Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The two Niles becoming one
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Our first foul-experience. Traditional Sudanese food with the main ingredients of beans, made in the large pot shown above.
\Sunrise on our way out of Khartoum heading for Medani, Gazeera.
A road trip along the Blue Nile!
The new health center build after recommendations from the first fase of the Sudan Mental Health research project, compared with the old one.
Sufi dancing, a traditional group healing seremony.
This is the area where the hut of the traditional healer outside Medani is located.
A new hospital is being built in the same area, on the initiative from the traditional healer and funding from him and his followers.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Our first souk tour, to Souk al-Arabi. There are several souks (markets) in Khartoum and Omdurman, filled with people, food, jewlery and other goods.
Us trying to take pictures from the taxi. We promise you better pictures of the Nile (and in general) at a later occasion.
This is why you don't fly Sudanese Airways. Enough said...
The streets of Khartoum are somewhat (!) dusty, which reflects the state of our feet getting back home. Nope, not tanned, just dusty...
Rickshaws are a common way of getting around short distance. We do have a slight communication problem, though.
The White Nile.
Christina has a slight problem with reactions to bug bites. Luckily, the pharmacy gives out antibiotic cream like it was candy. Mosquito bites and antibiotic resistant strains: watch it!
Hamada's mother made us some traditional Sudanese food. It was delicious, and fills the stomach up for the rest of the day=)
Sunday September 12th 2010
Sunday September 12th 2010
We spent the early part of the day today inside, avoiding the heat and resting. Hamada came over around 4pm with traditional Sudanese food that his mother had cooked for us. It was delicious – beef in some type of a soup/stew, the traditional Sudanese bread that accompanies it, and a salad made from cucumbers, red onion, and tomatoes. The beef is prepared in a large pot and the bread is then cooked over heat and placed on top of the beef in the huge pot. The food is traditionally eaten out of the large pot, with those eating sitting around it and sharing the food.
Over dinner, Hamada discussed politics with us. He told us about the National Congress Party, the ruling party in Sudan and shared some of his frustrations regarding Sudanese politics with us. Hamada explained that the government is dominated and controlled by the older generation, that too many “dumbasses” find their way into power, not because they deserve it or demonstrate competence for it, but because they have the right connections, and that money corrupts politics because it is abused by the politicians. He explained that the ruling party is associated with strong Islamic values, despite the money-stealing and corruption, and that democracy is associated with drinking, sex, and other so-perceived undesirable Western attributes. He explained that when people think about politics, they think about the present, and not the future, in the sense that political consciousness in Sudan is always responding to risks and problems, rather than foreseeing the problems or risks and their solutions, and adopting a pro-active approach. When I asked him about the younger generation and the potential for change, he explained that youth and the youth congress, and younger individuals in general, have very little influence within Sudanese politics and are immobilized by the power of the older generation and the failure to plan or prepare for the future. Women, he explained, are given significant space within Sudanese politics, in terms of ministry positions and other positions of influence, but must constantly struggle against the male dominance, as well.
Hamada previously worked for the training center, which is a National Congress Party-affiliated organization that provides training for politicians in Sudan. They are often sent out of the country for training, and Hamada attempted to bring together young politicians across parties and political affiliations to attend training together. His goal was to bring together diverse viewpoints to open up dialogue and increase understanding across differences, which he believes is central for improving Sudanese politics and building a better future in Sudan. However, he resigned from this position because he found the affiliation with the National Congress Party to be a significant obstacle, regardless of his open mind and ability to challenge the party’s dominant ideology, as he was always associated with this affiliation and found that it was difficult for people to think beyond that. Everyone, he explained, is, in some sense, a politician in Sudan, and everything has a political element to it.
We also discussed the upcoming referendum, scheduled for January 2011. Hamada explained that the majority of both the Northerners and Southerners favor separation, with the Northerners hoping to remove themselves of economic responsibility for the South, and with the Southerners hoping to separate themselves from the North, which they associate with their persecution. Hamada explained that he believes separation would be devastating for the South, as the South is economically dependent on the north, severely under-developed, corrupted in government, and unable to sustain economic independence or development. The referendum will be decided by the Government of Southern Sudan, which means that it may or may not represent the mass population’s wishes.
We asked Hamada about interactions and relations between Northerners and Southerners, and he acknowledged that there is great tension between the groups, especially among older generations. He explained that marriage between the two groups is completely unheard of and does not occur. He himself has many close Southern Sudanese friends, but regrets that his open mind and respect for the Southern Sudanese is not common in the North. He provided examples of the ways in which Southerners are discriminated against, in terms of the job market and throughout society at large.
Later this evening, we decided to take a walk through our neighborhood, to try to conquer the confusion that we faced last night when trying to return home. We walked until we found the end of the bridge that we were repeatedly taken to. Though it is not particularly close to our apartment, we do now know where it is in relation to our apartment. We are still unable to identify our apartment by address or in terms of street names, as streets appear to be either entirely unidentified here or identified at very random and extremely distant intervals. We also walked to a beautiful mosque before returning home. We have not yet taken pictures of the mosque, as we have not yet taken pictures of most things beyond the balconies of our apartment, because we are unsure about what it allowed and what is not. We know that we are prohibited from taking photos of certain things, such as government buildings or officials, bridges, slums and poor people, or pretty much anything else that it considered undesirable or political, but we remain unsure about whether we can take photos of mosques. Because the rules regarding photography seem to be quite strict, we are refraining from photographing when in doubt.
After returning home with a renewed sense of confidence about our ability to actually find our way home, we decided to visit another, more distant, area of Khartoum. We had read about the Souk Ed Dinka, or Dinka Market, and decided to try to find it. We first took a rickshaw, after spending approximately 10 minutes trying to explain where we wanted to go to a group of men who were increasingly growing in size the longer it took for us to explain our destination. They were all so friendly, smiling, and eager to help, but their English was quite minimal and our Arabic pronunciations of the place we wished to go quite horrible. Eventually though, one of them seemed to know where we were talking about and instructed the rickshaw driver where to take us. After travelling some distance, the rickshaw driver pulled over and tried to explain something to us in Arabic. It was clear that he was trying to tell us that we should get off there, so we did as he instructed. He then got the attention of a taxi, and he explained some directions to the driver in Arabic. The taxi then drove us the rest of the way, which we then realized was because the rickshaw was not allowed to drive on the large road that needed to be taken. The taxi driver attempted to have a quite animated conversation with us in Arabic. He was smiling and gesturing, and speaking. We didn’t understand anything he was saying, though we did understand that he really desired to talk to us. The taxi driver stopped where the rickshaw driver had instructed him to take us, and we got off. We spent some time walking down a road, in a somewhat remote area that was full of people. We walked past some huge park, or something of the type, that was filled with people sitting in the grass and relaxing. This was at approximately 10:30pm. Everyone who saw us seemed to be quite interested in our presence, and we were certainly the only foreigners there. Groups of children, mostly boys, were very amused and interested in us, trying to greet us in English but mostly discussing us quite excitedly in Arabic and laughing hysterically. Young men and older men greeted us, asked how we were doing and where we were going, and a few spent a short distance walking with us and engaging in small talk. Souk Ed Dinka seemed to be known in this area, as the Dinka market, but despite the attempts of a few different people to direct us toward it, we did not find it. When we were stopped at a crossroads, a man pulled over and asked us where we were going. When we told him, he told us that we were trying to go to Souk El Arabi and offered to take us to it. He drove us a bit, talking with us about our stay in Khartoum, asking how we perceived Khartoum, and telling us that he would be very interested in being our friend. He stopped after a short distance and told us that we were now in Souk El Arabi and on Dinka Street. We thanked him for his kindness and got out. Though the markets were closed, we walked through the area. We are not certain that this was Souk Ed Dinka, as it did not seem to be where we would have expected it to be according to the map, but it was an interesting area. We then successfully took a Taxi home.
We spent the early part of the day today inside, avoiding the heat and resting. Hamada came over around 4pm with traditional Sudanese food that his mother had cooked for us. It was delicious – beef in some type of a soup/stew, the traditional Sudanese bread that accompanies it, and a salad made from cucumbers, red onion, and tomatoes. The beef is prepared in a large pot and the bread is then cooked over heat and placed on top of the beef in the huge pot. The food is traditionally eaten out of the large pot, with those eating sitting around it and sharing the food.
Over dinner, Hamada discussed politics with us. He told us about the National Congress Party, the ruling party in Sudan and shared some of his frustrations regarding Sudanese politics with us. Hamada explained that the government is dominated and controlled by the older generation, that too many “dumbasses” find their way into power, not because they deserve it or demonstrate competence for it, but because they have the right connections, and that money corrupts politics because it is abused by the politicians. He explained that the ruling party is associated with strong Islamic values, despite the money-stealing and corruption, and that democracy is associated with drinking, sex, and other so-perceived undesirable Western attributes. He explained that when people think about politics, they think about the present, and not the future, in the sense that political consciousness in Sudan is always responding to risks and problems, rather than foreseeing the problems or risks and their solutions, and adopting a pro-active approach. When I asked him about the younger generation and the potential for change, he explained that youth and the youth congress, and younger individuals in general, have very little influence within Sudanese politics and are immobilized by the power of the older generation and the failure to plan or prepare for the future. Women, he explained, are given significant space within Sudanese politics, in terms of ministry positions and other positions of influence, but must constantly struggle against the male dominance, as well.
Hamada previously worked for the training center, which is a National Congress Party-affiliated organization that provides training for politicians in Sudan. They are often sent out of the country for training, and Hamada attempted to bring together young politicians across parties and political affiliations to attend training together. His goal was to bring together diverse viewpoints to open up dialogue and increase understanding across differences, which he believes is central for improving Sudanese politics and building a better future in Sudan. However, he resigned from this position because he found the affiliation with the National Congress Party to be a significant obstacle, regardless of his open mind and ability to challenge the party’s dominant ideology, as he was always associated with this affiliation and found that it was difficult for people to think beyond that. Everyone, he explained, is, in some sense, a politician in Sudan, and everything has a political element to it.
We also discussed the upcoming referendum, scheduled for January 2011. Hamada explained that the majority of both the Northerners and Southerners favor separation, with the Northerners hoping to remove themselves of economic responsibility for the South, and with the Southerners hoping to separate themselves from the North, which they associate with their persecution. Hamada explained that he believes separation would be devastating for the South, as the South is economically dependent on the north, severely under-developed, corrupted in government, and unable to sustain economic independence or development. The referendum will be decided by the Government of Southern Sudan, which means that it may or may not represent the mass population’s wishes.
We asked Hamada about interactions and relations between Northerners and Southerners, and he acknowledged that there is great tension between the groups, especially among older generations. He explained that marriage between the two groups is completely unheard of and does not occur. He himself has many close Southern Sudanese friends, but regrets that his open mind and respect for the Southern Sudanese is not common in the North. He provided examples of the ways in which Southerners are discriminated against, in terms of the job market and throughout society at large.
Later this evening, we decided to take a walk through our neighborhood, to try to conquer the confusion that we faced last night when trying to return home. We walked until we found the end of the bridge that we were repeatedly taken to. Though it is not particularly close to our apartment, we do now know where it is in relation to our apartment. We are still unable to identify our apartment by address or in terms of street names, as streets appear to be either entirely unidentified here or identified at very random and extremely distant intervals. We also walked to a beautiful mosque before returning home. We have not yet taken pictures of the mosque, as we have not yet taken pictures of most things beyond the balconies of our apartment, because we are unsure about what it allowed and what is not. We know that we are prohibited from taking photos of certain things, such as government buildings or officials, bridges, slums and poor people, or pretty much anything else that it considered undesirable or political, but we remain unsure about whether we can take photos of mosques. Because the rules regarding photography seem to be quite strict, we are refraining from photographing when in doubt.
After returning home with a renewed sense of confidence about our ability to actually find our way home, we decided to visit another, more distant, area of Khartoum. We had read about the Souk Ed Dinka, or Dinka Market, and decided to try to find it. We first took a rickshaw, after spending approximately 10 minutes trying to explain where we wanted to go to a group of men who were increasingly growing in size the longer it took for us to explain our destination. They were all so friendly, smiling, and eager to help, but their English was quite minimal and our Arabic pronunciations of the place we wished to go quite horrible. Eventually though, one of them seemed to know where we were talking about and instructed the rickshaw driver where to take us. After travelling some distance, the rickshaw driver pulled over and tried to explain something to us in Arabic. It was clear that he was trying to tell us that we should get off there, so we did as he instructed. He then got the attention of a taxi, and he explained some directions to the driver in Arabic. The taxi then drove us the rest of the way, which we then realized was because the rickshaw was not allowed to drive on the large road that needed to be taken. The taxi driver attempted to have a quite animated conversation with us in Arabic. He was smiling and gesturing, and speaking. We didn’t understand anything he was saying, though we did understand that he really desired to talk to us. The taxi driver stopped where the rickshaw driver had instructed him to take us, and we got off. We spent some time walking down a road, in a somewhat remote area that was full of people. We walked past some huge park, or something of the type, that was filled with people sitting in the grass and relaxing. This was at approximately 10:30pm. Everyone who saw us seemed to be quite interested in our presence, and we were certainly the only foreigners there. Groups of children, mostly boys, were very amused and interested in us, trying to greet us in English but mostly discussing us quite excitedly in Arabic and laughing hysterically. Young men and older men greeted us, asked how we were doing and where we were going, and a few spent a short distance walking with us and engaging in small talk. Souk Ed Dinka seemed to be known in this area, as the Dinka market, but despite the attempts of a few different people to direct us toward it, we did not find it. When we were stopped at a crossroads, a man pulled over and asked us where we were going. When we told him, he told us that we were trying to go to Souk El Arabi and offered to take us to it. He drove us a bit, talking with us about our stay in Khartoum, asking how we perceived Khartoum, and telling us that he would be very interested in being our friend. He stopped after a short distance and told us that we were now in Souk El Arabi and on Dinka Street. We thanked him for his kindness and got out. Though the markets were closed, we walked through the area. We are not certain that this was Souk Ed Dinka, as it did not seem to be where we would have expected it to be according to the map, but it was an interesting area. We then successfully took a Taxi home.
Saturday September 11th 1am
Saturday September 11th 1am
Mona and I have wanted to go back to Afra Mall, the mall that Hamada and his friend took us to on our first night in Khartoum, just to look around some more and purchase mobile internet. Hamada had stopped by earlier today and I asked him for the name of the mall and approximately how much it costs to take a rickshaw between our apartment and the mall. He told us that him and his friend could come by a bit later to pick us up and take us there, but we told him that it wasn’t necessary for them to take us right away and that we will let them know if we need to go, but that we were just interested in finding out some more about it.
Later in the evening, we decided that it would be good to take a rickshaw to the mall by ourselves, as one of our first attempts to become a bit more independent in terms of going places and doing things. It was fairly simple to get to the mall, and we were able to purchase internet and a few other items at the mall quite easily. A Sudanese woman gave us a huge smile and struck up a conversation while we were walking in, asking where we were coming from and how we found Khartoum. She seemed pleased to see us and, in general, happily interested. After doing all that we needed to do at the mall, we decided to simply take a rickshaw back home. We actually do not know our address, however, as we had previously asked Hamada and his friend to write it down for us, but they did not know it either and said that we can find out in some days. Hamada’s friend used a note card to write down some information about where we live, though, in Arabic on one side and English on the other. Apparently we live on a street that translates to “the end of the bridge street,” and they assured us that we could simply show this note card to anyone and find our way back home from anywhere quite easily. So, we told the rickshaw driver to take us to this street and showed him the note card. However, he took us to the correct street and stopped right where a bridge ended, which, since we live on “the end of the bridge street” seemed quite logical. However, this was not where we lived. He asked which way to turn, and I guessed right. However, after driving right for some distance, we did not find our apartment either. He stopped and asked some guards who were sitting outside of a building where he should take us, according to the note card. The guards directed him and he then proceeded to drive us back to essentially the same place we had been before turning right and searching for the apartment. Because he had been driving around for quite some time and appeared to be quite confused, we decided to simply tell him that we would get off and find our way. He was a bit hesitant about this, but we assured him that we were OK and where we wanted to be. We got off and walked, and walked, and walked, in the directions that felt most familiar. After searching unsuccessfully, we asked some guards if they could tell us where our street was, and they pointed out some directions, which we followed, and found ourselves back at the same end of the bridge. Finally, we decided to give up and take a rickshaw back to the mall, with the hopes that at the mall we could find a taxi that might have better luck finding our apartment. We did this, and the taxi driver read the note card and drove us exactly back to the end of the bridge. Because this was not where we lived, he began asking some people on the side of the road for further directions. I called Hamada and asked him to speak to the driver, which he did, but the driver still ended up driving around and taking us back to the same place. He then pulled over again to ask some different people, two men who were walking down the road. These men spoke English so it was easy for us to communicate with them. I called Hamada again, asked him to speak with these men, and he did. The men seemed to understand Hamada’s directions quite well, and, being quite eager to help, actually decided to say goodbye to each other and part ways so that one of them could get in the taxi with us and make sure that we made it home. And, we did. I guess the point of this story is, we need to become more familiar with Khartoum, learn our address and learn where we live, and not depend on the note card that takes us to the end of the bridge on “the end of the bridge street.” The other point of the story is, Khartoum is very safe, we were not, at any point severely distressed or stressed about the situation, everyone is very eager to help, even though we were completely unable say anything to them that would enable them to help us successfully, and, eventually we will always find our way home.
Mona and I have wanted to go back to Afra Mall, the mall that Hamada and his friend took us to on our first night in Khartoum, just to look around some more and purchase mobile internet. Hamada had stopped by earlier today and I asked him for the name of the mall and approximately how much it costs to take a rickshaw between our apartment and the mall. He told us that him and his friend could come by a bit later to pick us up and take us there, but we told him that it wasn’t necessary for them to take us right away and that we will let them know if we need to go, but that we were just interested in finding out some more about it.
Later in the evening, we decided that it would be good to take a rickshaw to the mall by ourselves, as one of our first attempts to become a bit more independent in terms of going places and doing things. It was fairly simple to get to the mall, and we were able to purchase internet and a few other items at the mall quite easily. A Sudanese woman gave us a huge smile and struck up a conversation while we were walking in, asking where we were coming from and how we found Khartoum. She seemed pleased to see us and, in general, happily interested. After doing all that we needed to do at the mall, we decided to simply take a rickshaw back home. We actually do not know our address, however, as we had previously asked Hamada and his friend to write it down for us, but they did not know it either and said that we can find out in some days. Hamada’s friend used a note card to write down some information about where we live, though, in Arabic on one side and English on the other. Apparently we live on a street that translates to “the end of the bridge street,” and they assured us that we could simply show this note card to anyone and find our way back home from anywhere quite easily. So, we told the rickshaw driver to take us to this street and showed him the note card. However, he took us to the correct street and stopped right where a bridge ended, which, since we live on “the end of the bridge street” seemed quite logical. However, this was not where we lived. He asked which way to turn, and I guessed right. However, after driving right for some distance, we did not find our apartment either. He stopped and asked some guards who were sitting outside of a building where he should take us, according to the note card. The guards directed him and he then proceeded to drive us back to essentially the same place we had been before turning right and searching for the apartment. Because he had been driving around for quite some time and appeared to be quite confused, we decided to simply tell him that we would get off and find our way. He was a bit hesitant about this, but we assured him that we were OK and where we wanted to be. We got off and walked, and walked, and walked, in the directions that felt most familiar. After searching unsuccessfully, we asked some guards if they could tell us where our street was, and they pointed out some directions, which we followed, and found ourselves back at the same end of the bridge. Finally, we decided to give up and take a rickshaw back to the mall, with the hopes that at the mall we could find a taxi that might have better luck finding our apartment. We did this, and the taxi driver read the note card and drove us exactly back to the end of the bridge. Because this was not where we lived, he began asking some people on the side of the road for further directions. I called Hamada and asked him to speak to the driver, which he did, but the driver still ended up driving around and taking us back to the same place. He then pulled over again to ask some different people, two men who were walking down the road. These men spoke English so it was easy for us to communicate with them. I called Hamada again, asked him to speak with these men, and he did. The men seemed to understand Hamada’s directions quite well, and, being quite eager to help, actually decided to say goodbye to each other and part ways so that one of them could get in the taxi with us and make sure that we made it home. And, we did. I guess the point of this story is, we need to become more familiar with Khartoum, learn our address and learn where we live, and not depend on the note card that takes us to the end of the bridge on “the end of the bridge street.” The other point of the story is, Khartoum is very safe, we were not, at any point severely distressed or stressed about the situation, everyone is very eager to help, even though we were completely unable say anything to them that would enable them to help us successfully, and, eventually we will always find our way home.
Saturday September 11th 2010 2:30pm
Saturday September 11th 2010 2:30pm
Mona and I just returned from our first real “independent” outing. We walked around, trying to familiarize ourselves with the area and sightsee. We received quite a bit of attention, mostly very positive with everyone acting very pleased to see two Westerners walking through their streets. Children and adults alike were very eager to greet us, say hello and ask how we were doing, and pretty much use whatever English words they knew to say something to us. Everyone is so kind and polite, and it is very comfortable to spend time in the streets. On our way back home, we met a Sudanese man, dressed in the tradition white outfit, who struck up a conversation and was very eager to speak with us and get to know us. He was simply walking through the streets and going around greeting people in celebration of Eid, and he seemed very happy to be doing this. He was very pleased to see us traveling and visiting Khartoum, and he was very eager to tell us about his travels and his impression of Sudan as well. He had just returned from India, where he had studied IT for the past 6 years. He loved India and experienced it as very joyful and celebratory compared to Sudan. He told us about how it has been difficult to return to Khartoum, as he sees that so much has changed and finds a mood a bit depressing. He also feels like a foreigner himself, as he grew up in Saudi Arabia and has now lived in India for so long, and he sees that people look at him and treat him differently. He told us that traveling is an opportunity to learn about life, and to learn to see both our own cultures and new cultures from new perspectives. He was very happy to hear that we enjoy Khartoum thus far and find it very peaceful, beautiful, and relaxing. He was very surprised as well, and told us that we are the first white women that he has heard of saying such a thing. I asked him what his favorite thing about Khartoum is, and he answered, with great assurance, the Nile. I told him that it has quickly become one of my favorites as well. He suggested that we go visit it right then and there, but I explained that we had to get home. At this point, we had been out walking in the severe heat for quite some time and really did need to get in doors and cool off. He also asked if we had attended a Sudanese wedding or any parties, and when I told him that we had not done so yet, he insisted that we do. He then invited us to a wedding that will be happening in two days and seemed very eager to bring us. He told us that it is important that we enjoy ourselves while in Khartoum and that he would like to make sure that we attend some weddings and parties, with music, dancing, food, and celebration. When it came time to part ways, he asked if we could exchange contacts and remain friends. We took his phone number and e-mail address, and we thanked him for his kindness.
Mona and I just returned from our first real “independent” outing. We walked around, trying to familiarize ourselves with the area and sightsee. We received quite a bit of attention, mostly very positive with everyone acting very pleased to see two Westerners walking through their streets. Children and adults alike were very eager to greet us, say hello and ask how we were doing, and pretty much use whatever English words they knew to say something to us. Everyone is so kind and polite, and it is very comfortable to spend time in the streets. On our way back home, we met a Sudanese man, dressed in the tradition white outfit, who struck up a conversation and was very eager to speak with us and get to know us. He was simply walking through the streets and going around greeting people in celebration of Eid, and he seemed very happy to be doing this. He was very pleased to see us traveling and visiting Khartoum, and he was very eager to tell us about his travels and his impression of Sudan as well. He had just returned from India, where he had studied IT for the past 6 years. He loved India and experienced it as very joyful and celebratory compared to Sudan. He told us about how it has been difficult to return to Khartoum, as he sees that so much has changed and finds a mood a bit depressing. He also feels like a foreigner himself, as he grew up in Saudi Arabia and has now lived in India for so long, and he sees that people look at him and treat him differently. He told us that traveling is an opportunity to learn about life, and to learn to see both our own cultures and new cultures from new perspectives. He was very happy to hear that we enjoy Khartoum thus far and find it very peaceful, beautiful, and relaxing. He was very surprised as well, and told us that we are the first white women that he has heard of saying such a thing. I asked him what his favorite thing about Khartoum is, and he answered, with great assurance, the Nile. I told him that it has quickly become one of my favorites as well. He suggested that we go visit it right then and there, but I explained that we had to get home. At this point, we had been out walking in the severe heat for quite some time and really did need to get in doors and cool off. He also asked if we had attended a Sudanese wedding or any parties, and when I told him that we had not done so yet, he insisted that we do. He then invited us to a wedding that will be happening in two days and seemed very eager to bring us. He told us that it is important that we enjoy ourselves while in Khartoum and that he would like to make sure that we attend some weddings and parties, with music, dancing, food, and celebration. When it came time to part ways, he asked if we could exchange contacts and remain friends. We took his phone number and e-mail address, and we thanked him for his kindness.
Friday September 10th 1am
Friday September 10th 1am
This evening we went out with Hamada, and with his friend Mohamed. We went to a café, where we drank slush drinks and ate ice cream. Hamada’s cousins joined us, as did a few other friends. We spent the evening chatting with them and everyone was very happy to celebrate Eid, visit with friends and family, and greet all acquaintances. It was a very nice evening. After the café, we went to the electric company to purchase 200 kg of electricity and to the market. At the electric company, which is open 24/7, there was a huge line, moving quite slowly, of men waiting to purchase their electricity. Mohamed then explained that women do not wait in line in Sudan, anywhere, and that we simply walk to the front of the line to be served before the men. This is done out of respect. It felt very awkward at first, but we did as they explained and it went well. They also explained that women are always offered seats on the bus or transport before men, and that a man will move to accommodate a female entering the transport. They explained that women are very respected in Sudan, and that these are just ways of demonstrating such respect.
One of the most interesting topics of conversation tonight was about Sudanese weddings. Because we were sitting with men for most of the night, we received the male perspective, which was quite interesting. Sudanese weddings they explained, are very focused on catering to the woman, in terms of paying her family lots of money, 500 or 600 thousand Sudanese pounds on average, and spoiling the bride in the days leading up to the wedding. They explained that the woman is “locked” for approximately a week prior to the wedding, and attended to by women, and that this is a very enjoyed and luxurious time because the bride to be is pampered and prepared. They explained that she is made to be very beautiful, that her skin is softened and scented, that she receives henna, and so on. A common practice is to take very pleasantly scented woods and incenses and to burn them in a hole in the ground over which the woman squats so that her skin completely absorbs the scent. This scent is said to make the man crave sexual intimacy and is used by the women not only when preparing for the wedding, but whenever she chooses to indicate her desire for intimacy or attract her husband. Perhaps one of the most interesting, and perhaps unexpected, parts of the wedding preparations is the night before the wedding, when women perform scantily clad “dirty dancing.” The husband is the only male allowed to participate in this night, as the soon-to-be bride and other women dance for him. Wedding celebrations are huge and it is common to invite everyone. They are paid for entirely by the husband’s family. Because of the expense associated with marriage, many people must wait a long time to be married and many remain unmarried if unable to pay.
This evening we went out with Hamada, and with his friend Mohamed. We went to a café, where we drank slush drinks and ate ice cream. Hamada’s cousins joined us, as did a few other friends. We spent the evening chatting with them and everyone was very happy to celebrate Eid, visit with friends and family, and greet all acquaintances. It was a very nice evening. After the café, we went to the electric company to purchase 200 kg of electricity and to the market. At the electric company, which is open 24/7, there was a huge line, moving quite slowly, of men waiting to purchase their electricity. Mohamed then explained that women do not wait in line in Sudan, anywhere, and that we simply walk to the front of the line to be served before the men. This is done out of respect. It felt very awkward at first, but we did as they explained and it went well. They also explained that women are always offered seats on the bus or transport before men, and that a man will move to accommodate a female entering the transport. They explained that women are very respected in Sudan, and that these are just ways of demonstrating such respect.
One of the most interesting topics of conversation tonight was about Sudanese weddings. Because we were sitting with men for most of the night, we received the male perspective, which was quite interesting. Sudanese weddings they explained, are very focused on catering to the woman, in terms of paying her family lots of money, 500 or 600 thousand Sudanese pounds on average, and spoiling the bride in the days leading up to the wedding. They explained that the woman is “locked” for approximately a week prior to the wedding, and attended to by women, and that this is a very enjoyed and luxurious time because the bride to be is pampered and prepared. They explained that she is made to be very beautiful, that her skin is softened and scented, that she receives henna, and so on. A common practice is to take very pleasantly scented woods and incenses and to burn them in a hole in the ground over which the woman squats so that her skin completely absorbs the scent. This scent is said to make the man crave sexual intimacy and is used by the women not only when preparing for the wedding, but whenever she chooses to indicate her desire for intimacy or attract her husband. Perhaps one of the most interesting, and perhaps unexpected, parts of the wedding preparations is the night before the wedding, when women perform scantily clad “dirty dancing.” The husband is the only male allowed to participate in this night, as the soon-to-be bride and other women dance for him. Wedding celebrations are huge and it is common to invite everyone. They are paid for entirely by the husband’s family. Because of the expense associated with marriage, many people must wait a long time to be married and many remain unmarried if unable to pay.
The First Night in Khartoum
Thursday September 9th 2010 4am
The First Night in Khartoum...
It is now 4am, and we have just returned home after a long first night in Khartoum.
We arrived in Khartoum at 6pm this evening. The airport was fairly uneventful in terms of security or difficulty. We did meet a quite rude UN diplomat, while waiting in the passport control line, who attempted to bond with us over, what he seemed to believe, is the sheer misery of Sudan. He complained about the slow passport control process, the general inefficiency of Sudan, and really emphasized that no one comes here because they want to and that we should turn around and leave immediately, emphasizing the violence of Darfur and the political corruption at large. It was quite awkward because he demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the Sudanese individuals surrounding us, as he was complaining quite loudly. When some Sudanese men wandered past the passport control line, he went up to them, trying to wave them away with his hands and put them back behind the line where he believed they should be.
Hamada and his friend met us at the airport. He had already arranged a beautiful apartment for us and took us to it right away. Him and his friends had spent days meeting with different land lords and bargaining for the best quality apartment for the best price, on our behalf. His friend owns a cleaning company and had arranged for the apartment to be cleaned very thoroughly before our arrival. The place is beautiful. A large sitting room with a dining table, television and sofas, a large kitchen with dishes and cookware, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, each with a balcony, two beds, and two wardrobes. The apartment is very beautiful and conveniently located with small markets right downstairs.
After the apartment, Hamada and his friend drove us to a mall where they showed us a huge store where we will be able to buy everything that we need and a small boutique with beautiful jewelry and clothing, which they explained is worn during weddings. They spent some time driving around Khartoum, showing us different government buildings, the university of Khartoum, a hospital, and many bridges crossing the blue and white Nile rivers. They took us to a restaurant where we ate delicious food and drank iced teas. Two more men joined us at the restaurant after we had eaten. Everyone was exceptionally friendly, asked what we thought of Khartoum thus far, making sure that we were comfortable and had everything we needed, and asking if the apartment is ok and what we need.
After the restaurant, we went to Nile Road, the road that follows the Nile River, and sat outside, looking at the view of the Nile and sitting in a circle to talk. A woman nearby was making tea and coffee, boiled on coals, and we drank traditional Sudanese coffee out of small cups. We stayed there until approximately 2am, after which Hamada’s friend drove us around Khartoum some more. He drove to Omdurman, to the West of Khartoum, where he took us to fish restaurants next to the Nile. They both emphasized that the fish is delicious and generously insisted on buying us 4 huge fried fish.
We came home around 3am. It was such a wonderful night, and I learned so much while driving through Khartoum, relaxing at the restaurant and Nile, and throughout all the conversations. Hamada and his friends were all very eager to talk about their culture, share advice with us, and answer our questions.
The following is some of what they explained to us in an attempt to familiarize us with their culture and home:
Khartoum is very safe. There is essentially no crime in Khartoum. You can walk through any part of the city, at any time of day or night, alone or with others, without fear of anything. No one fights, steals, mugs, or robs. If someone did attempt to steal or harm a person, there is no need to call the police, as everyone around would chase the person down and make sure that justice is served. When we were about to leave the Nile and Hamada wanted to pay the woman for the coffee we had drank, she was nowhere to be found. We waited for about 10 minutes, after which Hamada decided to just leave some money near her belongings, which she had abandoned to go wherever she was going. There were many people around, and many who were eager to earn money as demonstrated by their attempts to wash cars or sell drinks or other small items to those who sat by the Nile. I asked him if anyone would take the money if he just set it on top of her belongings and he assured me that it would never happen and that it is perfectly safe and no one will steal belongings or money.
Sudanese people are very friendly, polite, respectful, eager to help, and talkative. They didn’t necessarily need to tell us this, as it was readily apparent throughout our first few hours in Khartoum, and even before arriving in the country. An Example: How I met Hamada. I met Hamada by chance, a couple of months prior to travelling to Khartoum, because he was in Oslo representing the Sudanese Olympic Committee. A friend of mine, who I had discussed my recent field work location change from Wau to Khartoum to, and with whom I had shared some of my worries about now having good connections or contacts in Khartoum, met Hamada one night while out in town. He spent some time talking to him and got to know him a bit, and then explained to Hamada that he had a friend who would soon be travelling to Khartoum. Hamada gave my friend his contact information and was very eager to meet me, telling my friend that he would do whatever he could to make Khartoum an enjoyable experience for me and my field work successful. When I met Hamada, it was clear that he was so happy to hear that I was planning a trip to Khartoum and he was eager to hear all about my project, to find relevant connections between my project and his work, knowledge and interests, and find out exactly what I needed so that he could make all the preparations for my arrival upon his return to Khartoum in a couple of weeks. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other while he was in Oslo, and after he left, we stayed in touch. In the days leading up to our arrival, Hamada dedicated hours to preparations for our arrival, arranging an apartment, having it cleaned, purchasing the items that he thought we would need upon arrival, such as kilograms of electricity for the apartment, local sim cards for our cell phones, local currency, and some water and food items. He has assured us that he will see to it that all of our practical needs are taken care of, such as registering with government, extending our visas, transportation, and so on.
But “keep your detectors on.” This was point was quite interesting. Hamada’s friend had spent some years living in Washington, in the United States, and told me about how he had a police detector installed in his car to alert him whenever a police car was approaching so that he could be sure to slow down. He tried to use this analogy to explain that we should imagine similar detectors that we take everywhere with us, so that we avoid getting to know all of the people who approach us or let just anyone get to close to us. This did not seem to be a warning that certain people have malicious intentions, will try to take advantage of us, or wish to harm us in some way, but rather that everyone is far too talkative and friendly in general and that they will all try to get to know us and become friends. Hamada explained that one of his least favorite things about Sudanese culture is that everyone wants to know everyone, on very personal levels, and that they will talk to excessive lengths. He said that he prefers the privacy associated with Europe, where people are polite to strangers in public but do not try to become such good friends on personal levels.
The First Night in Khartoum...
It is now 4am, and we have just returned home after a long first night in Khartoum.
We arrived in Khartoum at 6pm this evening. The airport was fairly uneventful in terms of security or difficulty. We did meet a quite rude UN diplomat, while waiting in the passport control line, who attempted to bond with us over, what he seemed to believe, is the sheer misery of Sudan. He complained about the slow passport control process, the general inefficiency of Sudan, and really emphasized that no one comes here because they want to and that we should turn around and leave immediately, emphasizing the violence of Darfur and the political corruption at large. It was quite awkward because he demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the Sudanese individuals surrounding us, as he was complaining quite loudly. When some Sudanese men wandered past the passport control line, he went up to them, trying to wave them away with his hands and put them back behind the line where he believed they should be.
Hamada and his friend met us at the airport. He had already arranged a beautiful apartment for us and took us to it right away. Him and his friends had spent days meeting with different land lords and bargaining for the best quality apartment for the best price, on our behalf. His friend owns a cleaning company and had arranged for the apartment to be cleaned very thoroughly before our arrival. The place is beautiful. A large sitting room with a dining table, television and sofas, a large kitchen with dishes and cookware, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, each with a balcony, two beds, and two wardrobes. The apartment is very beautiful and conveniently located with small markets right downstairs.
After the apartment, Hamada and his friend drove us to a mall where they showed us a huge store where we will be able to buy everything that we need and a small boutique with beautiful jewelry and clothing, which they explained is worn during weddings. They spent some time driving around Khartoum, showing us different government buildings, the university of Khartoum, a hospital, and many bridges crossing the blue and white Nile rivers. They took us to a restaurant where we ate delicious food and drank iced teas. Two more men joined us at the restaurant after we had eaten. Everyone was exceptionally friendly, asked what we thought of Khartoum thus far, making sure that we were comfortable and had everything we needed, and asking if the apartment is ok and what we need.
After the restaurant, we went to Nile Road, the road that follows the Nile River, and sat outside, looking at the view of the Nile and sitting in a circle to talk. A woman nearby was making tea and coffee, boiled on coals, and we drank traditional Sudanese coffee out of small cups. We stayed there until approximately 2am, after which Hamada’s friend drove us around Khartoum some more. He drove to Omdurman, to the West of Khartoum, where he took us to fish restaurants next to the Nile. They both emphasized that the fish is delicious and generously insisted on buying us 4 huge fried fish.
We came home around 3am. It was such a wonderful night, and I learned so much while driving through Khartoum, relaxing at the restaurant and Nile, and throughout all the conversations. Hamada and his friends were all very eager to talk about their culture, share advice with us, and answer our questions.
The following is some of what they explained to us in an attempt to familiarize us with their culture and home:
Khartoum is very safe. There is essentially no crime in Khartoum. You can walk through any part of the city, at any time of day or night, alone or with others, without fear of anything. No one fights, steals, mugs, or robs. If someone did attempt to steal or harm a person, there is no need to call the police, as everyone around would chase the person down and make sure that justice is served. When we were about to leave the Nile and Hamada wanted to pay the woman for the coffee we had drank, she was nowhere to be found. We waited for about 10 minutes, after which Hamada decided to just leave some money near her belongings, which she had abandoned to go wherever she was going. There were many people around, and many who were eager to earn money as demonstrated by their attempts to wash cars or sell drinks or other small items to those who sat by the Nile. I asked him if anyone would take the money if he just set it on top of her belongings and he assured me that it would never happen and that it is perfectly safe and no one will steal belongings or money.
Sudanese people are very friendly, polite, respectful, eager to help, and talkative. They didn’t necessarily need to tell us this, as it was readily apparent throughout our first few hours in Khartoum, and even before arriving in the country. An Example: How I met Hamada. I met Hamada by chance, a couple of months prior to travelling to Khartoum, because he was in Oslo representing the Sudanese Olympic Committee. A friend of mine, who I had discussed my recent field work location change from Wau to Khartoum to, and with whom I had shared some of my worries about now having good connections or contacts in Khartoum, met Hamada one night while out in town. He spent some time talking to him and got to know him a bit, and then explained to Hamada that he had a friend who would soon be travelling to Khartoum. Hamada gave my friend his contact information and was very eager to meet me, telling my friend that he would do whatever he could to make Khartoum an enjoyable experience for me and my field work successful. When I met Hamada, it was clear that he was so happy to hear that I was planning a trip to Khartoum and he was eager to hear all about my project, to find relevant connections between my project and his work, knowledge and interests, and find out exactly what I needed so that he could make all the preparations for my arrival upon his return to Khartoum in a couple of weeks. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other while he was in Oslo, and after he left, we stayed in touch. In the days leading up to our arrival, Hamada dedicated hours to preparations for our arrival, arranging an apartment, having it cleaned, purchasing the items that he thought we would need upon arrival, such as kilograms of electricity for the apartment, local sim cards for our cell phones, local currency, and some water and food items. He has assured us that he will see to it that all of our practical needs are taken care of, such as registering with government, extending our visas, transportation, and so on.
But “keep your detectors on.” This was point was quite interesting. Hamada’s friend had spent some years living in Washington, in the United States, and told me about how he had a police detector installed in his car to alert him whenever a police car was approaching so that he could be sure to slow down. He tried to use this analogy to explain that we should imagine similar detectors that we take everywhere with us, so that we avoid getting to know all of the people who approach us or let just anyone get to close to us. This did not seem to be a warning that certain people have malicious intentions, will try to take advantage of us, or wish to harm us in some way, but rather that everyone is far too talkative and friendly in general and that they will all try to get to know us and become friends. Hamada explained that one of his least favorite things about Sudanese culture is that everyone wants to know everyone, on very personal levels, and that they will talk to excessive lengths. He said that he prefers the privacy associated with Europe, where people are polite to strangers in public but do not try to become such good friends on personal levels.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)