Leaving Gondar seems fraught with paperwork. In addition to the recommendations and reports I have to submit for work I also have to finish up my goodbyes to people here.
Yesterday (or maybe the day before) I said goodbye to an unusual young man named Waretow who is a student at the college. He is perhaps the most devoted scholar I've ever met. He reads the dictionary every day attempting to improve his vocabulary. He used to be a shoeshine boy when he was younger and claims this is how he first learned English, talking to tourists for tips. His friendship with me seemed a little forced as I'm fairly certain he me with me mostly to practice his English. Nevertheless I certainly had some interesting conversations with him as I drank beer (because I was usually going out after) and he drank tea (because it was the cheapest thing he could order). I've never really had people come up to me and ask me to explain isms (minimalism, atheism, etc) to them, which he did quite regularly and he sorely tested my knowledge of some of them.
I don't think I'll miss him much, but knowing him was an odd experience. We've exchanged mailing addresses, as he doesn't have any access to a computer or phone. I gave him my copy of the Brothers Karamazov which I never actually finished, but I'm certain he'll get some use out of it. He'd actually heard of Dostoevsky when I handed it to him and he seemed excited so that's a vote in favour of him actually finishing it.
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