Izosh #BloggingAbroad

Blogging Challenge Day #10:  Izosh

There are many, many, many common phrases within the Amharic language in Ethiopia.  One very common phrase that many people tell me all the time is “Izosh.”  Izosh essentially translates into English as “be strong.”  I actually hear this phrase on an almost daily basis.

Situations in which I may have someone say “Izosh” to me:

• When I am doing laundry
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• When I am cooking
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• If I trip and fall over
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• If I almost get run over by a bajaj (local public transportation), cow, donkey, or horse
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• When I am running (for exercise)
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• When I get harassed
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• When I try to communicate with people and they just don’t understand

So, you can see that this might be a phrase that I not only get on a daily basis, but many times throughout every day.  Sometimes I do appreciate when someone says “Izosh” and genuinely seems to care.  But sometimes, I just find the phrase irritating because I hear it so often.  Especially in those most irritating moments, I have to remind myself of what is normal within the cultural context of Ethiopia.  It can be hard at times because Ethiopia is so different from America in way of what is culturally appropriate, etc.  But despite how often I hear the phrase “Izosh,” I really do like the idea of encouraging people to stay strong.  I have some good friends who have served as Peace Corps volunteers over the past two years with me who constantly remind me of how strong I really am as a person.  This two-year Peace Corps experience and these people that I now consider some of my best friends for life have allowed me to grow as a person and become much stronger.

On that note, here is a list of other common phrases:

Izosh – Be strong

Inday? – What?   Or Really?

Ishi beka – Okay, enough…

*If you would like more common phrases, I can continue to add to the list.

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