Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:31:53 +0100
Written by shabait Administrator | 
Monday, 15 February 2016 00:49 |
Today’s Q&A guest is Misgun Abraha, a young engineer and author. Misgun Abraha was born in 1990 and he recently graduated from E.I.T with a degree in Civil Engineering. Adding the translation of “Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps” to Eritrean bookshelves has gotten Misgun Abraha appreciation from numerous readers.
Q: Is engineering what you always wanted to do?
Often times, parents are the ones that remember their children’s childhood dreams. In my case, my grandfather used to tell me that I wanted to be like his friend, so I ended up pursuing civil engineering. Too bad my grandfather couldn’t see me graduate; unfortunately, he passed when I was in Sawa, before I even got to college.
Q: Prose
When I was much younger, I was convinced I was going to grow up to be a singer. However, people told me my voice was dead and so I bid farewell to singing before I even tried! On the contrary, I held onto writing tight. When I was a college student at E.I.T (Eritrean Institute of Technology), there was a weekly program hosting “prose people” so I joined. I started off with poems.
At the time, my family feared I might ease up on my studies. But I didn’t. Towards the end of college, along with Aster Anday, we took on the translation of the book Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps.
At the publishing of the book, my family showed me utmost respect and even encouraged me to go further.
Q: Translating “Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps”
I first read the book during my second year in college, mainly because of my best friend. Actually, we all read it; I mean my friends and my dorm mates, and we loved it. So I thought that it would be a nice thing to translate it and share the fine impression I had of the book with friends and family that don’t know English.
Any book that is translated must have a reason that goes beyond first impressions. There must be a benefitting factor to the society. And since, just like in many other societies, the principle of gender equality is not uniformly consistent, I wanted to bring out the ideas on gender matters pointed out in the book. I did the male parts while Aster took on the female topics.
We were both seniors in college. With senior year papers and all the other things that arise, thing were a bit hard but we remained so resolute on finishing it before school finished. We encouraged each other and saw our plan through to the end. Two years in sum.
It is a good book that has been translated into so many languages, and the thought of having it put into Tigrigna, too, was even extra amazing.
Q: How was the response of the public?
Good; very good for a beginning. To me, presenting a work to the public is like standing nude waiting for judgment.
Q: Now you are out with a book authored by you and only you…
Yes, Azadela. For the reason that the title is unusual, people think that it is another translation of a foreign book, but I assure you it is not. I started writing it soon after the publication of the first translation work. It is a social fiction. Misspelling
Q: Translating or authoring?
They are two totally different things. Translating makes creativeness a hostage. There is titanic fear of not telling something correctly or missing the original connotation or social values attached to it. I match up translating to walking in the middle of two unhinged mountains. However, writing is whole different world. You are the owner and commander of creativity added to free willed imagination!
Q: Why do you write?
It is a question I have come across a lot. People ask me why I write, and I honestly do not know. There is this urge inside of me. Therefore, I can’t find a reason why. Is it to pass a message or awareness to society? I don’t know and I don’t think so. Because the society itself is my instructor, and how can I ever possibly be an instructor to my instructor?! I simply, tell.
Q: Engineer and author…
I feel like being mocked when people label me an author. My profession is civil engineering, while I write to satisfy an inner passion. But yet again engineering, too, is a form of art, at least as far as I am concerned.
Q: Best writing place would be
Anywhere green! A place full of trees.
Q: You are a village boy.
I am. Born and raised in Ala. My parents are farmers and whenever I find some time I go to help out my parents. That is actually my hobby, other than reading books.
Q: Two well received books and only 25, more acceleration?
Through the making of these two books I gained so much understanding that I will use every time challenges come my way. More acceleration? Yes, I plan to give back to, with all my might, my wonderful society. I will be working hard to repay the society that gave me the possibility to be educated.
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“You don’t know about the Asmara toad ?!”
| Wednesday, 17 February 2016 03:17 | |
Dr. Theodore J. Papefuss has been a Research Scientist the University of California since 1980, specializing in the study of reptile and amphib¬ians. He is particularly interested in the conservation of these animals and biodiversity. Dr. Papefuss recently visited Eritrea for three weeks, and right before he left I had the opportunity to interview him. We had a wonderful discussion and I went home with so much knowledge about several of Eritrea’s unique animals.
Q: Dr. Theodore, tell us about yourself.
Call me Ted, please. I am a research scientist at the University of California, and I have worked there for over 35 years. My specialty is the study of amphibians and reptiles.
Our university has the biggest museum of its kind, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
Q: How did it start? I mean your entry into the profession.
My friend earlier on in grammar school, his father specialized in the same profession, and so I basically wanted to be like him. You know, the same man, much later on, was my advisor while I was doing research for my Ph.D. Subsequently, I’ve worked with him for so many years at the University of California.
And I have long been interested in Africa, probably back to when I was 19 years old.
Q: Why Africa?
When I was an early college student, I lived in Ghana for six month. Then 10 years ago, I began to have a growing and immense interest in the species of East Africa, many who are related to those of the Arabian Peninsula.
You know, something like 40 million years ago, the land masses of Arabia and Africa were actually physically connected together.
Later, when they got separated, some of the species were also segregated. I did some research in Arabia and felt the need to expand my inquiry to the Horn of Africa.
So, this is why I had to return to Africa. And particularly your country, Eritrea.
Q: In Eritrea?
Eritrea is rich in biodiversity of small animals. Many years ago, a biologist was here to conduct some research, mostly in Massawa and a bit in Asmara. Remarkably, they found some new species. This was one of the factors that pushed me to come and do research of my own.
When I asked for a permission to come and work in your country, I was fortunate to find some amazing people, including Fitsum, the director of wildlife in your country. He arranged so many things with the Ministry of Agriculture… and here I am. I’ve been here for almost three weeks and everything has been beyond fantastic.
One of our goals was to study some of the unusual species. In 1827, a freshwater turtle and a very unusual type of lizard were discovered in the area towards Massawa. And there is something else which is unique to Eritrea…do you know of the ‘Asmara 
toad’?
Q: No, I don’t.
You don’t know about the ‘Asmara toad’?!
This specific species name is ‘Asmari’ and it was found in 1982, 34 years ago. But nobody knows about it.
Do you know that the ‘Asmara toad’ is the only one animal named after a city?
It could be a national treasure...
In Green Island, Massawa, I met three young boys, all college students from Asmara. One was in the College of Business, and I don’t remember the others. But they were there just having a good time and enjoying themselves, and they were also really interested in what I was doing. So we talked a lot and they were immersed in what I was telling them. They told me that they would tell all of their friends about these tiny species which exist in abundance in Eritrea and have a vital role in biodiversity and the food chain.
You do the same now, you need tell your friends! Well, then again you will write about it, won’t you? I wish for people to hear and know about such things. It is really important.
Mostly people think of elephants and leopards, because Eritrea is in Africa. But you even have this small animal that is named after your city! They exist almost everywhere around you because they are well-suited for wet areas.
One of the many pleasures of being in your country was the fact that I found so many species…we will conduct further DNA studies. And I have even found a toad that I don’t really know what it is.
Also, in Massawa I found gecko lizards that come out at night. They caught my interest because they were first found by the same person that described the sweet water turtle that I talked about earlier, found in 1827.
These small animals, like I said, are very important and they should be protected. But I also noticed that your country has taken, for now a long time, some serious steps in the conservation of nature. Wildlife, greenery, and forestry are well preserved…I now know that your forestry was devastated because of the war, but national enclosures and similar approaches will certainly bring you great outcomes. I have also seen that you don’t use plastic bags! That is beautiful. Where I come from, they only just recently banned the use of plastic bags, but you have already done so for many years. And it is more of a tradition than a rule for you.
Q: What else?
Aside from the toads and lizards, what I appreciated most was your culture and tradition. I was welcomed in ways that I will never forget. Everyone is friendly, kind, generous, and so eager to learn and know.
[Before coming to Eritrea] I was misinformed. I am glad I came to see for myself. Outside we hear that Eritrea is a closed country. But in reality it is a place of vibrant people. I also used to believe that you had no contact with the outside world, but I noticed that almost every house has a satellite dish panel and BBC is on almost everywhere.
Author’s note: after the formal interview, I had a pleasant chat with Ted. He told me that he enjoyed “mies,” a traditional Eritrean liquor. Ted also expressed astonishment and disbelief at seeing dancers doing the traditional Tigrinya dance routine – in which they move with elegant, rapid steps while balancing long-necked bottles of “areki” atop their heads.