An Uber canceled on me yesterday while I was already late, in peak rush hour traffic. Hopped in a cab instead. The news was on, and the driver scoffed at a certain story - I ventured that it was 'some bullsh*t', with apologies. He said not to apologize. He was Ethiopian.

He told me that even though there were Italians, Armenians, Arabs in Ethiopia, he never knew what racism was till he came to Canada. He asked me where I was from. He took exactly 3 glances back at me and said 'Egypt.' I said he was right. Then he immediately flipped to Arabic.

I asked him how he spoke Arabic so well - a mash-up of modern standard and Egyptian dialect. He told me his dad is Yemeni, and came to Ethiopia where he married and had his kids. He told me when he goes to Egypt, he tells them he's Yemeni because it's less hassle at immigration.

We talked briefly about the source of that: Ethiopia and Egypt's beef over the the Nile dam project. He told me life is better elsewhere, where there's room to live, and not just the crush of working to live. He said he missed the liveliness of Egypt's cafes, the community there.

I was meeting @YamriT for dinner, so I told him he was dropping me off to see 1 of my best friends who was also Ethiopian. He told me to tell her "Indemmin alesh?" which means how are you. I said it to her 1st thing. All in all, never been happier to have an Uber bail on me.