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.

I was helping my friend Mohamed (yes, they are all named Mohamed, but this is the ex-SVP one) translate some interviews about beauty from college aged women. Their idea of beauty is very different from the Western view. For example, fat is beautiful. Many of the women complained about not being able to gain wait and some admitted to taking medicine to help them accomplish their goal. Additionally, while Western woman go to the tanning salon to darken their skin, Sudanese women use creams to lighten thiers.

I went to a football game (soccer) with Peter, Matt, Neetha, Mongo, John and Mohamed. We got there two hours before the game started and the stadium quickly began to fill up. The Sudanese were surprised and excited to see so many foreigners at their stadium, so they bought us hats and vests with the team name. When we put on our new gear, many people croweded around us and took photos with their cell phones. Before the game started I had some juice from a questionable source. I was soon overcome with the urge to use the bathroom. The problem was that the stadium did not have any bathrooms. I hurried out and across the street to a neighborhood. I noticed the front door of someone's house open and a bathroom just inside the door. No one was around, so I slid through the door and into their bathroom. When I was done, I snuck out without anyone noticing. The game was exciting, but Marich (the team we were rooting for) lost. The opposing team's supporters started a fire in the stadium before chanting and paradeing around the stadium. Outside, the police were armed with long sticks and electric shock shields. When the fans got outside, the police knocked one over the head with his stick. As the man laid on the ground clutching his head, the crowd threw rocks at the police. They threatened the fans with tear gas, before charging the crowd. Everyone ran and the police stopped chasing when we got to the main road.

I got a job at an English language newspaper here in Khartoum; I am the copy editor. The job pays well, but it's very difficult. The articles by these Sudanese "journalists" don't make any sense! They couldn't write a correct sentence in English if they were about to be beheaded (which one recently was). My job is to make sense out of their long, incoherent rants. I say "rants" because they wouldn't know objective journalism if it slapped them in the face. The newspaper is one big opinion page. It's like Fox news - in print form.

We went on a boat party with many of our friends and fellow volunteers. The boat was managed and paid for by some rich Sudanese people who like hanging out with hawajas. It sounds fancy, but was actually pretty ghetto (like everything here). The boat consisted of two pontoon boats tied together with rope. One had a motor, the other didn't. They brought some large speakers on the boat and a lot of food. We went up and down the Nile, stopping briefly at a small island where we got stuck. Well, we weren't really stuck, but that's what they told us. People waved and danced to our music from the shores of the river. The ride lasted six hours, which I though would be way too long, but ended up being nice.

I started a new class with just the Police Chiefs. There is only four people in the class, and their English is already quite good (which makes my job much easier). The Major General is referred to as "Your Majesty" or "Your Highness".

Yesterday I was talking to them about careers and asked what they would do if they did not become Police Officers. One of them gazed far into the distance and said that he always dreamed of being an actor. He went on to recount his days as an amateur theater actor and singer. His eyes started to tear up as he sung, in a deep baritone, a song from the theater.

I asked my female students about thier feelings toward the headscarves. They were surprised that most Westerners view it as oppressive. They insisted that they wear the headscarf by choice, not because it is forced. Their religion tells them to cover all parts of their body except their face and hands. Not an easy feat in this weather. But they take the religion seriously and willingly adapt this style of dress. I also asked them about how they would feel if thier daughter wanted to either not wear the headscarf or to wear a full Burka (which covers everything except a thin slit for the eyes). The women were opposed to their daughters wearing either. They said that not wearing the headscarf would be immodest and disrespectful toward their religion, but wearing a Burka would be taking it too far. In most cases they said that they would not stop their daughter from wearing either; they would let them make thier own decision.

We went to a party at the German Embassy yesterday. It was strange, because the place was filled with hawajas (white people). I didn't know that many white people lived in Khartoum! Most of them work for NGOs, so they don't ride the buses or hang out on our side of town. It was even stranger, because everyone was drinking alcohol (prohibited under Sharia Law, but allowed on foreign soil). We had a good time after we got over the initial shock.

The Sudanese people ingest a tremendous amount of sugar. I am just starting to get use to the ultra-sweet drinks and the abundance of sweet snacks. My dad will be happy to hear, though, that they diligently brush their teeth.

The personal hygiene in this country continues to amaze me. Except for the complete lack of toilet paper, they take great pride in their appearance. I don't know how they keep their clothes so clean and nicely pressed in this treacherous environment.

Emily, Neetha, Matt, Nick, Peter and I took a trip to Tuti Island yesterday. The island is located at the confluence of the White Nile and the Blue Nile. People have been living there for a very long time and enjoy keeping the island as their own private haven. There is no bridge to the island (yet), so there are few cars and a quiet and relaxed environment not found in Khartoum. The island has a residential section, a small shop lined street and an abundance of farm land. I saw more plants on the island than I've seen the entire time I've been in Sudan!

We arrived to the island as early as possible, which wasn't too early because no one wanted to miss Rachel's pancake breakfast. Spent a few hours wandering around the island and sitting in the shade. It was a very relaxing Friday and a good break from the commotion of the city.

Here is another photo of our friendly neighborhood trash dump (aka the public restroom) and a photo I shot out the window during a sand storm.

My discussion group today at Khartoum University focused on women's role in society. It was very interesting to hear about the traditional way women lived. For example, most women married their cousins. The men and the women are always separate at family gatherings, so before the marriage they would have had almost no contact with their spouse. After the marriage, the woman would not speak until the first child was born. It was considered rude for her to speak. Even after the first child, the husband and wife would rarely talk and they would never speak each other's names. They address each other as "the Mother / Father of Mohamed" or whatever the first child is named.

Now women are not expected to marry their cousins (although some still do) and they are allowed to speak to and get to know their future husband. However, men are allowed to marry up to four wives, so I am often asked if Emily is my only wife.

Today, instead of the usual sail boat race, we took a long trip to Crocodile Island. The journey took through were the Blue Nile meets the White Nile, which was very interesting to see. The island had a very nice beach, covered with trees. We sat around in the shade waiting for the big meal to be served. Finally they brought out an entire lamb on a bed of rice. No part of the animal was spared. The men immediately began ripping it apart (with their bare hands, of course). The head and tail went first, but the entire lamb was devoured in five minutes!

I can't get use to the hospitality and friendliness of the Sudanese people. I met a Sudanese guy who is my age on the bus. We were talking about our jobs and he mentioned that he works at Omderman Hospital (very close to my house). He invited me to come visit him there, so yesterday I went. He kept saying things like:

"It is a dream come true to have you come here."

"I pray to God that our friendship will last the rest of our lives."

"I pray that your wife will become pregant and have many children."

"I have always loved the White Man."

Despite the weird phrases, he was incredibly friendly and I enjoyed spending some time at the hospital (for once in my life).

I have been eatin' good for the last couple days. There was a big SVP party last night, in honor of David Walton's visit. He is the SVP organizer from London. All of the volunteers who are teaching in Khartoum were there, as well as many of the SVP board members.

Today I went to Grizelda's home for lunch. She has been in Sudan for 40 years and was married to one of Sudan's most famous authors. Anna and her husband came with me. Lunch was delicious. Unfortunately, Emily couldn't come because she was busy teaching. Next time we will visit Grizelda's farm outside of the city.