Khartoum Christmas!

On the 23rd December I got up in time for dawn prayers for the first time since I've been in Sudan.  No I haven't finally found religion - I was catching the 715am bus to Khartoum and Hassan was coming to pick me up at 645am.  I had no idea what my first Christmas away from home was going to be like, but I'd figured it was all the excuse I needed to take the long trip back to Khartoum, to see my SVP friends.

My friends at Extra had been laughing at me as I'd been fretting about the bus ticket for the whole week, worrying that they might sell out and I wouldn't be able to get to Khartoum for Christmas!  In my mind I had visions of it turning out like one of those cheesy American "Home for Christmas" movies, where everything that could possibly go wrong on the journey does, although in my version I couldn't picture the happy ending!  However, seemingly as long as you avoid travelling during Eid you can pretty much bowl up at the bus station on the morning you want to travel and you'll have no problems getting a seat.  

Much as I was looking forward to seeing everyone in Khartoum I was dreading the bus journey.Spending ten hours on a bus without a toilet and only one stop halfway was not on my bucket list strangely enough!  Still I needn't have worried as it was a relatively painless mere eight and a quarter hours, with a driver who wasted no time and ignored the speeding alarm constantly beeping all the way!  By 3:30pm I am standing in the sun outside the bus station in Khartoum, waiting for Billie to arrive.

Billie rang and asked me if I was standing next to a Sudanese person, which made me laugh so much - I was the only white person outside the bus station!  Of course I soon realised the reason she was asking me was that she'd got lost and a Sudanese man was helping her with directions!

It was so great to see Billie after all this time, and to know that Jess was on her way too.  Billie's apartment  in Riyadh (which is a very upmarket Ex Pat area of town) is amazing.  Her bedroom alone is bigger than my apartment!  At one point there were four volunteers living there together, but now it's just Billie and Mary, with Mary's folks in town for the festive season.

We had all been invited to Paul Fean's; a fellow SVP volunteer's house; for the big day and each needed to provide something to eat and a secret Santa present.  So on Christmas Eve, after a nice long lie in we headed for the Ex Pat supermarket in search of edible goodies and then off to the mall for something for secret Santa.  

Later on we had arranged to meet Martha and Christine at a Restaurant called "Solitaire"  for something to eat before attending Midnight Mass at the Catholic Cathedral.  We surprised ourselves by arriving relatively on time and found a nice table and settled down to wait for the others.  After a fair few minutes of waiting with phone calls back and forth we realised that there were in fact two "Solitaire" restaurants in Khartoum!  Martha and Christine were waiting patiently in the other one!  So we went and hailed a rickshaw to take us to them, aware that time was moving on and we were all starving.  

However, this proved to be no simple feat - we had picked the rickshaw driver who had just arrived in town and had no idea where anywhere was including Khartoum 2, a whole district!  After he had stopped and asked for directions for about the 4th time we abandoned the rickshaw paid him something towards the petrol and got an amjad to take us there instead.  By the time we arrived it was 11pm and Martha and Christine were just finishing off their meal so that they could get to the Mass in time.  Luckily the service was very quick so Jess and I still managed to get to the Cathedral before the Mass started.  

The place was packed, mostly by local people with a smattering of Ex Pat's here and there.  Unlike in England the Mass actually started at midnight and went on until close to 2am!  It was the most up beat "jingly jangly" Catholic Mass I have ever attended, although we were slightly disappointed by the lack of Carol singing opportunities.  However we did manage a few versus of  "Oh come All Ye Faithful" on two occasions!  I finally fell into bed around 3am, feeling quite Christmassy at last!

On Christmas morning I awoke to find a card and present of a much needed Arabic book from Jess - bless her, she's so lovely and thoughtful.  I also had another gift to open from my dear friend Rabha, who had given it to me the night before I left El Obeid - nice perfume which I have been constantly wearing ever since.

After a very relaxing start to Christmas Day, we set off for Paul's in the sunshine wearing tinsel with Billie carrying a small Christmas Tree she had made with the children at the Coptic Catholic School. On arrival we were greeted warmly by Paul and Brent who were waiting outside so that we could find the house.

The house was full of SVP volunteers, friends and family, with more friends arriving later on.  We put our secret Santa presents under the tree and set to work in the kitchen preparing our feast. 

My contribution was cauliflower cheese, to go with the roast chickens and stuffing provided by Brent and Paul.  The table looked amazing, full of delicious food that everyone had made.

After dinner we played pass the parcel - which was new to both the Sudanese and Americans!  It's amazing what SVP does for international relations!  Then we opened our secret Santa presents.  Mine was a beautiful handmade box with a two bank notes in it; one Sudanese and the other from South Sudan; which I know will prove to be a truly memorable souvenir in years to come!

I chatted to my mum and children on facebook and by telephone, although it was hard hearing their voices and not being there with them, knowing they were all happy too made my day complete.  I also had calls and texts from my friends in El Obeid wishing me a Happy Christmas, which was lovely and unexpected, especially bearing in mind that it is not a day of celebration here in Sudan.

Christmas Day 2011 may have been spent thousands of miles away from dear friends and family, but all the friends I have made in Sudan since September made it truly wonderful in it's own unique and special way - I am sure I will always remember my magical Sudanese Christmas!

Comparisons, differences and a bit of cultural exchange!

A question I'm often asked is "How do you find Sudan?"  The flippant answer of course is "go to Egypt and keep heading south!"  It is so difficult to put into words exactly how I find Sudan.  To begin with I found it incredibly hot and just so different to anything I'd experienced before.  The people here are exceptionally warm and welcoming, even after 2 months in El Obeid, perfect strangers still call out to me in the street and want to shake my hand and welcome me to their country.  It is unlike other countries where people want to know you because they are eager to get you to part with your money - quite the opposite - I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've paid for a meal, bus or taxi fare since I've been here.  "Murrer ja" they tell me - "Next time"  but next time never seems to come!  When you visit friends in their homes you are constantly being told to eat, drink or take your rest.  So as you can imagine life is pretty tough!  All that eating and resting - I've never felt so relaxed!  

Life in Sudan  is very different to life back home in England - in so many ways.  I still can't make up my mind which is easiest or preferable as there are advantages and disadvantages to living in both countries.

Here people live together in extended families, often several people share one bedroom.  Despite this I'm still asked to go and stay with students and friends and treat their home as my home - which of course involves eating a lot and taking plenty of rest!  It's not uncommon when you visit people here to see a guest asleep or sprawled out on a bed!  There are always plenty of beds in every house - many people don't bother with sofa's or armchairs - they have 2 or 3 beautifully made beds which people sit or lie on depending on how tired they feel!  Could you imagine going over a friends house in England and stretching out and promptly falling asleep?  They would probably think you were most rude!  Here in Sudan they would be delighted that you had made yourself at home!  

Eating is a whole new experience in Sudan, firstly it is rare to see any cutlery and secondly, meals are "shared plate" where everyone literally digs in with their hands.  Someone gave me a tip about eating when I first arrived - never eat until you are full and then stop, as once you say you are full you will always be asked to have more, so you need to pace yourself!  Another thing to watch out for is when everyone else stops eating before you and insists that YOU finish the plate! I am always being told to "akli, akli!" which means "eat, eat!" as they tell me I eat slowly, which I do - as I worry that I'll appear too greedy and I like to give everyone else sharing the plate a chance!  Although I think eating quickly is a skill you quickly develop growing up in Sudan in a large family - either that or go hungry!  

Marriage is a major obsession here, not just amongst the young!  My students never tire of talking about it - I'm sure the Sudanese are the most romantic race on the planet - even the boys are very open about feelings and not afraid to show them or talk about them.  I'm constantly being asked if I would marry a Sudanese man or being told I must find myself a nice man and get married.  Telling them that I tried it once and it didn't work out for me, is futile - with family being central to everything here, they just can't understand why anyone would want to be single and live alone - so I am every bit the eccentric English woman in their eyes!

A couple of weeks ago I developed a burning pain in my right abdomen, which I tried ignoring and hoping it would go away.  Then after a particularly painful and restless night when I convinced myself I was dying and they would have to get some bolt cutters to break into my apartment and discover my corpse, I figured I should get it checked out.  So later that evening my friend Hassan came and collected me and took me off to the doctors, where despite a fairly packed waiting room I did not have to wait very long before seeing the doctor.  As well as friend and mentor, Hassan was there in capacity as linguistic expert who could translate Arabic to English and vice versa.  I needn't have worried - the doctor spoke clear and perfect English!  He asked about my drinking habits (Now, Now - he meant WATER!!)  He then said he'd like me to have a scan, at which point I thought we'd be leaving to go home and wait the 6 weeks or more for an appointment letter.  Not all all!  I was shown to another room to wait a couple of minutes and my ultra sound was performed there and then, within about 10 minutes I was back with the doctor discussing the results!  Everything was fine - I probably had a bit of inflammation due to changes in water, the water here is quite salty which can cause kidney problems.  Within an hour or so I was home, with the tablets the doctor had prescribed for a total cost of just under £30, which the University refunded me for later.   Of course, I don't know what it's like for the average Sudanese person who gets sick and needs treatment that maybe they can ill afford (no pun intended!)

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to the Alliance Francias D'El Obeid, where they were receiving guest's from the French Embassy in Khartoum.  The Alliance is just a short walk from my apartment so I said that I would make my own way there.  Knowing the Sudanese approach to time keeping I was a little unsure of what time to get there, especially as I'd never been there before.  The event was to start around 530pm, so I figured if I left my house around that time I wouldn't be too late and maybe some people I know may have arrived by then.  

Over the last week or so I had rediscovered the brain cell that was storing my knowledge of the French language; quite by accident; when trying to communicate with a group of students studying French, who's English was about the same level as my Arabic - to my surprise we were able to carry out a reasonable conversation in French.  Spurred on by this discovery I was a little less daunted by the prospect of being amongst total strangers.  When I arrived I was greeted warmly and promptly forgot all Arabic and French as well as the good manners to attempt to introduce my self - I just shook hands and smiled a lot!  I was shown to a very comfy seat right on the front row.  There was no sign of Professor Haider or anyone else I vaguely recognised.  Still I had a nice comfy seat and refreshments were in front of me so I was quite happy.  After a short while a bus arrived with students from the university, some of whom sat behind me and chatted to me in a mixture of 3 languages.  As the people from the Alliance waited eagerly to greet their guests I suddenly had a panic - What if they think that I'm one of the French delegation, how embarrassing would that be? 

I was distracted from this thought, by activity on the stage in front of me.  It would appear that the festivities were about to start, and the delegation had not arrived yet!  The stage filled with men and women wearing African costumes who started performing a very lively and vigorous dance to the drum music that was being played.  It was the most "African" sight I'd seen since arriving in Sudan, and I didn't have my camera to capture the moment as I'd lent it to a friend!  The students behind me told me it was traditional Sudanese dancing.  The dancers had what looked like small pyramids made of tin cans tied to their calves, which sounded as if they were full of sand or beans, making an amazing sound as they danced frenetically.  Some of the men were dressed like witch doctors and were jumping around chanting.  It was quite a spectacle to behold!  And still the delegation had not arrived!

Eventually, much to my relief my colleague and the delegation from the French Embassy arrived and were duly introduced to myself and other people.  After a short time there was a repeat of the dancing, much to my relief - I would have hated to think they'd missed out!

The evening was rounded off by the Alliance "house band" (two guys on keyboards, a drummer and a singer) playing some music after which the delegation left and I found myself talking to a charming local teacher, who told me I was welcome at the Alliance any time as they have something happening most evenings.

Celebrations and Festivals

Having just spent a hectic Eid week of eating, visiting and partying, I can categorically say that the Sudanese sure know how to celebrate - and without the aid of alcohol!

The week before Eid (Eid al-Adha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha) I was lucky enough to attend a graduation ceremony at the University.  Apparently I had already missed at least one of the parties that the students hold to celebrate this momentous occasion, but I'd made it to the "main event."

Without wishing to offend anyone, graduation ceremonies are great occasions where fantastic achievements are celebrated but let's face it they can be a tad boring!  Especially for the proud relatives and friends who sit through seemingly endless speeches from Professors they have never heard of about things they don't care about - at least if you are a graduand you get to sit with your friends and gossip about the good old days at Uni, until you are herded into a long orderly queue ready to go onto the stage to collect your award.

So as I took my front row seat at the University of Kordofan, Faculty of Arts 2011 Graduation Ceremony, I prepared myself for the usual long speeches and even longer lists of names that would be even more tedious as I wouldn't understand any of it!  Thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong!

My colleagues formed an orderly line up beneath the stage, which was well lit with a large sound and video system.  Music was playing, names were read out and the students made their way, in their own time, complete with entourage of family and friends to collect their awards, stopping on the way to be congratulated, introduce their family to their teachers and pose for photo's to mark the occasion.  Relatives and friends were cheering and trilling and fireworks were going off everywhere.  There were a few speeches, but they were not overly long and they were appropriately in Arabic, French and English, congratulating the graduates of each language, to which some students responded by taking the microphone and thanking their lecturers.

Much to my embarrassment there was even a small tribute to me for joining the team at the University!  There were no orderly queues and the crowd were spilling in front of the stage completely obscuring my view, much to the annoyance of the "Graduation Committee" students who were trying hard to keep them under control.  "It's no good, they can't be controlled, they won't listen," one of them told me.  For me it was exactly the sheer organised chaos and excitement combined with the contrast to a "Traditional English Graduation" that made it so thoroughly entertaining!  These students had worked hard for 4-5 years, and families had supported them and made sacrifices to keep them at University - they were all very proud and they were showing it!  Whole families were there, some of whom had travelled miles, none of this "two tickets per graduand" nonsense that we have back in the UK.  Once the "formal" part of the ceremony had been completed,  one of Sudan's popular singers took to the stage and all the students were cheering, dancing and singing and throwing each other up in the air.  It was at this point that myself and my colleagues made a dignified exit and left them to enjoy the rest of their evening!

On the last day of term before Eid, my friends and colleagues Majid, Arsen and I  stopped off on the way home to buy a sheep - like you do!  Once the beast had been selected; on the grounds of size and condition of the tail, state of it's coat etc, they did no more than load it into the boot of the car!  Half way home it made a desperate bid for freedom and nearly escaped!  I sat in the front of the car in hysterics whilst Majid and Arsen wrestled with the sheep to get it back into the boot; resisting the urge to get out and take pictures.

The next day Majid picked me up and took me to his house to have henna applied to my hands and feet, which is a tradition for married ladies in Sudan.  I also had my hair braided and his wife showed me how to dress myself in the beautiful green tobe that Majid had given me earlier.  All I needed to do now was get the right shoes and skirt to wear with it!  So the next day I ventured to the market alone to shop.  Luckily I ran into my colleague Elzain, who was out shopping with his wife and daughter and they helped me pick out some "ship ships" (leather flip flop type sandals) that would show my henna off in all it's glory!  After that various strangers took me all around the Souk helping me to find the perfect skirt at the right price.

Sunday November 6th was the first day of Eid.  Majid arrived at 9am to take me to his house to enjoy the celebration with his family.  By now my transformation into a Sudanese lady was complete - I was wearing my tobe (all be it badly!)  On the way we saw men in their traditional dress of "jalabia's  and emmas" (white tunics and turbans), coming out of the mosque, drumming and marching down the street.  Everyone was stopping and greeting each other, smiling broadly, children were wearing their best clothes.  It was a wonderful atmosphere of happiness and celebration.  Neighbours stopped us in the street on their way to visit each others houses.

Once we got to the house I surprised myself by sitting and watching while Majid's brother, Adam, slaughtered, skinned and gutted the sheep without me fainting or being sick!  We then enjoyed a hearty breakfast; complete with offal; cooked in the traditional way over charcoal, before heading out to visit some of our colleagues in their homes after being re-dressed properly in my tobe!

The Sudanese ladies look so elegant in their tobes and wear them so effortlessly - whereas I struggled to get mine on properly and every time I moved, it moved - consequently at each home we visited I had to be re-dressed by the lady of the house before we could move on to the next one!  It was worth the effort though, as my colleagues and their families were thrilled to see the transformation from English to Sudanese lady!  Everyone was telling me I looked beautiful - though to me I just looked like an English woman wrapped (badly!) in a large piece of fabric!

On the second day of Eid, we visited Arsen and had breakfast with his family and on the third day (which is the last day of slaughtering) we had breakfast at the Vice Chancellor's office at the University.  I did not think it humanly possible to eat so much meat in such a short time!  Although I couldn't help but wonder how my two vegetarian colleagues in Khartoum were getting on!

Also on the third day of Eid, I went to the "Henna Party" part of the pre wedding celebrations, which I suppose is much like our traditional "Hen Party" with the absence of  alcohol and the male stripper!  However, it is just as much fun - a large group of women gathered together to dance, laugh and gossip.

The actual wedding took place two days after the Henna.  I was taken to join the ladies at the end of the religious part of the marriage, and told it would be an occasion where I would have to practice my Arabic as most of the ladies would not speak English!  Although what my friend Mohammed hadn't reckoned on was that a white woman in El Obeid at a party is like a heat seeking missile to those who want to practice their English speaking skills, so I had soon found some English speakers amongst the guests!  When I arrived there was a lady playing a traditional drum and singing, whilst others danced.  She kindly dedicated a song to me in Arabic and I was obliged to join in the dancing and show of my best Sudanese dance moves, much to the enjoyment of the crowd - I wasn't entirely sure if they were laughing with me or at me, but I didn't care, they had made me feel so welcome and a part of their celebrations.  Later we moved on to the main wedding celebration, picking up the polystyrene boxes with the wedding suppers in on the way.  It is the custom at such gatherings for all the women to sit one side together and the men on the other side, but everyone in Sudan loves to dance!  So the dance floor is a mixture of men, women and children enjoying the music and all dancing together, around the bride and groom, who by now have joined the party to be congratulated by all their guests.

Sudanese weddings are quite different from English

weddings in many ways.  Firstly in Sudan the celebrations can last up to a week, secondly the actual "marriage" is conducted in private between the bride and groom's families, and thirdly there is no such thing as a seating plan or guest list!  In Sudan when someone gets married everyone goes - non of that worrying whether you have a "plus 1" on your invitation or not!  You are welcome and so are your friends, the more the merrier!  The first weekend I was in Sudan a friends colleague's brother was getting married, so our friend took about six of us along to join in the fun - not only we were made most welcome we were thanked heartily at the end for attending.  Not something you would see at your average English wedding reception!

Eid week is a popular time for weddings, with many people finding themselves double and triple booked and having to attend several parties during the week, some on the same night.  After my non stop week of celebrating I was happy to get back into my work routine - until Christmas in Khartoum of course!

Suddenly it feels like home

Technology is a wonderful thing!  Without it you wouldn't be reading this now and I wouldn't be able to keep in touch with all my friends and family back home.  I can't describe how much speaking to my children and friends on skype lifts my spirits if I am feeling a little homesick.  One of the most crazy things about this amazing country is that in all my time here I have yet to be without a good mobile signal, so I have always been able to keep in touch with everyone.

After my spell of homesickness I realise how lucky I am.  My landlord can't do enough to make my apartment as comfortable as possible for me - bless him, he has now installed a water tank on the roof just for me and is sorting out some air conditioning too.  Although as I am acclimatising and the weather is cooling down for winter (it's now only a mere 35 degrees!) I am managing comfortably without it - in fact one night I had to get up and turn off the fan as I was cold!

Some of my colleagues have no running water at all in their homes, they live a happy and simple life in the houses that they were brought up in - taking water from the well in the yard and living without many things that we in the west would consider necessities.  

Every morning you see boys with donkey carts delivering water to people's homes, you can hear them making their way through the streets as they bang the plastic containers with their sticks!

 A Donkey Water Tanker!

One day the Dean takes me to the University along the old road, where we see all the donkey carts filling up.  "This place is called Donkey!"  he tells me, much to my amusement!
The old road (well I use the term road loosely!) is very scenic, it is mostly a track across the countryside to the University Campus.  We pass settlements, greenery and an abattoir along the way.  It actually takes less time this route than on the newer road, but it is impassable during the hot summer months due to the depth and fineness of the sand.  I have still to master the knack of walking on the sand - usually when walking on a hot sandy beach I elect to walk alongside the water on the wet sand - but this is not an option here!  There is sand, and lots of it everywhere!  Along the street and especially around the University Campus.  I marvel at how the Sudanese manage to keep their feet so clean, and feel very conscious of my own grubby sand ingrained ones!

I've settled into life at the University.  It is so comfortably relaxed I feel that I hardly justify the living allowance that they pay me.  My students take me for breakfast most days, giving me the opportunity to try all the local foods on offer.

Breakfast of "bush" with the students

One of the favourites is "bush", a mixture of traditional "Fuul" and bread.  Apparently it gets its name from George Bush, when he sent food aid during the 1980's famine!  Another student takes me to a restaurant near my home for a traditional meal of "Agashir" which is chicken cooked over coals, served with onions and limes - Laziiz! (Delicious!)

Everyone here is constantly going out of their way to make sure I am happy and have everything I need - I feel thoroughly spoilt!

When I venture to the market or into town I often bump into people I know or here someone calling my name down the street.  People here always have time to stop and chat.  I smile to myself thinking "I may have only been here a month but this is my town!"

 My front gate

Reality sinks in!

So here I am finally in the town that will be my home for the next 9 months.  I am glad to be out of Khartoum.  Much as I enjoyed my time there I'm not really a city kind of girl, and for me it's a little too like London in so much as it's busy, crowded and dirty.  From the little I've seen of El Obeid already it feels more like home.  The  Guest House is a fair way out of town and even further from the University Campus at Khawr Teggat where I am to be working most of the time.  Although to my Sudanese hosts this is not a problem; as they'll happily run me around; for a fiercely independent, single, Englishwoman it feels uncomfortably dependent.

The staff at the University are so warm  and friendly, within a few days I feel that I have known them for ages.  Many of them speak very good English and they are all so forgiving of my poor Arabic.  I only have four timetabled lectures a week to start with, which are all a the beginning of the week.  The rest of my time is spent drinking and eating breakfast with the students whilst chatting.  I haven't been at the University very long before a group of recent graduates come and seek me out to take me for a coffee and chat.  This all feels far too enjoyable to be considered work!

My first lectures are dreadful! Despite both my teaching background and TEFL training I don't really know quite where to start.  Text books, even old ones are a luxury item here, if the students are really lucky they might have a photocopy of an out of date edition of a book.  Interactive whiteboard??  You have got to be joking!  I thought I'd seen the last of the blackboards at my previous school!  Technology here is a lecture theatre with a working microphone!  However none of these difficulties faze the staff or the students, who are always cheerful and upbeat.  The difference in ability between some of the students is so vast.  Many of them, especially the girls are so quiet and shy they won't say a word so it's impossible to tell whether they understand what is going on or not!  However, the students are so respectful and kind they not only resist the temptation to eat me alive but thank me for my excellent lecture!  I promise to do better next week.

Although I am thoroughly enjoying my work, I missing my old roomies dreadfully and living on my own is starting to make me feel quite homesick.  Just under two weeks after my arrival in El Obeid I move to an apartment in the town centre.  It is basically one small room with a tiny kitchen area and a bathroom.  There is no air conditioning and the taps I soon find out are mostly for decorative effect!  I resolve that these are minor issues as being in the town centre will be much better for my state of mind, independence and my Arabic.

 My New Bachelorette Apartment!

With the English Society at University

However, after a couple of days without running water and too much time spent on my own in my new abode, my resolve starts to crack a little.  The low point comes when there is a problem at home, which turns out to be a minor issue, but at it's height had me thinking I might have to return to the UK.  This became a turning point, for as I considered the possibility of having to leave Sudan prematurely, I was filled with sadness.  Much as I miss my family and friends in the UK, how could I possibly leave my new friends, colleagues and students already?  I may have only been here a short time but as I walk around the University students call after me "Mrs Helen!" and my colleagues and I spend many hours engaged in light hearted banter over cups of tea.   The people of Sudan are so wonderful, the pace of life so relaxed - swearing and stress have already become things of my past!  Life may be hard here and people don't have much, but what they have they are more than happy to share, they have a warmth I have never encountered before.  I would hate for these lovely people to think that I am not happy in their country.

Still as they say "things often look better in the morning."  As day breaks I find that everything is fine back in the UK, and Al Hamdu lilla - I have running water this morning!  I think this is a sign - My work here has only just begun!  I'm feeling brighter already!

Off to El Obeid

At last I have the news I have been waiting for - All my paperwork is complete and I am off to El Obeid on Monday.  Part of me is excited to be finally on my way to my placement at the University of Kordofan http://www.kordofan.edu.sd/, but another part of me is quite terrified!  For the last month Billie, Jess and I have been like the Three Musketeers, living and going everywhere together and now I am going to be let loose in Sudan unaccompanied!  I have made so many friends in such a short time in Khartoum and although I will miss them terribly, I hope to do the same in El Obeid.

My last evening in Khartoum is spent with my good friends Bob and Omar at Omar's house which is near the centre of Khartoum, where we have a "Sudanese Takeaway."  The bus leaves at 730am and it's advisable to get there at least half an hour beforehand, and taxis and amjads are hard to find first thing in the morning.  Bob's friend Kamal kindly takes us to the bus station.  Even though it is only 7am the bus station is buzzing.  I am so glad that Bob and Omar are with me as I would be completely lost in the noise and chaos.  At about 715am they pack me onto a lovely air conditioned coach, complete with apples for sustenance on the journey, and the contact details of who will be meeting me at the other end.  Bob has got me the best seat on the bus - in the middle by the window with plenty of leg room.  I feel like a small child being packed off to school for the first time, with Bob and Omar fulfilling the roles of anxious parents!

As the bus pulls out of the bus station and meanders its way through the streets of Khartoum my feelings are very similar to those I had four weeks ago as I took the flight from Heathrow to Cairo.  My big adventure has been brilliant so far and now the next chapter begins, but this time I travel alone, feeling for the first time a little vulnerable due to my lack of Arabic, now cursing myself for not spending more time on it before I left the UK.

The landscape on the outskirts of Khartoum is very flat with buildings along the side of the road, which peter out into dust as far as the eye can see once we are out of  town, reminding me of my first view of Sudan from the plane.  It is a very long bus journey down and across  the country to El Obeid from Khartoum.  The exact time that the journey is supposed to take seems somewhat vague or as we say here in Sudan "Inshallah!"  About half way through the journey the landscape changes and there are bushes, trees and hills. At Kosti we cross the White Nile via a large bridge, with water as far as the eye can see.  Shortly after Kosti the bus stops for lunch.  I decide against lunch and just opt for a quick bathroom break as I would hate the bus to continue on without me and my Arabic is not up to asking how long the stop is for!  I needn't have worried though as unlike National Express, the bus waits for everyone before continuing the journey!  The bus makes several stops along the way, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, for people to get off and on.  The scenery is much more interesting now.   There are small villages with traditional African huts, which I later find out are the Nomad communities.

 Nomad Huts 

Hills!

Finally after a ten hour journey I arrive in El Obeid, where I am met by my new colleagues Hassan Muser and Mohammed Hassan, who have been waiting over two hours for me to arrive.  They take me straight to my accommodation and leave me to settle in and get some rest.  Later Hassan comes to pick me up and take me into town for something to eat and drink.  The Guest House where I am staying belongs to the El Obeid Research Centre.  It is out of the town but very quiet and comfortable, so I have no trouble getting a good night's sleep, although it feels very strange being completely on my own for the first time in 4 weeks.

The next day Hassan picks me up and shows me all round the University, which is spread over 3 different campuses across the town.  He introduces me to so many people, I know I am going to forget their names and what they do!  So I am delighted when I hear a familiar name, "Victor" not once but two or three times. That makes life easier I say to Hassan - we have this name in England!  "What name," he replies "Victor" I say.  "No, Duktoor, (Sudanese for Dr!) - They are PHD holders!  "Oh!"  I say, knowing my brain has lost at least the last three names it has heard as it had clung to the title and ignored the rest of the names that followed!  (Arabic names are made up of a first name, the father's name and the grandfathers name).

Everyone I meet is very warm and welcoming.  In usual Sudanese style nothing is too much trouble.  I am told if I want to go anywhere to phone someone and they will come and pick me up and take me where I want to go, and if I need anything to just phone any time.  Part two of my adventure has begun!

The Funeral Crashers!

On Saturday we got up early to say goodbye to Jess, who went off to Wad Medani to her University.  First thing in the morning the tea ladies have delicious donuts, but have usually run out by the time we normally surface.  So Billie and I thought we'd take advantage of being up and about at 7:30am and find some

Glancing along the road, there were no obvious tea ladies around, but we noticed a canopy across the street next door to the pharmacy.  We headed across the road and asked in our best Arabic if there was any tea, there were several ladies sitting peeling vegetables.  The ladies invited us to sit, and after a few minutes a young girl appeared with two teas on a tray for us.  In the mean time the other ladies had started chatting to us and one of them told us that someone had died so they were preparing lunch.  We were mortified!  How crass could we be?  Walking into the preparations for a wake and demanding tea?  What we needed now was a dignified exit before we could make matters any worse!  I figured the best thing to do under the circumstances was to offer to help them with the preparations.

The Sudanese don't bother with chopping boards they just cut and slice into their hands, which may be extremely dangerous especially with my John Lewis kitchen knives from home, but more hygienic and removing all dilemmas about which board to use to avoid cross contamination, with the added bonus that should I lose a finger during the process I would have a indisputable excuse to leave!

How long can it take a group of women to peel and slice a large pan of aubergines anyway?  THREE HOURS! - what I hadn't realised was that underneath the large already peeled and sliced pan of onions was another larger pan of aubergines!  Still the work was conducted with lively banter and a bit of an Anglo/Arabic lesson, with frequent stops for refreshments.  Once all the aubergines had been sliced we announced that we should really go now.  "You must stay and have breakfast with us!" the ladies insisted,  Well it would seem rude not to, so we did and it was excellent!

By now our  hands were attracting a lot of attention - the insides were now the same colour as our new found Sudanese friends hands!  "It's no problem" I insist "I'll wash them later,"  Before we could go phone numbers needed to be exchanged so I popped back to the house to get my phone and wash my hands.  After plenty of soap and furious scrubbing they were resolutely the same tone of brown!  When I returned with my phone, the ladies showed Billie and I how to rub sand into the stains to get them off and we left shortly after with our hands returned to a near normal colour.  "But you must come back for lunch!" they insisted.

Despite our horrific mistake, it was truly the most pleasurable experience in Sudan so far, to sit and chatter with a group of local ladies (whom we'd assumed initially were tea ladies!)  There were midwives, teachers, students all mucking in together to prepare the feast for the wake.

After a rest and a shower we went back across the road to rejoin our new found friends.  Only to find that the group was now more of a large crowd and there was no one that we recognised.  Again we were told to sit, but this time we were asked to show our hands - clearly the white "khawajas" brown hands had been a subject of hilarity after we'd left the first time!

We spent a lovely evening in the company of friends and close family of the deceased, being looked after in true Sudanese style.  When our friend Higer left, we saw it as an appropriate time to make our excuses and leave too.  However, Higer was not ready to part company with us and kindly invited us to her house where we spent a very pleasant hour or so drinking tea and chatting with her family, after which her husband dropped us back home.