Ferungi is a word that I hear quite often. Most of the time it is hurled at me as I am walking down the street, riding in a bajaj, or when people are speaking in Amharic and for some reason they think I don't realize that they are talking about me. In the Amharic language a ferungi is a non-Ethiopian. Actually, it is more than that, it is a person that doesn't look like an Ethiopian. If you are a "ferungi" that was born and raised in Ethiopia-you will still be called a ferungi.
Little kids run up and just want to touch my skin. I think it is funny, so do they. Some babies scream and cry if I try to touch them. One little girl screams and cries if I just look at her. I realize that I look different but I don't feel any different. This is my home now and sometimes it is weird to have people basically point at you and tell you that you don't belong. I know that they don't mean any harm when they scream out ferungi at me but sometimes it does hurt my feelings. It is like a reminder that no matter how long I live here I won't ever truly fit in. I know this isn't the case with the people closest to me but it is true for others.
I think it is more weird for me to understand the fascination of the color of my skin because I come from a country where we have a little bit of every nationality and race. I lived in the DC and Baltimore area for a long time so I am used to seeing many different people all of the time. I realize that here they are not used to that so maybe it is fun for them to see "outsiders".
These are just my random thoughts for the day. :)
