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.