Traditionally, the three kisses applies regardless of gender, as it does in Russia for example. Nowadays, you don't see it as much between younger men, but you do see it among older men.

The small rythmic pause is a city thing, I think, a full-stop or exclamation mark of sorts for the whole process.

Good luck with your language training! I knew a missionary who became fluent in Amharic and Hadiya I think it was in one year of training. So it's possible!

There is definitely a pause between the second and third kiss that always makes me wonder if they are going to go in for the "kill" or if they've decided a faranji will have no idea what is going on and let me off easy. It can be quite awkward when I'm left still holding their hand though.

If you have nothing else to do with your time than learn Amharic I'm sure it's possible, but I sympathize with you on the learn-on-the-fly challenge. It's hellishly difficult and the fact that verbs conjugate unrecognizably doesn't help. (Witness: ehedallehu: I am going, and tihejallech: she is going. Um, what??)

There is definitely a pause between the second and third kiss that always makes me wonder if they are going to go in for the "kill" or if they've decided a faranji will have no idea what is going on and let me off easy. It can be quite awkward when I'm left still holding their hand though.

If you have nothing else to do with your time than learn Amharic I'm sure it's possible, but I sympathize with you on the learn-on-the-fly challenge. It's hellishly difficult and the fact that verbs conjugate unrecognizably doesn't help. (Witness: ehedallehu: I am going, and tihejallech: she is going. Um, what??)

Andrew,
I sympathize with you, trying to learn to speak Amharic is like trying to learn to write English right (with no spelling mistakes and adhering to all kinds of rules.) But take heart, once you get the spoken Amharic right, writing it is a piece of cake as the vowels are built in the letters.

Margot,
If you don't mind my saying so, tihejallech: is not, she is going, but a combination of two words tihedallech: she is going AND tihejallesh: you are going(refering to a feminine person).

I have a question. Is it appropriate to also kiss three times when you leave / say goodbye? or is a simple handshake appropriate?

Gio,
If you are leaving for long time and you are close to the person, the three kiss will be more appropriate.

Andrew,
The shoulder -to-shoulder is pretty new. It is replacing the traditional kiss b/n men. I even get confused which to use with older people. Some of them don't know the shoulder thing.

ps, how do you put new line on this post (comment). Sorry I coundn't figure it out...

Oh, It worked... sorry, It does not show the new lines on the preview.

I picked up the wrist-shake in Mali and found it extremely useful. It's really an elegant substitute for the unwieldy and too-much-information "Sorry, I'd shake your hand, but I just XXX."

In Mali when you are listening hard and understanding, you make a clicking sound in the back of your mouth with your tongue, lips closed. Until I learned that I repeated myself to Malians a lot. By the time I left I was doing it a bit myself too.

23/1/2006

Thks Andrew fr yr daily input which's very interesting to me being a person who loves Ethiopia & who considers it to be his 2nd home, & soon to marry an Ethiopian sweetheart.

No doubt the expulsion of Anthony Mitchell's sad and unforortunate. Poor countries, like Ethiopia, need friends & not the opposite, & no doubt the likes of Anthony, yr goodself, & many other journalists who love Ethiopia & care about its wellbeing, should always be welcomed, after all they're exposing the bitter truth fr the betterment of Ethiopia & the brave proud Ethiopian people who deserve better.

& I entirely agree with you that when a country kicks out a good & caring journalist, the only real loser's the country that did the kicking.

God bless Ethiopia & the brave & proud Ethiopians, & those who love & care about Ethiopia & the Ethiopians.