Hello my special friends.
Isn’t it exciting that Shelley is visiting you this month? I know she is thrilled to spend time with all of you again. I cannot wait to see pictures and hopefully some videos of you. I hope you have a lot of fun when Shelley visits. Shelley always returns to Canada with stories of how wonderful and special every one of you are. I just love hearing updates and seeing pictures of you.
One interesting fact about me is that I love to learn different languages. English is my first language but I studied French and a little Spanish when I was a child. My husband is Dutch so I even know a few sentences in Dutch. When I was a school teacher, I taught children French for many years. When Shelley tells stories about all of you, I love hearing your names and then I try to pronounce them. I have learned to say the names Tesfa, Edilawit, and Tilahun. I hope I get to learn more of your names because Ethiopian names sound so cool! I also love to learn the names of Ethiopian cities and towns like Harar and Addis Ababa. I know that sometimes, I make mistakes when I pronounce Amharic words but that is okay. I don’t mind sounding silly as long as I am learning new things. Maybe you could teach us some more Amharic words or a song? I would love that! Do you like to learn English words and sentences too? It was awesome when you sang the song, “Skinna Marink”. Maybe Shelley will teach you some new English words when she visits this month.
You made my mouth water when you wrote to us about eating fresh mango. M-m-m-m-m!! Mango is one of my favourite fruits. I love to make special wraps with mango, lettuce and other vegetables. I share the mango wraps with my friends and family. You dip the mango wraps in a homemade peanut sauce. Yummy! The mango makes them extra special but I know they would taste even more delicious if I had sweet and fresh mangoes from Ethiopia. In our last letter, Lisa mentioned that we cannot grow mangoes in Canada because it is too cold outside. Our mangoes come from other countries so they are not as juicy and sweet as the ones that you eat in Ethiopia.
We are able to grow some fresh fruits and vegetables here in Canada though. In the summer, it is warm enough. I grow a very small garden. In my garden, I am growing lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers. It is fun to grow vegetables and they are so fresh and healthy! We have to build a fence around our garden so that the rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks do not eat our vegetables. I love to work in my garden but this summer, there seem to be a lot of mosquitoes flying around. Mosquitoes bite people and suck our blood. After they bite, mosquitos leave an itchy red bump on our skin. I know there are mosquitoes in Ethiopia too. Do you have a lot in Harar?
In your last letter, Lisa also wrote about Canada Day which is at the beginning of July. On Canada Day, we celebrate what it means to be Canadian. One thing that Canadians are known for around the world is our manners. We like to say please and thank you to show appreciation. We hold the door if someone is behind us or we will sometimes let other people go ahead of us when we are waiting in a line. If an older person is standing and needs a seat, we will help them and offer them our chair. When someone else is talking, it is good manners to listen attentively to them. Manners are important because they help people live together.
Manners are a way of showing kindness, respect, and appreciation for others. I was so happy to hear that some of you are showing manners by volunteering and helping older people in your community. I also read that you have invited other children from the streets to come in and spend time with you. This kindness is touching for us and shows us how thoughtful you are. What are some ways that you could show manners to Tesfa, your teachers, Shelley, or your friends? Do you like to spend time with others who are kind and show manners?
I really hope that you love your new Canada t-shirts!! I cannot wait to see pictures of all of you in your red & white Canada shirts. I hope that when you wear them, you think of us and the love that we have for you. These shirts are like a big hug from all of us, your special Canadian friends.
I cannot wait to hear from you again!
Kim & the Friends Ink team
On behalf of all your Canadian friends