One rainy Saturday morning..

I found myself standing outside the front door of the Addis Ababa University, waiting for my friend Kehulu to come out. There were many people around me. Those, like me, waiting for a family or friend to come out, holding camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Those who earn their daily bread by selling artificial flowers, nuts, or shoe shining. And those who earn their daily bread by “disciplining” them, with a “dula” and an intimidation that seems to come with the uniform.

At around 11:30, the university door opened and young men and women, wearing jet black gowns and wet hair, poured out into the street. Hugs were given and taken, flowers changed hands, and cameras worked hard to capture & retain memory. My friend Kehulu was one them. An extension Bachelors of Arts degree student who just switched the tassel on her mortarboard, she looked deliriously happy and embarssed. And pretty lost: her mobile network has been giving her a hard time and she still hasn’t managed to locate her family.

Kehulu is one of “1996’s batch” of Ethiopian Language & Literature department to which I, too, belonged (save for the glorious day) whose graduation photos had to be taken underneath the shadow of umbrellas. One of the many beautiful friends Addis Ababa University gave me (both inside & out), whom I’d cherish, go where I might. You’ll find herebelow her and Qalkidan’s (or, as Chris calls them, “the KK’s”) photo, the only two i managed to locate that morning. But I love them all and Congrats!

* Click on image for a clearer version.