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Well, we've said goodbye to the last relative who has joined the massive exodus headed for back home for the holidays... ("Why can't you take another shanTa full of dime store hair pins for me? You are so... mean!) ... SELEDA upper management has retired to the hills of Colorado... and we find ourselves mulling over why those QebeT Americans don't like that yummy fruit cake... Put another log on the fire, huddle close, and press play on the Kassa Tessema CD...Croon along... "Ere Bati, Bati". It is the "Home" issue of SELEDA. It might be true about never being able to go back home. What they don't tell you is that it is even truer that home will never leave you. So, here we are, the Ethiopian Diaspora, at the turn of a new century. But where is 'here'? (Ehem... we've been taking "Abstract Thought" at night school. Hope it shows.) We pay tribute to our sense of "Home" in the January issue... not just the land Ethiopia, but the concept. It was, we have to admit, the most fun we have had at SELEDA since we switched the coffee to decaf, and had a barrel o' laughs watching the irate writing staff chew through 10 boxes of Number 2s. We hope it is half as fun for you. Rush... rush... rush... as we try to get the January issue out on time... the commas, the pedantic words, the obscure and recherché references... oh what fun it is to have a gigantic new thesaurus... We have very little news to report...numerous staff meetings had to be canceled because of conflicts raised with upper management's busy December calendar... three stomach staplings, two jaw wirings and one liposuction, all necessary to fit into tight tuxedoes and slinky dresses. All miraculously explained away in expense reports, of course. We are awed by audacity. We are gearing up for our "Valentine" issue in February, and then our "Science and Technology" issue in March. As always, we wholeheartedly welcome our readers to submit story ideas or essays relating to these "themes". Oh, and April will be SELEDA's first anniversary! Not that we think one year and 11 sinewy issues is anything to dust off the tultula for, but we are people who have not had the same hair color for a year, so, please, indulge our grandiose selves. (Read: send presents.) Plans for the Grand Celebration are... well, nowhere near the drawing table, but hopefully a New Year and a restful New Year's eve will inspire us. Heartfelt thanks to all of you who made 1999 such a banner year. Your support and findiq yalu "Bertu!"s have made SELEDA evolve, revolve and survive countless armed coups and revolutions. We hope you continue your kindness and "Tselotay kenante gar new"s. Send us your comments and suggestions, which are always read and re-read with fervor and love. Happy New Year, mekam gena and to all good health, prosperity and... may our patented, trademarked and copyrighted idea of ye-dirQosh tuna salad take off, so that we, too, can offer IPOs.
The Humble Editors.
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