We're back from Al Obied. It turned out to be a total disaster. I knew we should have sent an SVP person to check out the accommodations ahead of time. Too bad Momen fired everyone last week.

Took the bus to Al Obied last Thursday. We didn't do much on the day we got in. We were picked up by a guy claiming to be the head of the English Department at Kordafon University. He turned out to be an asshole, not to be the department head. They put us up in a small "guest house", like a hotel with shared bathrooms. Friday is the weekend here. It is the Muslim day of prayer as well as the only day they have off work. We were taken by this jerk to the home of the town's deputy mayor. There we met the mayor and all of the other authorities in town. They treated me kindly, but they were very sexist toward Emily. They insisted that she pour tea for everyone (because she is a woman) and encouraged me to get a second wife. If she wasn't already offended enough, the guy told Emily that she is fat and lazy for sleeping 8 hours a night.

Soon many other officials showed up and what must have been every high ranking military officer in Kordofan. We were driven to a small field, which was filled with just about everyone in the entire city. They had us sit up front, behind the stage. It turns out that one of the Army Generals from the town was retiring. The entire town showed up to celebrate. Various military brigades reenacted battles and showed their skills by fighting one another.

Saturday they showed us where we would be living, while we taught at the university. It was a small, half built room in the middle of the desert, at least 30 minutes from anything! The students also lived here. So we would basically be stuck in the middle of nowhere with all of the students, who would no doubt harass us daily. This is besides the fact that the house was not built yet, did not have a bathroom and did not have a kitchen. We told them that it was not going to work, so they showed us a place in town. This one was finished being built, but again did not have a bathroom or kitchen. They told us that it would be constructed just outside. Riiiiiiight.

It was obvious that they were not prepared for our arrival. Momen did not believe us at first and he seemed annoyed that we would be coming back to Khartoum. Too bad. We were not going to live in their half built room in the middle of the desert. Now we are back in Khartoum. It almost feels like being home again.