April 21, 2007
Great racial insults of our time #1
As shouted at me in the livestock market in Jijiga in Ethiopia's Somali region a couple of days back:
"Medabkiisu waa sambab."
Which, in Somali, means something like:
"You look like a lung."
As in pink and spongy I presume.
Posted by aheavens at April 21, 2007 7:31 PM
Comments
Mr. Heavens. i have been readding your blogs for more than a year now and I find it to be very informative. Your opnions are unique. Although some say you do not report enough on the current political situation, your stories speak volumes regarding the current situation in a way that is similar to ethiopian Sem ena Work. Keep it up!. My only wish.. do it more often.
dee
somewhere in the US
Posted by: dee at April 21, 2007 7:59 PM
I'm trying to imagine that said in an aggresive, eyes bulging, finger pointing manner... As racist taunts go, it's briliant. It's not offensive, it no doubt raises a smile or two on both sides and adds a good dose of surrealism to your day.
Posted by: Graham at April 21, 2007 8:06 PM
LOL!! Andrew!! Hilarious. I guess you don't tan well but by gum you know how to pick a free frank and fearless tranlsator!! It will be hard now to erase the image of you pink and spongy in Jijiga now! A new nick name threatens to emerge....
:-)
-------------------------------------------------
like the Somali nicknames for the red shirted shattiguduud (wherever could he be these days?) and the infamous adaade he with the hungry white eyes.
So what did you find out in Region 5..are they with or against the . ..OK. I will keep your blog sweet and not mention the war
but let us know SOMETHING please of what you saw/heard in Jijiga ..at least excercise your cultural right to talk about the weather!!
P.S. I'm curious, was it a woman or man who shouted this slur ....thank you for sharing.
Posted by: alemayehu tedros at April 21, 2007 10:48 PM
“Great racial insults of our time”, I think you need a therapy.
Don’t try Amanuel hospital!!!!!
Posted by: Baheilu at April 22, 2007 2:19 AM
i really felt the same way as Graham above only that i picture the guy with spoiled khat at his left hand.How close are we anyway?
Posted by: bogale at April 22, 2007 3:33 PM
LOL. Thanks for a great laugh. That was just too funny.
Posted by: Yemi at April 22, 2007 5:37 PM
lol . . . esti inanitem yidiresachihu . . .
Posted by: Minte at April 22, 2007 5:49 PM
I've seen you. You do look like a lung.
Posted by: wonderchops at April 23, 2007 11:53 AM
LOL.
Were you a little offended? Or was it said in good humor?
Posted by: safiya at April 23, 2007 12:29 PM
Indeed, Mr Heavens, it is a fact. I am happy he didnot add anything bad to it. He just have expressed your looks. I am sure he didnot mean that you are ugly. He just meant that you look like the lung.
Frankly, though, I like your blog site and am a frequenter in here. Keep up your contributions.
Mussie
Posted by: Mussie at April 30, 2007 12:37 PM
It means pale, pink gums are compared to the colour of lungs. cirridkiisu midabka sambabka weeye.
Posted by: Peripheral at May 2, 2007 9:10 PM