Have a Coke

thank you thank you what country are you often eat your yeah Ethiopia edu oh yeah oh how wonderful so glad you could come find here thank you how's our stand to begin with my arrival gives out chiefly scholarship student in economics at University of California was anything but propitious on arriving I found that all my baggage had been accidentally routed to some place called Watsonville I somehow missed is a representative the university had arranged to meet me and having spent in New York most of the money I had changed I found that a draft on the bank of Ethiopia was useless at the night the first person I met was a policeman who arrested me at once my command of the language departed and I was unable to speak in my own behalf or understand my offence I cannot describe to you my feelings as I finally entered the city of Los Angeles as a criminal I had no idea where the police were taking me it was however not prison I had apparently arrived somewhat regularly at University of California at Los Angeles on this huge campus my scholarship which seems to bountiful an honor from the government proved something less than adequate to save money I entered the co-operative student dormitory breakfast is served early and it's very unusual my roommate is an American from Arizona studying civil engineering he is failing calculus and is very uncommunicative and he probably finds me the same way for five months now I have a time for little besides study worried about money and wonder why I ever came here the English examination I passed in and south wall with such fluency simply not the same language spoken here the constant series of quizzes I find irritating most are transparently designed to inform the professor was a you've read his assignment gods haven't read his assignment there's no time to read assignments aside from the library my class buildings and the dormitory I know little of the campus and less of the city I feel like the village idiot treated us polite deference by my colleagues it is maddening occasional walks in the evening with advice and friendship from my own people were generally pleasurable moments but when the year's examinations were finished I felt it pointless to want to know here in frustration loneliness and part I was about to wire for passage home when I received notification that my grades were very high and I had been accepted by my department as teaching assistant fantastic I shall stay another year but it is anything like the last one I am living take a reservation you will get worse old customs and same rights are practiced by the natives we are welcome to the Student Union what's your name hi lawfulness oh oh you speak English very well thank you géza you will see that when you get out of that dormitory my second year began with the teaching assistants salary - if you share you can afford an apartment but they are difficult to find of course there are no servants in this country so the men often cook for themselves we attempted this with some success you are helped somewhat by our landlady who turned out to be a kindly soul at heart who developed a motherly interest in our welfare we're drinking wine here today how would you say why way in Lane way it's almost like independently yeah sure does and what kind of wine do you actually drink there is there some special type Philip in Ethiopia yeah there is one special craft recalling the Saudis budget later it's made of grapes it European eat you Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia but for all the casual and relaxed socializing the second year brings a difficult decision my specialized research is complete should I go now or what seems increasingly possible like my American colleagues stay on and work toward the highest degree offered in my field but it is taken you five years Tamara and you've not finished yet as a matter of fact my dear hybrid my government has just inquired tomorrow I used till a student or a refugee perfect solo have some coffee oh thank you thank you what country are you often Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia oh how wonderful so glad you could come thank you thank you as I was saying why does it take five years to finish this sort of thing for one and then I have to spend a lot of time giving you all advice however I am beginning to feel more pressing obligations along that line so there is less time than ever not counting my two jobs but with all the demands I'm still satisfied in no other system could I enroll first for a limited study continue on becoming a member of the staff complete a program for a doctorate and still support a family this whole university is filled with married students somehow working raising families and studying at the same time now this life cannot be described as conducive to serene contemplation yet somewhere during the price of one's job professional studies the inevitable distractions of a material society and the more pleasurable demands of marriage you find a few moments to reflect on the point of all these one day in the middle of a class I give for the Peace Corps I really felt for the first time the irony that I and European was giving instruction to Americans who were going to my country to assist Ethiopians I knew it was time for me to return for whatever contribution I am capable of making to my own land and culture it seems that I have confirmed a position in Addis Ababa I shall return on acceptance of my thesis here probably next month thank you thank you gentlemen so you all will have to find yourselves another guide in this exotic part of the world and there I would say is someone who is in need of much guidance and counseling welcome to the Student Center thank you what is your name this gesture that's interesting how long have you been in America two hours oh thank you Booya

Channel: US National Archives

Views: 13,593

Keywords: US National Archives, NARA

Id: gTr4xdVGDB4

Length: 16min 42sec (1002 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 23 2018