Welcome to the new and improved SELEDA! Unnecessary graphics-free, and with 100% more frames!

Despite our aggrieved cries of asheshay gedamay, we have been dragged unceremoniously into these modern cyber-gizays. With the sage intervention of the Hulun Chaye, and some heavy-duty brow beating from self declared computer nabobs, we have shed the old SELEDA for the slick new one. And under cover of darkness, we will admit that the transformation has, not unlike fungus, grown on us. (…OK, fine, we are ga-ga! Minew etay!)

What can we say? Our detractors must have gotten us at a particularly weak time (right after our cappuccino machine malfunctioned and we were desperately weighing the indignity involved in munching on a spoonful of Maxwell House dukeayet), because before we knew it, we were even shelling out cash to register our own domain. Endddaay! New'ir yelem enday?

But what is done is done, and we capitulate gracefully. We've chalked it up to being yet more victims of a bloody cyber-abiot/hostile takeover by meanie techies (and, we suspect, a little afiz adengiz hanky panky). Deepest gratitude to all those who rallied behind this cause. We thank you. Our mothers thank you.

While we offer you that as a meager menderderia, we are proud to bring you this double issue of SELEDA. Yes, that would mean the July AND August issue. But before we get slapped with the "Ay derom bilenal" speech, (promptly followed by the "Minew kemechew senfachiu?" admonishment), we beg your indulgence for a few more paragraphs.

With the exception of seeing St. Joseph athletes being soundly beaten by ANY team, few other things in life give us greater pleasure than bringing you SELEDA every month. However, as awkward and kifu coincidence would have it, we, members of the editorial staff, just recently discovered that, well, apparently we have lives... (who put it there!) … Not only that, but we were shocked, shocked to find ourselves in serious danger of being hurled in front of a judge, fervently pleading mea culpa to a series of complaints lodged by our neglected family members and friends.

Also, while we won't bore you with details of what it takes to bring you SELEDA every month, (the netreka, the angst, the thesaurus thumping… ere zim new!) suffice it to say it is an involved process. We need to replenish. (Besides, isn't there an abesha ordinance somewhere that makes it illegal to work four straight months without a two-month vacation? We're checking the books.) And unless we snap shut our lap tops and tinish tsehai kalmetan, we might end up cranky and belligerent. And that just won't do.

And… and… it's summer! We have DC weddings to crash, see-and-be seen vacations to plan, SELEDA beanie babies to churn out.

Therefore, please be gentle with the pitiless hate mail. (We can just see it coming..."Minew enante? Ayat yasadewachew molQakoch honachiu?") Otherwise, you'll force us to play the "family values" card…which, as Mr. Newt can testify, can get a little dicey.

We will return in September, freshly exorcised out of all known wuQabi's and ready to tackle fresh Sarcasm Territory.

Lest you think all we'll be doing is lounge around 18th Street taking copious notes, be assured we will be working hard to bring you a dazzling September issue. Which brings us to one be mar yetelewese request: in resurrecting our feature, the "SELEDA Survey", we are looking for contributions from parents (especially new ones) to give us insight into rearing Ethiopian children in America. What are your dreams for the new generation? How do you plan to tackle the 'preserving the culture' issue? What will you pass on to them? What will you abandon? What will you miss about not raising your children in Ethiopia? Scribble down your thoughts in a couple of paragraphs and send it in. Please include your first name, and from whence you hail.

Now that we have gotten that out of the way…

Again, we would like to thank you, our readers, for the unwavering support you have lent us. Needless to say, your encouragement has sustained us through infancy and le kum neger mebQat. Without it, we would have cowered back to our respective corners, all bitter and chagrined, and without a morsel of triumph show for it.

We love hearing from you… your opinions on what you've read, your leza yalew critisims, and outright "tselot yasfelegachiuwals" are always welcome. Our new cyber-silTun address is editors@seleda.com.

Be meskerem enegenagne!

-The Humble Editors-