Examinations

Just after I returned to El Obeid end of semester exams began.  Suddenly the university seemed full of students carrying around armfuls of revision notes and wearing worried expressions.  As there are no lectures I have a new role - typing exam papers!

A couple of days after my return I invigilated my first exam, which was held in one of the classrooms near to the English Office.  Students were packed in like sardines with barely any space between desks, those who came late had to bring their own desks, and one poor girl didn't even have a desk as we couldn't fit any more in the room!  

It reminded me of my own university exams, that feeling of complete dread, the echoing sports hall and the two cheery pensioner invigilators complete with flasks, snacks and squeaky shoes.  Total silence abounded except for one occasion when the fire alarm went off and we were told "not to worry - that often happens - someone will let us know if there IS a fire!"  People walking past the exam areas were castigated if they dared to speak let alone make some serious noise.  You sat and waited with baited breath to be told you may begin, and kept a careful eye on the clock throughout the exam, dreading the words - Stop Writing.

In Sudan? - not a bit of it -  Invigilating in Sudan comes complete with regular supplies; cups of tea and breakfast or lunch depending on the time of day.  Students breeze in casually (some over half an hour late!) and start as soon as they get settle and have their paper.  There is not a clock to be seen anywhere,  from time to time the lead invigilator checks his mobile phone to see how long is left.  Life outside the exam room carries on as normal - During that first exam there was a celebration outside for the opening of new water fountains, with speeches, cheering and clapping.  I was about to go and complain on behalf of the students when someone bought me a lovely breakfast and told me to "take my rest."   For the mature students, the exams take place in the large lecture hall at the Centre Campus of the University, just below the windows there are tea ladies where groups gather to engage in lively banter.  Many students seem to finish the exams long before the time is up - at the half way point when students are allowed to leave, there is almost a stampede.  Some students seem to prefer to "take their rest" during the exam, and will sit with their head on the desk seemingly asleep for an hour or so before springing into action towards the end of the time.  After 3 weeks of invigilating; two exams a day on some occasions; I was glad of the diversion of travelling to Khartoum to attend an English Teaching forum.

A couple of days before I travelled to Khartoum I had been getting stomach pains again, and was considering seeing the doctor.  However, I didn't want to miss the trip to Khartoum and felt well enough to travel so off I went.  Luckily for me, my friend Mohammed from Extra was also travelling to Khartoum, so he kindly arranged my ticket and met me at the bus station so we could travel together.  Not only did he manage to get me a discounted ticket for just 50SDP, but he also negotiated the price for my taxi to Billie's once we arrived in Khartoum.  All the SVP gang were in town for the forum, so it was a great chance to catch up with everyone again.  Unfortunately after the forum I was feeling unwell again, so Billie kindly took me to the doctors, where I was thoroughly examined and asked to take various tests.  

Well, obtaining samples for tests is difficult enough at the best of times, but have you ever tried it whilst trying to hold your maxi skirt up above the hole in the ground toilet, concentrate on the job in hand and keep your balance at the same time?  Mission eventually accomplished, I flushed the cistern and a great tidal wave of water surged towards me, completely soaking my skirt and feet!  Great!  And then to add insult to injury as I came out I noticed that the previously occupied next door cubicle had a standard toilet after all!  Still nice to know that the samples were not produced in vain - I was diagnosed to have a parasitic infection in my stomach, and prescribed various drugs to clear up the problem.  Just to be sure that there was nothing else serious going on they asked me to come back the next day for an ultra sound.  Mary kindly accompanied me, complete with dictionary, should my diagnosis prove beyond the realms of normal everyday Arabic conversation!  As it turned out we need not have worried as the Doctor had lived in Norwich for 14 years!  Still at least Mary got to see some of the football whilst she waited for me!  I was subsequently reassured that there was nothing major to worry about and I should soon start to feel better once the medication kicked in.  Feeling just a tad sorry for myself, I then preceded to lay around Billie and Mary's apartment for a few days doing a very convincing impression of a dying swan until I felt up to chancing the 8 hour bus journey back home, feeling thoroughly grateful that I have such wonderful friends here!