Asmara children

We meet a lot of children, not only in the classrooms, but on the streets, for the western concept of having to guard your children 24 hours a day does not exist here. Obviously in the villages where the likelihood is that everyone will know every one else and their families, this is to be expected but amazingly enough this is also true in the centre of Asmara. Our twice daily walks to and from work, involve as well as countless greetings to the many adults we know, many encounters with children. Most kids here will shout out “Hi” some of them following this with “How arrrrrre you” and “What is yourrrr name” Some get a bit silly but most are very friendly and we nearly always make a point of saying something back. At this point many of them dissolve into fits of giggles but quite a lot will attempt to hold a conversation in their newly acquired school English. Anyway the point of this was to say that these kids range in age from about 18 months to 15 and we meet them while they’re out playing on the street. The only “toys” you’ll ever see are footballs and even these are often improvised. The little ones traipse around behind and are looked after by the bigger ones. The bigger ones in their turn are looked after by any passing adults. Adults will stop and intervene if they see a group of boys arguing or fighting (rare as it is), if they feel a child needs help in crossing a busy (by Asmara standards) street and even if they feel the children might be making a nuisance of themselves with the strange white foreigners. Adults look after all children and I have to say the children are very respectful and obedient back. I shudder to think what might happen if a passing adult in the UK tried to act in the same way.

There’s two little ones (2-3 years old) who I’ve been saying “hello” to every day. (I’m on a one woman crusade to get kids saying hello instead of hi.) These two have never been exposed to “hi” and now say “hello” back to me in what sounds like a reflection of my voice complete with London diphthongs.

Asmara beer is back, albeit rationed and only available after 7 o’clock. Word is that it’s not for ever, just for Independence (May 24th) but it’s a very welcome novelty.

There’s been a canary singing in the garden.

C