On July 4th, thousands of Ethiopians will gather in Dallas for a great tradition: the culture… the music…the men… the women… the potential for dibign yale fiQir… Oh, and there's some football thing happening too.

In case you are rusty in the "breaking the ice" category, we at SELEDA, public servants that we are, have compiled this modest refresher course. Use with caution, and in any combination…

TOP TEN ABESHA PICK-UP LINES and PROTOCOLS

10. "I'm wubkonjo.aynama@yagerlij.com. You must be       teyem-zelgaga@derbaba.com.

9. "Excuse me, hewanye, I believe one of your ribs belongs to me. Beye tolo enerekakeb!"

8: He: "Ere bedenb awkishalew. Where did you go to school?"
    She: "Nazret"
    He: "Min alku! I knew it. Me, too!"
    She: [impatiently] "Ante ayn awta chiko! Nazret was an all-girl's school!"
    He: "I went to the night school, yene emebet. Atikochi!"

7. Stop a kora yalech shenkhorit and exclaim: "Anchi! Demo behuwala selam     alalegnim belesh simegn endatatefi!"

6. GelmeT-gelmeT... deretin leTeT...Tsegurin dab-ess, dab-ess.. Tega, ende zebet... gira-gira eyayu ejin wede Q'egn seded... keziya mizlig a'rgo qunTiT... zewer sil tadiya... "Enezih balege wurgatoch...And-and setoch eko.." eyallu were mejemer...

5. Look deeply in her eyes, and profoundly whisper, "Le set lij teru aymero alesh!" (Please have your insurance card handy for the emergency room.)

4. Recalling old courting traditions is back in style. Try: eteqemeTichbet lomi werwuro deretwan memtat... (If she is a Californian, make sure the lemon is organically grown.) Keziya ye goriT eyayu fegeg-fegeg... bichawan kehonech degmo Tega bilo ejuan Temzez... (Again, insurance card… handy..)

3. For use at church: Post-Saturday night revelry, and pre-breakfast…"Eshi... tsomu endet yizoshal?... Lemin abren anfessikim...? Yemin tsome? Le Los Angels budin ye te tsomew newa!"

2. "Yene wondim… yemawkih meselegn…hager bet nech Volkswagen tineda neber?"

and the number one abesha pick up line …

1. "Come wedezi, yene konjo. Put your hands that have never held a muqecha on mine. I want to closely see your gesho yalweqetu, berbere yaldelezu, gebs yalfetegu, ebbet yalzaqu fingers."