Farenji

I've heard a lot of 'farenji, farenji!' while in Addis Ababa. Its meaning of 'white foreigner' is similar to mzungu in East Africa, kharwaja in Sudan, bule in Indonesia, barang in Cambodia, gringo in Mexico.

I was told in Addis that it was a word created in error after Ethiopians mispronounced the word 'French' when Europeans first set foot there. However other credible sources indicate that it is more likely to originate from similar words in Arabic or Persian.

Barang in Khmer also means 'French'. Perhaps the French did a lot of early roving and conquering.

Ethiopia to the UK today. There is a distinct correlation between the degree of disorder and rule-breaking in a society, and the clamour to disembark from an aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines today had a lot of chaos, shoving and elbowing in the cabin as soon as wheels had hit the runway and a long time before it was safe to be rootling around in the overhead lockers. I'll never understand the anticipation of getting off a plane/train/tram/bus that leads people to ready themselves fifteen minutes before arrival, with hand hovered over the exit button. In a plane I am not sure anyone has ever missed their stop...

Humans are funny creatures.