), Weyin Tej (wine) liquor, marijuana, uppers, downers, heroine, cocaine, L.S.D., pipes, cigars, chewing tobacco and Cigara (cigarettes). The list could certainly go on, for in our unique imagination the means to our end are innumerable. It would seem, though, that the most serious threat to all Habesha is the non-personal escape route. This would be the all enveloping smoke of burning tobacco, whether it comes from a pipe, cigar, cigarette or Cigarillos.
Consider the cigarette. Where it came from is of little importance, for here and now is the time frame in which it must be dealt with. The fact of its danger is well known, and, most often, ignored. The substances and chemicals contained and released by fire are well described on every carton, case and package made. Sufficient warnings are stated: Dose it mean anything to us Habesha’s??
“WARNING: THE SURGEON GENERAL HAS
DETERMINED THAT CIGARETTE
SMOKING IS DANGEROUS TO YOUR
HEALTH”.
Drawing in and exhaling the smoke of a cigarette is not a personal exercise in suicide. It is an occasion for all people, smokers and non-smokers, to notify their insurance agents about. The process of breathing is a process of life born into all people. The quality of that which is taken into the lungs is dependent upon the individual values placed on the breath of life. If smoking is the drawing in and exhaling of the smoke of a cigarette or cigar, then when one person carries a lit cigarette into our air space, all of us will end up smoking it, and by allowing this to happen, we will have demonstrated the same lack of concern for our own health as the cigarette carrier does for his or hers.
Wonde, If you are concerned about your right to breathe air provide by the processes of nature rather than the excesses of humanity, if you are concerned about the ever present potential of fire in the clubs/bars and restaurants or even at home, and if you truly need your friends and love your family so much that you would not, just to stay in their loving graces, condone a habit that may be killing them and others, then go ahead and dare to say “Please, don’t smoke.”
As a final note, perhaps determining the meaning of the word “smoking” would be beneficial in seeing the senselessness of the Habesha habit. Dictionaries are the mirrors of the values of society. Smoking is reflected in very poor light but accurately. The following are the names we as a people have given to cigarettes.
SKAGG: The yellow-brown stained fingers and teeth give another view of the two pack a day person.
COFFIN NAIL: The mirror image of a cigarette comes through even clearer in the charred human carcass smoldering on the burnt out mattress.
BUTTS: We see the vision of lipstick stained filters, and tobacco straining through soggy paper, drying and leaving its stain, once destined for lungs, on white porcelain sinks and urinals, and holes burned on tables and clothes.
FAGS: Prostrate with burning lungs and worn out with the effort of driving aching legs and arms on a short jog, the runner attempts to relax with a cigarette and succeeds only in planting more seeds of weariness in pitted lungs.
GASPER: Hacking coughs shatter the peaceful world and echo throughout the Ethiopians Restaurants & Bars of DC still legalized to smoke indoors. Most men Habesha’s then gather among the wheezing gasps of breath being crowded out of lungs packed with the ooze of tars and pitted by stains of nicotine burning their way through walls clouded grey by the ever present yellow wisps of smoke.
Don’t pity Wondiye, therefore, the poor little smokers in Habesha Restaurants and Bars. It’s mad dash to possible destruction is to the benefit and strength of its species. Pity, instead, the women and men Habesha’s who are blinded to all warnings, and strolls unheedingly, to an early grave with a head lost in a cloud of smoke.
M&W
To Note: As of 2007 there will be a smoking indoor ban just like californiaye…
most DC people are happy, the rest are pissed… this is following the recent smoking ban in Montgomery county of Maryland, which is a huge suburb on of DC…
the result was that the DC bars showed more profits as Montgomery county bars lost revenue…
In California the result was that the clubs modified their place of business to have a patio of sorts… the problem is going to be that in DC there isn’t room to modify the building on top of the administrative constrains the city puts on architectural renovation.
Be inqirt Lay joro degif… for the DC small bars and restaurant which recently saw an increase from franchisment going on in DC ..as our elders would say…
I used to work for a company based out of Moscow here in DC… most of the employees were required to go there once in a while… but they complained because in Moscow apparently the people could smoke right in the office..
We had a live telecomference once with the people in the meeting room in Moscow… the vp had an ashtray right next the laptop.. how different the world is…
To note also.. not forty years ago all airlines allowed smoking right on inside the plane… some of you might have noticed the ashtray next to the seats of older planes…
So What, I SMOKE!
And I couldn’t care less what you think. I once met a man that said that he didnt like the girls that smoke. But he smokes as much as me if not more. I am tired of the double standard. Why should a woman be looked down upon if she smokes.
I am not ashamed that I smoke unlike many abesoch who hide when they smoke. I enjoy smoking but i know that I have to quit. I do have high stress life right now with school and work! When my life permits I’ll try to quit! Till then I do not need your opionions or being judged.
So What, I SMOKE and I couldn’t care less what you think.
Anchi Abezachihute, anchi Tembuhamua..
There is a popular saying,
I say smoke!!
As an habesha smoker, I find this article to be humorous, true. Unfortunately, it is not even close to being convincing enough for me to quit. I just love the burning sensation of a nice long drag of nicotine. Were you guys never fascinated with fire? I guess since I picked up my father’s Kumar bddie’s’ cigarette butt at the tender age of 12, i was never able to stop. Help! Why are all the pleasurable things in life bad for you.
an oh all the abesha smokers out there: “thank you for smoking”
Nolawi,
I can’t wait for them to ban smoking for good. I can’t stand it; I hate the smell it makes me sick! I moved here from California, and I remember the first time I went to Roha, I had hard time enjoying the music because I was suffocated by the cigarette smoke.
Abezachihute,
A few things to ponder before you light up your next cigarette:
*Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.
*About 8.6 million people in the U.S. have at least one serious illness caused by smoking. That means that for every person who dies of a smoking-related disease, there are 20 more people who suffer from at least one serious illness associated with smoking.
*Among current smokers, chronic lung disease accounts for 73 percent of smoking-related conditions. Even among smokers who have quit chronic lung disease accounts for 50 percent of smoking-related conditions……..
And so on and so forth, for more check smoking 101 at American lung cancer association.
Live and let live
I personally hate the smell of cigaretts and the damage they cause, but hey, I do other things that I should not be doing that smokers may disagree with. So, I feel like this- what you do in your own time and your in your private space is your business but when you invade my spapce, like smoke in a public setting, then I have a problem with you.
abezachihute – News flash: Second hand smoke KILLS! Please don’t smoke in a public setting.
Timo -
Second hand smokingkills – so does the emissions from car and fabricas!
celebratelife, I can imagine how awful you must have felt taking a puff of that unfiltered camel cigara specially never having smoked before. I was once a smoker and i remember trying one of those nasty camels unfiltered , all i have to say is…BIG sihtet!
And to all you who smoke, i would like to say “Stop it ASAP”! If I can do it, so can you. You are hurting no one else but yourselves and those who are close to you.
Rahwina, Don’t get discouraged. You’ll love DC there are so many Abeshoch from all walks of life. Don’t let the Chis scare you off. Just make sure you go to Majet I think it’s somewhere around U st their tibs is off the hook!
Nolawi, about time, especially in restaurants. I remember someone telling me that the no smoking law started because a female bartender, who never smoked, died of lung cancer due to second hand smoke exposure in the workplace. What’s funny, to me, is cannabis clubs are popping up and trying to get legal rights to operate and the legal stuff is getting banned and slapped on with heavy tax and serious restrictions.
Abezachihute, you go girl…let it rip, love it! Girl don’t worry about what anyone says, we all got our addictions. Java is mine.
The other day I saw this beautiful girl smoking. I said to her that she is too beautiful to smoke. There you go. I gave you a pick up line. The best way to pick up a smoknig girl. That was not my intention, though. I am married. But I think I gave her one more incentive to quit.
The other thing I am is PENTE. And I am here to set the records straight. REAL PENTES don’t smoke. I used to do a pack a day before I became PENTE. Those people you saw at the door of the church are either visitors or what we PENTES call: Neither hot nor cold.
Long live bernos
Here is my experience about PENTE “Tembuhamoch”.
I went to Engineering School back in Addis Ababa and it is located at 5-Kilo, a couple of blocks up from St. Mary Church.
There is PENTE church becide our dormitory and sunday afternoon I used to see lots of Gambela people coming out of the church. It looked they are new PENTE and the don’t know the rule NOT to smoke in PENTE church. The funny part was they all hold bible on their hands and some of them smoke. I bet one of the smokers could be even the leaders.
Can we judge them simply becuase they are smoking? They’ve been smoking Cigar and even “GAYA” in their past life. Let’s take it like we are drinking coffee and some of us even are adicted to Starbucks coffee. You DC people know that. you couldn’t even work with out coffee.
I know CIGAR is a very bad habit but let’s don’t judge people with that.
I am sure those “Gambela” guys will eventually undestand there is not use of smoking but for now when they became PENTE, they were only told about JESUS not the rules. Let’s leave that for FERISAWIYAN.
I dont think any pente is a representative of a pente church… by virtue of being a pente ,one is not going to become this ” holy person ” “perfect” person …. they are just members of one of many chirstian churches …
Just as any smoker/ non smoker woman is not a representative of the definition of a real / beautiful/ ethiopian woman …
did I hear someone say ” BERNOS ” is getting addictive ???!!! I’m hooked
5 Kilo guy
I like your non judgemental attitude. But I am not sure which part of my post you found judgemental. I simply stated that real PENTES do not smoke. My reason for saying that is there are a lot of PENTE phobic people. I don’t want them to use this article to demonize PENTES.
Asteyayet,
I don’t mean to project PENTES as “perfect” people. Jesus said it is what comes out of your mouth that makes you unclean not what goes in. I agree 200%. But the fact remains that real PENTES don’t smoke. In fact, a lot of PENTES including myself are ex-smokers.
Are you kidding me? So are you saying if a person smokes he is not Pente? What’s a “real pente”? orthodox are not suppose to smoke too but if they do we don’t say they are not “real orthodox”… unless you’re a saint I don’t think there is one person in this world that can follow all the rules in a religion they follow so i don’t think u have point with the whole real pente thing…. BTW how come I can’t see your name? All I can see is tiny square boxes
Orio,
I hope you see my name now. My Name is DNGAY RAS. Why should I call myself DNGAY RAS? I like the curiosity it creates. I am sure you will never forget me. The reson why you didn’t see it was because I wrote it in Amharic and you won’t see it if you don’t have unicode asmharic fonts.
Dingay ras, when you write “true Pente”, I am asuming you mean a true believer of our Lord Jesus Christ. Adele? I personally believe that smoking does not glorify God; therefore, anyone who has a relationship with Him will eventually want to stop smoking, and will do so by God’s grace.
DinGAY Ras! It’s so funny you being a religious person choosing a name that has “GAY” in it!!
What is these days connection of Church & Gay??
My Dear dinGAY Ras,
I hate to see our discussion go this way but I will defend Orio and others here at Bernos.
There are so many good things that The PENTE Church has done for Pente believers. Unfortunately I have not seen any good deeds from the Pente Church for the non-believers… As you put it your self “PENTE. And I am here to set the records straight. REAL PENTES don’t smoke.” I have never met Aba-PENTE or Mamire-PENTE myself… The PENTE Church has been the cause of so many misery in Ethiopia.
Yes the PENTE Church has been vital in promoting it self degrading others and the related teaching in the mean time has been advocating fiercely against secular teachings. I am not a religious person. There are some points that I agree with Pente teaching and there are many issues that I disagree with. I respect your views of smoking unfortunately I don’t have the time or the passion to read what you have to say about your religion. Actually I am not a fond of organized religion or any other religious organization.
If you consider Ethiopia to be a Holy Land so be it for you guys.. When you decide to be free of your own conscious and smoke whatever you desire, then only then I will light up your fire!
M&W
joy2thealem,
Bang on! That is exactly what I mean. I was only avoiding my Church vocabulary to make my posts reader friendly.
Marina Wotete,
Your opening lines about gay etc… are typical of PENTE phobic people that I referred to in my comment # 19 so I will just ignore it.
The rest of your post makes sense. Even as a PENTE there are some things I don’t like about PENTES even though it is a denomination I am a memeber of and I fully support.
Blessings,
Sorry! got no comment about cigara, i hate it but I smoke it babi. The funny part is my company banned smoking last year, and I have decreased a lot at day time which is one with in eight hours period. My problem is weekend and when I sipping. I am just like CHEES MAUCHA. Hey! For all of you who don’t like it I don’t think you need to go where there is smoke, period.
It’s hard to seek out educated individuals on this topic, but you sound like you realize what you’re talking about! Thanks
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