For my last day of class with my Zoology students, they wanted to take me to Jebalolia Dam. It is located an hour outside the city, so the class was going to take three hours longer than usual. I had set aside time after class to get tea or ful with my students, but not that long. They were very upset, because they had planned this big event for me. Finally I agreed to change my plans and go to the dam.

The area around the dam is very beautiful; a variety of interesting trees grow on the Nile flood plane. We talked, drank tea and played chess, but I was afraid to bring up the topic I wanted to discuss for the last class.

Finally I took Hajer (one of my best students) aside and asked her about the topic. I wanted to discuss my Jewish heritage. At first she acted surprised, but soon admitted that she already knew I was born Jewish. She said that the topic will not be a problem, the students are very open-minded. I was still a bit skeptical (I am living in a Sharia Law governed Islamic dictatorship, after all), so we pulled over a teaching assistant and he also said that it would be ok.

I was still nervous and stalled while the students prayed and cleaned up from our picnic. Finally in the van on the way home, I told them. Most of them had never met a Jew (or at least Jew by birth). It must have created a great conflict in their minds, because they like me, but they were taught to hate Jews. I explained that not all Jews support Israel (I certainly don´t) and that there is no such thing as a Jewish conspiracy.

They were actually accepting. Ahmed explained that he is from the Nubian tribe, who were Christian before they were Muslim and Jewish before they were Christian. The conversation went very well. I hope that I was able to dispel some of the myths that they have been taught. They have certainly helped me dispel some of the myths about Muslims.

We are back from Wad Medani. It was a nice and relaxing after living in the chaos of Khartoum. Last night we ate Turkish food, then went to a local amusement park. This was not like any amusement park in the West though. It cost 100 Dinars ($.50) to get in and all of the rides were free. We went on two rides. The first was hanging swings that spun in a circle and the second was a merry-go-round that Matt and I had to push. Afterward, we were swamped by Sudanese asking for money.

They said, "All Americans are rich, so you must give us money."
I pointed at my stomach and asked, "Look at me. Do you really think I am rich?" I was referring to my dirty clothes, but they looked at my thin waist. Being fat was (and I guess still is) a sign of your wealth. When they realized that we did not have money, they accused me of being a spy for the American Government. I explained that American spies have better things to do than ride the horsey rides at the park. They agreed and invited us for tea.

Emily does not drink tea after dinner (because it keeps her up) and Neetha does not like tea, so Matt and I had to drink it all (without the Sudanese noticing, or it would have been rude). They put a pound of sugar and a pound of powdered milk in each cup. Finishing it was not easy. I staggered back to the hotel feeling nauseas.

Emily, Matt, Neetha and I are in Wad Medani (a city south-west of Khartoum). We came here yesterday, just to get out of Khartoum for a couple days. The bus was air conditioned and they played a Jacky Chan movie. When we got here, we went to a hotel recommended by the guide book. Bad idea. It was a dirty hallway lined with beds. Next stop was the Nile Hotel. The guy at the desk quoted a price of 5,000 Dinars per night, but we got him down to 3,000. The room is small, but at least it has an air-cooler (not as good as an air conditioner). The bathroom at the end of the hall is a hole in the ground, but that is standard for Sudan.

We walked into the souq and found a restaurant called "The Pizza" for lunch. It was quite good and the owner spoke decent English. We asked him what there was to do here and he gave us a blank look, like that was the strangest question he had ever heard.
We have spent most of our time looking for food, smoking sheesha (hooka) and sleeping. Not much different than in Khartoum, but without classes to teach. The people here are very friendly, but they act like they have never seen white people before. Everywhere we go we get strange looks and people yell their few English phrases (like "Where are you going") at us.

They really need to do something about the money in this country. I've probably written about it before, but here is a short recap.

There are three currencies that people deal with here: Old Pounds (1000=$.50), Dinars (100=$.50), and New Pounds (1=$.50). Most prices are quoted in Old Pounds, but they are no longer in circulation. The Dinar is being phased out and the New Pound is being phased in.

Today I tried to get paid at the newspaper, because it was my last day of work. I make 30,000 Dinars for four days of work per month. This month I have worked three days, so I am owed 22,500. For us, it is simple, for the Sudanese it is very complicated.

I have called the Managing Editor all week to make sure my payment would be ready today. When I got there to collect the money, he had no idea what I was talking about and said that I could not get paid because the accountant is out of the office. I told him that I need to get paid, because I am leaving the country. So he and the other accountant (who doesn't control the money) sat down to figure out how much I am owed. After about 15 minutes they came up with a sum of 30,000 Dinars. I explained that I wasn't owed that much, but they were sure that it was correct. The Managing Editor proceeded to hand me 3,000 Dinars.

"No," I said, "I need 19 and a half more of these notes."
"But you make 1,000 Dinars a day."
"No, I work four days a month and make 30,000 Dinars - 7,500 per shift."
They started the calculations again and came up with the same number. I was getting a bit frustrated at this point, so I drew a very simple diagram to explain how much I was owed. Another person walked into the office and all three carefully studied my diagram. Again they handed me 3,000 Dinars. I explained the diagram again and wrote out the amount I was owed in each of the three currencies. Finally they seemed to understand.

The Managing Editor asked me to write a letter explaining the payment to the Editor in Chief. Three handwritten copies and one typed copies later (they kept wanting me to add, remove and change the letters), I was finally paid.

The worst thing about sudan is that the power goes out anytime it gets too hot, which is exactly when we need it. The country is powered by hydroelectricity from the Nile. When the river drops because of evaporation, we will not have power for hours. This is when we usually take a shower with our clothes on or dump water from the freezer over our heads to keep cool. It is really quite miserable. The temperture has been averaging around 110 to 115 in the hottest part of the day.

Today I went to Khartoum University to attend a zoology lab taught by one of my students. After leaving the lab, I saw a large group of students running away from the front of the campus and smelled a sickly / sweet smell. As I got closer, my eyes and nose started to burn. There was a large group of police in full riot gear standing in the road just outside of the campus. The students were throwing rocks at them and they were shooting tear gas at the students.

They were just going back and forth. First the students would throw rocks. Then the police would shoot tear gas and the students would run. When the gas cleared, the students started throwing rocks again. The canisters landed near me a few times. It felt like having flaming pepper blown in your face.

A couple of students tried to go through the front gate, close to where the police were standing. The police shot at them with live ammunition and hit one of them in the leg. He was carried off by a group of students.

The conflict started because the students were protesting the arrest of fellow students (most likely for political reasons). Khartoum University is know as the most liberal campus in Sudan. There are always political demonstrations on campus against the government, but they usually do not go this far.

Last night we were hit by an enormous haboob (sand storm). Emily, Neetha, John and I were hanging out in the living room, when all of a sudden John yelled, "look outside!" An enormous cloud of sand was heading right for us. It came incredibly fast. I barely had time to snap a couple photos. We rushed to close the windows, but we were too late. Within minutes the wind picked up and the entire sky had gone black. Sand poured through the slits in the windows, covering everything. John and I went up on the roof, where we were pelted with sand and blown about. You could literally chew the air. My eyes, nose, mouth and clothes were filled with sand.

In the middle of the storm, Liam came home with a new skin color. Most people stay inside, but he decided to walk home from his University. The Sudanese people acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary. There was a guy sitting across the street drinking a Coke and smoking a cigarette as the storm raged. It lasted about an hour.

Afterward, we all went to Agfad University to attend a dinner for the national English language debate tournament. Many of the volunteers (encluding Emily, Neetha and Liam) are coaching teams at their Universities. I am not coaching, because my main placement is at the Police Department. The dinner was catered by the Hilton. I have not eaten that much, or that well, since I have been here! We all gorged ourselves.

Peter and I visited Souq Lybia, which is also known as the camel market. They don't sell camels, but they sell plenty of camel meat. Beef, chicken, fish, lamb and goat are much more popular, but camel meat is still eaten. It took us a while to figure out the arabic word for camel (we should have looked it up before coming), but we figured it out and got a reccomendation for a good meat stall. The "restaurant" had only three walls, which were lined with chairs, and a small coal fire for cooking. An old Sudanese woman cooked the camel meat in a large saucepan with holes in the bottom. She served it with bread and hot sauce. The meat tasted like goat, but it was not nearly as tender. It took awhile to chew each fatty piece. After we ate, we walked around the souq and stopped for some hot, sweet tea, which is served in abundance everywhere you go.

Before coming here, I had very little expectations. Never the less, many things have surprised me about Sudan. Here's a short list:

-Everyone (except the very poor) take great care in their personal appearance. The men wear either western style button down shirts with slacks or the traditional Jelabia. Their clothes are always exceptionally clean and ironed.
-The woman do not feel oppressed at all. They wear the head scarves by choice and feel like they are free to do as they please.
-They LOVE sugar. People here drink sugary drinks like soda and fresh fruit juice all day long. It is necessary to consume sugar to keep your energy up during this heat.
-The food is incredibly fresh and tasty. I can never get this quality of fruits and vegetables in the States.
-They love watching English football (soccer), American Professional Wrestling, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Bollywood films, and bad American films.

We visited another IDP camp. This one was worse off than the last one, because there are no NGOs there to help.

Here are some photos from Souq Omderman, a photo of the Khartoum University Library, and one of Reem and Nuha at their graduation ceremony.

I went to a big football (soccer) match between Hillel (a local team) and a team from Nigeria. Most games cost 500 Dinars, so I only brought 1000 Dinars. This game cost 2000 Dinars, because it was a big match. I walked up a ramp leading to the expensive seats (the ramp is taller than the stadium wall) and watched the beginning of the game from there. The view was not very good, though, so I went across the street where many people were watching from a rooftop. The view was a little better, but you could only see one goal. At half time I decided to invoke Hawaja Privilege (taking advantage of the fact that white people are rare and well respected) and got in for free. Inside the stadium, I met some Sudanese fans who spoke decent English and watched the game with them.

The place was absolutely packed. It was the deciding game for entrance into the African League Semi-Finals. Sudan lost 3-0 in Nigeria, so they had to win by more than 4 points. No one thought it could be done. Hillel scored one goal after another. Each time, the fans lit newspapers on fire, shot off Roman Candles (fireworks) and danced around hugging each other. It came down to an exciting sudden-death shootout and Hillel won! I the whole city of Omderman (and probably the rest of the country) celebrated for hours.

At the police station where I teach, they serve a huge breakfast everyday at 10:00. Meat, ful, chicken, taimia, cheese, salad, dessert and three or four types of drinks. Today they slaughtered a goat (probably the one that was tied up in front of the building yesterday), which is pretty common for a big meal here in Sudan. They don't waste a thing. The head is a delicacy. The stomach and intestines are cooked in a special sauce. The liver is eaten raw. The rest of the meat is served with a spicy sauce. I tried everything except the head, but could not enjoy it because I had met the goat yesterday.

We all went to the Khartoum University graduation celebration today. I had trouble getting there, because I thought it was in Buri at the Police Home, but it was actually in Khartoum Two at the Police Club. The party was not like any stuffy graduation celebration in the US. It was held at a large amphitheater. A live band played Sudanese music on stage and everyone danced (which is usually not allowed in this overly modest, religious society). The wealthy families had tables full of food, which they generously shared.

By the time I got there, I was starving. I have to leave at 7:30am to teach the police officers. I got to the party 14 hours later and had not eaten since breakfast. Yes, even in Sudan you sometimes get too busy to eat. The party ended at 11:00, as all parties do, because amplified music is not allowed after that time.

I went to Souq Omderman to take photos, but I forgot to bring my photo-permit. You need a permit for everything here. Most people were excited about getting their photo taken. Often a small crowd would gather and each person would wait their turn to be photographed. I always asked before taking a picture, but some people got upset about me even asking. The real problem didn't start until I took a picture of a homeless family. I was approached by an undercover police officer and questioned. "Why are you taking pictures of these people," he said. I replied, "It is to show my friends and family the people of Sudan." "Why show them this?" he said, "it is illegal to photograph negative aspects of the country."

The conversation went on like this for a while. I tried to leave, but he kept me there while he called his office. Eventually he let me go, but said that I should bring my permit next time.

Ok Todd, you want it, you got it. Here are directions to Khartoum University (The police station was too hard):

Start at Tuti Island (the crescent shaped island between Khartoum and Omderman). This time look for the South East corner of the island (it is gray). The tip of the island points East, along the Blue Nile river. Zoom as much as you can and follow the river East. Just South East of the tip of the island, you will see a white boat. South of the boat is the Presidential Palace. Keep following the shoreline to the East and you will see the Sailing Club (where I often go). Look for the road which runs East-West; it is just South of the sailing club. Follow that road East for a couple blocks. You will see a large dirt field (South of the road) with a shape that looks like an electric guitar in the upper right corner. You are now on the campus of Khartoum University. Look for the bright white building in the center of campus. That is where tests are held. North of that building is the Library, built by General Gordon. The buildings East of the library are where I hold class.

Emily and I visited an IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp outside of Khartoum. We went with Al Adeen, who runs a NGO to help the camp. It was much different than I expected. The camp has been around for 20 years, helping people from the war torn South and now from Darfur. It houses 40,000 people and has been built up like a small city. The houses are all made of mud and they are in great need of repair. Most had crumbling walls and no ceiling. We visited one family's homes within the camp. Thirteen people lived there, but it was little more than some crumbling walls, which use to delineate rooms. There was a piece of cloth over two rooms, where the ceiling should have been, to provide some shade. Al Adeen brought a bag of clothing to hand out and the house was soon full of neighboring children and parents. They fought desperately for the clothing. I was amazed at the sheer size of the camp. With 40,000 people, it was like a small city.

I found our house on maps.google.com - here's how you can find it too:

Start by searching for Khartoum, Sudan. Zoom in until everything looks brown and dusty. Look for the crescent shaped island between Khartoum and Omderman. That is Tuti Island. On the left side of the island, near the top of the curve and just across the river, you will see a bridge that goes between Khartoum and Omderman (it crosses another small island). Follow that bridge to the left (Omderman side) and curve right when the road splits. The road should now be following the Nile. Take a left at the next split. There will be a football field on the right and a large empty field just past the football field. The road seems to end at the top left corner of the larger field. The small silver dome to the right of the large field is the Mahdi's tomb. This is where it gets tricky. Head north on the street between the dome and the large field and turn left at the big intersection. You will now be going north west. The road ends next to a large mosque (which will be on your right). Look for the street that sticks out on the eastern corner of the mosque (you are now north of the street you were just on). At the first intersection there will be a building with a green roof. At the second intersection are some houses with white roofs. That is next to our house. The building on the north east corner of the intersection (south of the white roofs) is ours! Good luck!

Emily, some friends and I went to an art opening at the restored site of an old bar in Khartoum. The building was very nice, bohemian looking with a mosaic floor and a large outdoor seating area. The bar was still there, but it only served soda and juice now. Outside there were well groomed trees old columns, relief paintings and a live band. Inside were three rooms, each one displaying the paintings of a different artist. It reminded me of what a beautiful city Khartoum had been before it was overtaken by religious fundamentalists.

My police officer class took me to the zoo. The conditions were pretty appalling, but the animals were beautiful. Many of the cages were falling apart and held closed by chicken-wire. They gave me unrestricted access to the cages, because I was with the police. Instead of staying a few feet away from the lion's cage, I was able to go right up to it and sit face to face with the lion (from 6" away). The female police officers acted like they had never been to the zoo before. While they were looking nervously at the lion, I jumped toward them and roared. They ran away screaming. There was also a chimp who spoke Arabic. They would give her a few different objects, then ask for one; the monkey knew which one to bring.