Chapter three : apes and syrians

In the taxi, I saw a quote on the window that said, "The wise learn from Syria." Although I haven't
particularly witnessed something worthy of learning while observing every Syrian community near a
shawarma house, there is one idea that stands out: a group of Syrian men, bound by smoking cheap
cigarettes with utterly disturbing pictures on the boxes, is the most influential aspect of the nation. They
are capable of turning the streets of Addis into their own capital and making you, an Ethiopian, feel
ashamed of your inability to speak Arabic. The second idea is that an ordinary Syrian man, without a
background in the kitchen, can make a better shawarma than a professional Ethiopian chef.

While walking to my next destination, I noticed a group of kids around a muddy corner, lighting their
cigarettes with a match. I thought of snatching it from their hands and imagined yelling in my mind, "For
heaven's sake, get a lighter!" A match sounds so mundane; it's unromantic and not worthy of lighting a
deadly ticking bomb. Get a lighter and make sure it's cute.

And now, I shall shift my attention to the metaphysical aspect of this memoir, dear reader. I would have
apologized for my biased remarks, but you offer me no academic positions that depend on my ability to
remain neutral and objective . Thus, I exclaim that I am fully capable of speaking freely about my
thoughts.

Nothing sounds more ridiculous to me than a group of human beings caring for an ant's goals and
affairs. Ants are meant to be stepped on by larger beings and occasionally serve as sources of nutrition. I
am reflecting upon the concept of the universe, planets, and stars all revolving around a mere human
being conspiring to help someone forget their former romantic partner or climb up the social class
ladder more efficiently. Th the guy in the sky sounds more convenient to me, as I am predominantly
from a liberal country.

Then, I reached a place where humans exhibit their brutal nature, where only the fittest can possibly
survive – the long taxi line. I took my place and stood waiting, only to be pushed by relatively larger apes
than I , just as the car started approaching. The apes have their strength and i have a social privilege to
use a sophisticated transportation system with three of my co-elites in a ventilated vehicle with
comfortable cushions. I grinned at the thought of my capabilities and traveled back to my house.