This weekend I went to a friend's baby shower, this friend is a black South African who has married a white American. The shower was hosted by a mutual friend a white South African and the invitees were 2 black South Africans, 2 South African coloureds , 3 black Zimbabweans, 1 ivorian, what a delicious mixed salad of the African diaspora. We had a lovely time, we ate, laughed, danced and made the mother-to-be shake her booty!! We were African women braving the cold climate while sharing in our friend's excitement of a new addition another woman to our coven. I left the shower feeling warm and fuzzy inside and a little lighter than I normally do. The laughter had reignited my hope for Africa.
Cut to the events of the evening. A friend who had attended the shower invited me to join her for dinner with some men from West Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon. Three guys joined us for dinner at an Ethopian restaurant....OMG it was an African wet dream of a weekend for me y'all. It was freezing outside a icy rain had begun to fall and the pavements were slippery and lethal to walk on, so it was great to be indoors with the delicious smells of zilzil tibs and doro wat. The restaurant Demera is a one of the numerous Ethiopian Restaurants that have cropped up on Chicago's northside. A great spot, but none can rival the Ethiopian Diamond.
It was all in all a good weekend. I got to hang out with people who share the same thread as me. Displaced outsiders who straddle the line between maintaining ties with the "motherland" and completely submerging ourselves in this life. Although I couldn't help but wish that the baby shower was happening at an apartment complex in Jo'burg or that dinner had been enjoyed in downtown Addis Ababa.......Oh well if wishes were horses right? At least there are momemts where this truly does feel like a home away from home
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