The Addis Ababa Airport Story

While we have a bit of time (and a better than usual internet connection) we'll take the opportunity to tell the full Addis airport story.

Early Saturday morning we flew from Entebbe, Uganda, to N'Djamena, Chad, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We were in the airport about 3 hours or so waiting for our flight. While sitting in a very crowded waiting area, I needed to go to the restroom. After I came back, Sue said, “Well, you just missed quite a sight.” “What?” I asked. She pointed to a man nearby who was standing in the area. “That man there took off all his clothes and just sat there in the middle of the crowd.” “No, he didn't,” I responded. “Yes, actually he did. And everyone started yelling at him, so he put his clothes back on.”

As we sat there, the man walked up to the front of the waiting room, crowded with several hundred people. On the other side of a glass wall was a security area where a long line of people were waiting to come through. As he stood there, every eye in the place was looking his direction. He then took off his belt and laid it on the floor. After a minute, he removed his shirt, folded it up and laid it on the floor. He stood for a moment with his arms crossed across his chest. No one said a word. Then he unbuttoned his pants and stepped out of them, folded them up and laid them on the floor. For a minute, he stood there in his very colorful boxers and dress shoes. Then he pulled down the boxers, put his shoes back on and stood there stark naked talking to the crowd. Sue and I had no idea what he was saying. Was he protesting? Making a statement? We had no idea. The men in the crowd were yelling at him, but no one did anything at all. Finally, after several minutes, a few airport personnel approached him and seemed to be asking him to get dressed. He didn't. They finally led him away, stark naked, through the doorway marked Gate 3, leaving his clothes sitting in a pile on the floor. Someone finally came along and picked up the clothes and carried them off.

Less than an hour later, Sue and I boarded our plane headed for N'Djamena. Seated next to me was a very pleasant young Chadian man named Nodji. He was returning home for the first time in 7 years. We sat and talked about all kinds of things—his studies in America, his family in Chad, and, of course, I had all kinds of questions about Chad. Feeling very comfortable with his openness and friendly manner, I asked, “So did you see the man in the airport in Addis?” “You mean, the one who took off his clothes?” he replied.

“Yes, that's the one,” I answered.

“Not only I see him, I videoed him.”

“No, you didn't!”

“Yes, actually I did. Would you like me to email you a copy?” He asked.

“No. I didn't want to see it the first time. Why in the world would I want to see it again!?”

I thought about it for a few minutes and realized there were probably a few people back home who'd never believe the story. So I gave Nodji my email address and said, “Sure, send me a copy.” We haven't seen it yet, but if his internet connection is anything like ours, he hasn't been able to send any videos. We'll see if it comes.

He said when he sends it, the subject line will be “Welcome to Ethiopia.” Welcome indeed.