Asmara Eritrea May 17 2016 - The Kunama handshake

 

After breakfast we call the airport to check the status of my luggage. The suitcases are waiting for me. Dawid gives me a ride to the airport. I see my luggage from a distance, as I tagged them in The Netherlands for easy recognition. Thank God they made it to Asmara.

Back in the house I check the content of the suitcases, and unpack the gifts for my host Dawid, Shawit and the kids. I sort the other gifts by destination and take a taxi to Edaga Arbi for the heavy stuff. I drink tea with Tirhas and the kids before I walk back to the center.

I pass the northern bus station where buses of various ages serve the Southern regions. I have a chat with the drivers and passengers. A mad man (Zulul in Tigrinya) is giving me a guided tour, crying out the brands and destinations of the various buses. His explanation does not match my observations. He wants some food for his 'services'. I try to get rid of him, as he is spoiling my pictures. Passengers waiting for their bus keep an eye on me and the mad man.

In a nearby bar I have a coke for lunch as the detox process against the Egyptian bacteria is still in progress. "Thank you for visiting my place" is the kind goodbye of the owner of the bar. He is happy and proud the foreigner choose his bar to have a drink and some rest.

I spend the afternoon walking the streets of Asmara, enjoying fruit juices, and chatting with boys and girls about life in Eritrea and Europe. "Eritrea is nothing" one of the girls addresses me. I ask her who is to blame. I have seen a lot of successful people, and and a lot of people complaining in Asmara. Moving to Europe is no guarantee for her success if she is only waiting for the government to improve her situation. I tell her it will take her years to learn the language, years of education to get the proper certificates, and years of in company training and career moves. It is not a simple one, two,three, I am wealthy move to Europe. I cannot convince her.

At Cinema Roma the police performs a basic check before entry. Girls in blue uniforms guide us to our seats. The invitation for this evenings performances in Cinema Roma reads entry from 6h30 PM. Where 6h30 proved to be too early yesterday, 7 PM is too late today to have a seat in the front. I am guided to a seat more in the back, behind the ERI-TV camera man. Next time I will have to be in time.

The event as always starts with one minute to commemorate the Martyrs who gave their lives for the liberation of Eritrea. The show is a mix of performances of singers and dancers of various nationalities, and drama in Tigrinya.

The act of the Kunama singer and dancers wettens my eyes. I don't know why, but their culture warms my heart. I feel I HAVE to go forward, and do like the Eritreans, who honor their favorite singer with some money, a short dance and a firm handshake. I look at the woman sitting next to me, show her my euro note and make a gesture suggesting to go forward. I can read the encouragement from her face. DO IT!

I imitate the Kunama dance steps and move eight rows forward. The short encounter with the Kunama singer is one of the highlights of this years visit to Eritrea, and an experience not easy forgotten. From the singers handshake I feel his happiness that a foreigner is choosing him as a favorite. And I get thumbs up from various persons as I move back to my seat for my courage to honor the singer. It was easy anyway because I love the Kunama music, as it meets the Eritrean motto 'Simply magnificent', and it is the ultimate way to participate in this nice event, instead of being just an observer.

Al 9h30 PM the show is finished.

 

Exhibition (Ministry of Education) - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Exhibition (Berhe Russom) - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Decorated Eritel office - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Private bus Saint Georgis logo - Northern bus station Asmara Eritrea.

Private bus 'JESUS' - Northern bus station Asmara Eritrea.

Zulul - Northern bus station Asmara Eritrea.

Harat intercity buses - Northern bus station Asmara Eritrea.

Cathedral Cafe Menu - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Girls guiding the public to their seats in Cinema Roma - Asmara Eritrea.

Evening show (Tigrinya) in Cinema Roma - Asmara Eritrea.

Evening show (Kunama) in Cinema Roma - Asmara Eritrea.

Evening show (Bilen) in Cinema Roma - Asmara Eritrea.

Evening show (Bilen) in Cinema Roma - Asmara Eritrea.

Evening show (Helen Paulos) in Cinema Roma - Asmara Eritrea.