Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ethiopia

What is this song by the Ethiopian Elvis about?

cptspalding — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:11:45 -0800

Ethiopia/Amharic Filter: I created a vacation video of my trip to Ethiopia and used the song, Mekeyershin Salawq by the famous Ethiopian singer Alemayehu Eshete. What is the song about? (Link to song inside) While searching around for some background music for a video I'm creating of a recent Ethiopian trip, I ran across the song
Mekeyershin Salawq (Amazon Preview) by "the Ethiopian Elvis", Alemayehu Eshete.

I really like this song, but I'm curious what it's about. Anyone speak Amharic and can translate? If it's not possible to translate the whole song, can you give me the gist of it?

Effects of globalization in urban Ethiopia

carefulmonkey — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:11:51 -0800

Give me examples of Globalization in urban Ethiopia I have to create a paper about the effects of globalization in Ethiopia,however the only information that I can is over 30 years old.I'll accept positive and negative examples.

mobile phone/email in ethiopia?

gcat — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:00:49 -0800

i have a friend who is going to ethiopia for 3 months. her flight leaves in a week or maybe 10 days and she will be living in the capitol, Addis Ababa. from what i understand she will be working (volunteering) at a school somewhere outside the city. how can she most easily (tech-wise) and cost effectively stay connected to her friends and family in the states (plus probably iran) via mobile phone and email while there? and yes, calling cards may work, but she specifically wants to have a mobile phone while there - for emergencies or even for when it might be particularly useful to have one.

should she get her phone (and/or service) here in the states? or in ethiopia?

ive tried some obvious google searches, but couldnt come away with enough knowledge to give my friend any helpful information (not regarding mobile phones, anyway).

she has mobile service here with at&t, and sorry i dont know the details, but she says she spoke with them and it is way way expensive to use them in ethiopia.

also, she would like to have email/internet access somehow. she will be taking her laptop, though i havent much idea how available net access will be. google seems to suggest that there are plenty of net cafes and whatnot. is this correct? is it pretty easy to find one? are there neighborhoods or shopping centers that might be more likely to have them? (she will likely be taking taxis around the city, unless she finds some way to rent a car.)

my friend is a lady in her 50s. she is not at all tech savvy, and any option she uses would have to pretty much work already, without her having to fiddle with it much at all, other than perhaps a simple activation or something.

so again, if my explanation was a little muddy:

1. should my friend obtain mobile phone service before she leaves or when she gets there? and from whom? and

2. tips/suggestions on locating/using internet cafes in Addis Ababa, and will having her (xp or vista) laptop simplify internet access for her?

ok, thanks!

African music

vers — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:41:59 -0800

Please recommend to me more African music/musicians. I'm stuck in North America, but I frequently listen to African music. Trouble is, I mostly stick to what I know: the popular, "world music", the personal. I know that there's more exquisite African music out there, with elaborate rhythms and enchanting harmonies, but I'm striking out a lot when I try to find related artists.

Currently, I have Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Youssou N'Dour, The Soweto Gospel Choir and Seleshe Demassae on heavy rotation. Please tell me your favorites and help me find more joy!

Phone home from Ethiopia

metaname — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:45:16 -0800

How much does it cost to phone Canada from Ethiopia? Is it possible to buy a long distance calling card in Ethiopia for calling Canada?

Where to go for Hiking near Addis Ababa

spiff101 — Tue, 23 May 2006 03:51:33 -0800

Where should I go for hiking/wildlife-watching near Addis Ababa? I'm going to Abbis Ababa for a conference at the beginning of June, and will have a few days (around 4) to play with afterwards. I'd love to do some trekking/wildlife-watching/camping or something of that nature.

I've heard great things about the simien mountains but it looks like that would mean most of my time would be spent getting there and back.. Any recommendations for somewhere closer to Addis? I can't drive unfortunately.

hotel recommendations also 'preciated (eg the Ghion?)

Is it ever right to allow a population to starve?

hoverboards don't work on water — Mon, 01 May 2006 05:19:52 -0800

Please help correct my cold utilitarian calculus: is it ever right to allow a population to starve? A Michael Buerk BBC documentary on Ethiopia a while back said something along the lines of having "merely created a nation of half-starved beggars" by aiding them during the 1980s famine. The underlying hypothesis seemed to be this:

If a country of 15 million people can support itself in food most years, but only support 10 million during a drought, then 5 million will starve. However, if an outsider steps in and donates 5 million food rations, the country lives on.

Every 10 years or so the drought recurs, except in the intervening 10 years, the population doubles. Now the country has 30m people, and can only support 10m. So 20 million will starve unless outside aid is delivered.

Another ten years on, 60 million people with food enough for 10. 50 million starve unless food aid is delivered.

At some point, the outsiders will become unwilling or unable to continue supporting the poor country, and no food aid will arrive. If this is 30 years on from the original drought, 110 million people will starve.

So would it have been right to withhold food aid initially, resulting in only 5 million deaths rather than 110 million?

Given that the parameters of this scenario are accurate (population will continue to grow while food is available, food aid will eventually stop), the answer seems to be yes. It doesn't feel right though.

Help Dialing Ethiopia, Ghion Hotel

cior — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 06:29:34 -0800

When I call 011-251-1-513222 for the Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa, I receive various error messages. Please help me find a working number for this hotel, I need to reach a guest. My sweetheart is currently in Addis on assignment and seeking a way out of the city due to the violence. I think he might be departing this evening and would like to talk to him before he does. Any help you can offer in getting the right number would be appreciated.

Ethiopian food

Slimemonster — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:19:06 -0800

My friend and I are going to go check out an Ethiopian cuisine place tomorrow and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what we should try? The only ethiopian cuisine I've had was from a friend, so I really don't know what to expect. What are everyone's favorite dishes that I might find at a typical ethiopian place and can you describe them a little?

Country in Ethiopia

realcountrymusic — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 14:41:34 -0800

RadioFilter: A friend told me she heard a segment on country music's popularity in Ethiopia on WNYC (820 AM, public radio in New York) this morning. Despite searching the websites of every show they aired, I cannot find audio or any mention of the segment. Did anyone else catch this, and if so, can you help me find it?