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Dec 19 , 2020

CHIRP, CHIRP The Call of the Birds to Loss of Habitat

It was three weeks ago. “You are back!” I said to my long time neighbours, the couple of birds that reside in a tree near my house. It was from a distance. We had not seen one another follow...

Dec 11 , 2020

From the Simple to the Sophisticated, the Art of Ethiopian Food

When I was a kid, I lost many things. It is part of being a kid. But one thing that I did not lose was my teacup. No ifs or buts, if it was the morning, I was most certainly with it. As the elder,...

Dec 4 , 2020

Chuck the CDs, Let Music Go Digital

A while ago when I was on my daily walking route, I had the usual sensation to sing. The route helped the ambience, which has droves of pedestrians, groceries, cafes and bars. Perhaps most visible...

Nov 29 , 2020

With Science, to Books, Cinema and Beyond

It was in my early teen years, a Saturday. The sun was setting, and our new neighbours had finished moving in. A short, wiry boy came to introduce himself, showing off his gymnastic ability and boasti...

Nov 21 , 2020

In Contemporary Talent Shows, Gold Age of Music Lives On

Once inside a public bus during my college days, a fare dodger was apprehended. We all gave our ears to the ensuing mêlée. Amidst the rumbling, a raspy voice dominated, and we all calmed down. In a...

Nov 14 , 2020

The Price of Communication in Brave New Internet Age

Standing in front of my house, I mused at the utility technicians with their pickups and ladders, going up and down poles, busy connecting households. “Is everything being connected and that conn...

Nov 7 , 2020

Digital Neighbourhoods Rise as Real Ones Transform

It was just a little while ago that I stood in front of my house to go out for a walk that an old man in his early 80s approached me. Surprisingly agile for his age, leaving his nose out and covering...

Oct 31 , 2020

Hygiene: Culture of Hard Workers

A good friend of mine has an Italian restaurant. If for some reason her employees leave her, all of them including the concierge are in high demand. Her dedication to the work – her continuous visi...

Oct 24 , 2020

When Marching Bands Meet DJs

Every Thursday after school, my friends and I used to vivaciously await the majestic whirling drum sticks and percussion rhythm of marching bands as they drew closer to the landmark Mexico Square wher...

Oct 16 , 2020

To Dare to Walk Addis' Streets

It was a fine day with a blue sky and balmy weather. It was during lunchtime and too good an opportunity to not take a walk. I hoped to better bond myself with the outdoors, most probably an effect of...

Oct 10 , 2020

Waste Collection: Sinless Act Held in Low Regard

Until not long ago, there were three garbage hot spots in our neighbourhood, safe havens for stray dogs. To any passerby, the mélange of thrown-out nappies, hair extensions, fake plastic flowers, too...

Oct 3 , 2020

"I do" to "Adieu," Idir Keeps the Community Together

It was on EBS TV sometime back - an interview of a couple who sat side by side. It was not a photo op. One could clearly see the ease with which the woman leaned on her husband's bosom and how they ta...

Sep 27 , 2020

In Defense of the Infamous Eucalyptus Tree

Confused with my earlier dotty categorisation of trees, as though they all are the same, except in looks, I was at an impasse to tell what differentiates them. Then I started to vet what comes first t...

Sep 19 , 2020

The Old Meets the New in Addis' City Planning

One can draw any kind of picture on a clean slate and indulge every whim in the wilderness in laying out a new city. But when operating in an overbuilt metropolis, one has to hack away with a meat axe...

Sep 11 , 2020

With 'Haussmannisation' Comes Social Trauma

I revisited Doro Tera sometime ago. But it was not in person. It was through the eyes of a Dutch neighbour, who used to live a stone's throw from my house. Despite having only been in Addis Abeba...

Sep 6 , 2020

For the New Year, Keep the Cattle Calm

It was the eve of the Ethiopian New Year two years back. I was wandering at the southern end of my house when I spotted, at a muddy junction, a pregnant young woman heading in a similar direction. ...

Columns

Commentaries | Jul 18,2026

Millions Looking for Work. Companies Cannot Find Many to Hire. A Paradox?

Pressed in Parliament on jobs and household incomes, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) offer...

Editorial | Jul 18 , 2026

EL NINO MEETS A REGION EMPTIED BY WAR

Weldu Yiheysh, a farmer in Shibta District of Enderta Wereda in the Southeast Zone, was st...

Featured | Jul 19 , 2026 . By GEBRU KAHSAY and WORKINEH DIRIBSA

A Sack of Cement, with the Chain No One Can See

In the Jemo area of Addis Abeba, Fikremariam Wondimu no longer trades cement so much as ga...

Agenda | Jul 19 , 2026 . By FITSUM TADESSE

Adverse Opinions Pile Up as Addis Abeba’s Budget Hits a Record

Bureaus, agencies and institutions under the Addis Abeba City Administration are sitting o...

Fortune News | Jul 19 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER