In memory of one of the greatest heros

 He is one of the very few “men of honor” in my list. My grueling journey in the attempt to make a small impact in my own little life has compelled me to commend this man for changing the world behind bars. He was a man who stood by his wise and kind words and a man who lived for his dreams. Only he was willing to trade the dignity of being a black scholar at that time for the dignity of being a regular free man.  I used think of him as just a freedom fighter who liberated South Africa from Apartheid.  Through time however, I have learned that he wasn't just a freedom fighter, he was also a symbol of a real man. He is the reason why so many black men and women have a place they call home.

Since I read his autobiography,   “A long way to Freedom,” he had become a significant inspiration and a recipe for many of my principles that guide me through life’s maze. I also recently read “A Conversation With Myself,” which made me reminisce the pleasing feel of his words.

"It matter not how straight the gate

How charged with punishments the scroll

I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul”

-Nelson Mandela-

1918-2013

The world truly lost yet another magnificent man. It deeply saddens me to declare a true super hero as the late Nelson Mandela. 

His legacy lives on…

His name remains above his grave

May he rest in peace!   

Syria, War in Syria, World Intervention & me

This Arabic nation is located west of Asia bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea in the East, Turkey in the South, Iraq in the west and Jordan in the North. Syria is one of the oldest countries that date back to the Paleolithic era. The biggest dynasties in the history of the world longed for the exotic land of Syria and have fought to preserve this land as part of their empire; from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Turks.

Syria became an independent nation following the end of the French rule in 1946. Post-independence period for Syria wasn't quite ideal. Syria joined the Arab-Israel war in 1948 opposing the recognition of Israel as an independent state.  In the midst of a grave economic and political uproar, the Baath Party led by Hafeez Al-Assad held power in 1970. Hafeez Al-Assad exercised an unpopular authoritarian rule till his death in 2000. Following his death in 2000, his son Bashar Al-Assad took over. A year in to power, the Syrian Civil War breaks out as the people of Syria resiliently demand political freedom. The “irresistible zest” of power urges yet another man to act inhuman. The civil war only remained world news as thousands of people lose their lives. Mr. Bashar Al-Assad then decides to use chemical weapons; and all of a sudden the dragons roar.  

Against Al-Asaad

President Barack Obama, as much as I idolize you and commend several of your foreign and domestic polices and reforms, I am not with you on this one.  I am skeptical of the intentions of your proposal to conduct a “minor” attack on Syria in pretext of despising the use of chemical weapons. On behalf of every rational being I ask, “Why now?” Is it just the mere use of chemical weapon you despise, or is it the deaths of thousands of people as a result of the use of chemical weapons you despise? If it is the latter, the intervention would have been noble if it had spared the lives of the hundreds and thousands of civilians lost prior to the whole chemical weapon fiasco. I have tuned in for the congressional hearings and speeches, and yet still not convinced with the need for war at this point. I understand that as the world’s primary watchdog, the US indeed needs to involve in grave world issues as such; nonetheless, I am not quite a fond of the inconsistent schemes used in approaching these issues. What if it was a much less strategically imperative nation that was the victim of a vicious chemical weapon attack, would the US stay firm with this ground?

For Al-Asaad

During the late cold war, while the Soviet Union was still on the quest of expanding communism, and while Syria was merged in the Arab-Israel war and on the quest of finding an ally, a pact was signed.  The pact was about the Soviet Union securing communist influence in Syria in exchange for planes, tanks and other military equipments for Syria. This pact was potent enough to cloud the ability of Russia to realize Mr. Al-Assad’s actions today and refuse to stand against him. Oh! Where humanity at?  

I think I have said too much!

Whether it is a question of reserving the long lived family sovereignty or the ultimate fear of losing power we shall never know. But I know that… if Mr. Al-Assad and his family tells us, they are going to have to kill us. All humors aside I wish to see the end of it all.

Inspired by a film

I recently had the opportunity to attend the premiere of an Ethiopian film entitled Soset Maezen (meaning Triangle). The film is about a group of Ethiopians and Eritreans who decide to flee to the United States hoping to find a better life. I stand firm when I say this movie has managed to tell the most overdue story to my fellow Ethiopians. The Cinematogrpahy and all other technical aspects for this film are hands down ground breaking for the gradually rising Ethiopian film industry.

 Some say I am not one to talk to about the vileness of poverty and the strong desire of the unprivileged to make their lives better. But I am saying:

“I was in my early teenage years when I began to realize the eccentric level of ambiguity that prevails in my home country. The indemnity you toiled to establish your entire life merely relies on what arises tomorrow. A country that was once the greatest civilizations on earth now dwells victims of major social, economic and political bedlam. I lived all my life surrounded by a society beleaguered by absolute poverty. So I am taking the liberty to state my judgment on this issue.”

I had the opportunity to experience life in the United States. I am not going to deny the obvious verity that the US is in fact the land of opportunity; it is the land where a light of democracy sparkles, and also the land where human life is relatively valued. I also had the opportunity to experience life in Ethiopia.  I am not going to deny the verity that life in any third world country could wearing, patience requiring and full of baloney bureaucracies; however, I just can’t seem to comprehend with the rationale why my fellow citizens risk to face the challenges of being burned by a jealous wife, or being raped by a vindictive fellow, or being the desert’s lunch, or being the ocean’s dinner... the list just goes on.

The painful reality is that majority of Ethiopians that migrate to the western world in such a manner are not even the impoverished. They spend thousands of money to pass borders illegally only to remain a history in a complete strange land.  

This film got me thinking why cross the thin line between LIFE and the HOPE OF SUCCESS. After all don’t you think we ought to be alive today to witness a brighter tomorrow?

Make sure you watch the film, click below to watch the trailer.

http://www.amharictube.com/musicvideo.php?vid=80ad492eb

  

In Loving memory of....

When we humans toddle on top of the earth with absolute liberty, we appear to be invincible.  It seems like nothing can come on our way given our ability to conquer any threat using our knack to fashion an exit. The human possession of a complex brain and free will remains a privilege; nonetheless it has come to my knowledge that we are the most fragile and vulnerable creatures on earth.  I used to think that life is all about journeying through the pits and peaks to unveil a certain mission, and that the ones who are able to unveil their mission are the fortunate ones. Now, reality is persistently challenging my lifelong principle because life is not all about a mission; it is also about the struggle to survive and fortunate ones are the ones who manage to cheat death every single day.  

Dear readers, I hope you understand that I am not trying to convey a negative message on my blog rather I am trying to say that we ought to be grateful to be breathing as long as we do. 

THIS BLOG IS IN LOVING MEMORY OF A DEAR FRIEND

Morning Lesson

I woke up this morning complaining about waking up few minutes late for work.  All my subsequent morning routines were accompanied with complains. The ridiculously bright light coming through my window was not pleasant. Checked the morning news and all headlines were just sad: terrorism threat in NASA, wild fire in Colorado, The Nile Dilemma: potential conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia, The world’s oldest man dies  J, probable heavy storm in New York, flood in Germany, UN: Documented killings in Syria rise to over 90,000. Not to mention my puppy Lui, who took the liberty to dance on the outfit I planned to wear to work, with his little muddy feet and the breakfast that tasted dull because the flu viruses decided to disable my taste buds.  

I finally made it out of the house. There I was waiting for taxi to get to work and that morning sun frying my head. A reason to despise life, “I hate this sun,”  “I hate standing waiting for transportation,” “I hate my outfit because I had my heart on the ones I picked out yesterday.”  Then I heard a voice behind me; a man singing what sounded like a gospel.  I l turned my head to see who it was, but there was no one. I turned back and continued despising life, “I hate these dirty muddy floors making my shoes dirty.” The man continues singing, I turned my head again, and I looked down. It was this young man… no arms, no legs… crawling right behind me. I can see that he is homeless, and I can feel that life has never been kind to him. He is singing about the value of being physically complete, being grateful to Jesus and his mother, and he is begging for food and money wishing everyone a blessed day.

Then there I was complaining about waking up late, when some people never even slept, mad about my ruined outfit when some people don’t even have a spare shirt, infuriated with the sun when some people never even see the light of day, irritated with standing for few minutes to wait for a taxi when some people don’t even have legs to ever stand, annoyed with the muddy floor when this muddy floor is home to some people.

Since I intend to keep my blog posts short, I will end here.

Based on one murky morning I declared life as ‘lackluster,’ but my friends little I know this thing we call life is like everything that’s in front of you, if you don’t seek to see it... it vanishes. 

That Paper

I think it all began when our very early ancestors started to realize that their needs are limited to what earth offers. They somehow came up with the idea of exchanging assets for needs. They called it the barter system, the very reason we humans batter each other today. It didn't entail the further evolution of the human brain to sense the pleasure of power upon the self.  It also didn't entail the further evolution of the human brain to learn that power is achieved through the possession of more assets beyond the basic human need. This system then began to evolve from cowery shells to today’s digital and paper money.

It amazes me how we human were dumb enough to give power to a piece of paper, because we yearn for power itself?  It’s like handing a knife to an enemy knowing that he is going to stab you. I still don’t believe how the brightest minds who fought for democracy, freedom, and equality never thought about fighting to decentralize the power of money. 

I just hope someday we snatch the throne from money and begin to appraise one’s wealth with the quantity of self-less deeds.  

What is Love

People say that the best things in life come for free. I beg to differ; because ironically the fortunate ones who were ordained to experience LOVE certainly paid the utmost price. What makes it so strange is the simultaneous episodes of pain and absolute serenity.

What is Love though? Is it a state of being? Is it just a notion? Is it a virtual emotion? Is it an actual emotion? Is it something we are bestowed with so that we treasure ourselves, or is it a curse imposed upon us so that we would betray our ego and fell for a complete stranger? I haven’t come up with the answer to any of the mystery behind LOVE. I know that everything that pleasures humans is made by humans: money, fame, music, movies, books, sports and many more except LOVE. I like to think that LOVE is the most precious present given to us by God as a token of our affiliation as father and child. It’s not something we can pay for, it’s not something we can embezzle or it’s not something we work hard for rather it’s something we long to find some way, somehow, somewhere. If you think otherwise let me hear it.   

Inside My Thoughts

Self Profile

Name:               Egla Yetnayet Negussie.
From:                Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Education:        Bachelors degree in Communication and Journalism- University of Wyoming.
                          Associate degree in Pre-Law- Western Wyoming Community College
Work Place:     A renowned film production company in Ethiopia, Zeleman Production PLC
Position:           Account Executive/ Traffic Manager/ Special Assistant to the MD
Activities:         Books, Movies, Acting, Music
I blog:               Connection + Sharing
Blog Topics:     Entertainment, politics, history, art, fashion, technology and renovation.

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