One billion rising

Yesterday, the students of the Ahfad University for Women took part in the global campaign 'One billion rising' to raise awareness on violence against women all over the world. The amazing and very striking focus of the event was a particular dance, that was being danced by women all over the world. Besides the students from the University, the Dutch community in Khartoum has also initiated special 'One billion rising' dance workshops, which will be conducted tonight at the Khartoum International Community School in Khartoum. Among all different global examples of shocking violence against women, there are unfortunately also still numerous stories from the women here in Sudan. So, enough reason to strike, dance and rise!

Floating on the Nile

"You are all invited to a boat trip on the Nile!" a colleague from the Ahfad University announced a few days ago. That was indeed an offer we couldn't refuse, so before we knew it we were standing on the shores of the Nile at the Blue Nile Sailing Club in Khartoum. There was a spacious 'party boat' waiting eagerly for us to come on board. When all of us, including the BBQ-set and fresh meet had found a comfortable place to sit on the deck, we headed off for a nice tour on Sudan's biggest river. It was an interesting idea to know that we were actually floating on a couple of empty barrels that had been attached underneath the boat. Simple, but inventive! Fortunately, it turned out be an extremely relaxing, steady float trip with even some musical entertainment by a friendly local musician. The sunset had truly never looked as beautiful!

Big hair

In many western societies, a woman's hairstyle or hair type is often seen as part of her identity.  People tend to describe each other according to their hair, for example: "That blond girl over there", or "the lady with long curly hair". Here in Sudan, there is a different perception on women's hair. Most of the female Sudanese wear a headscarf that clearly covers most of the coup. They are not supposed to show their hair to other men, besides their own husband and close family members. The beautiful coloured scarves always make me really curious about the hair styles underneath. And I can tell you, it sometimes is a big surprise! Talking about 'hair' is often a topic among my Sudanese female friends. When I first met them, they liked to feel my hair and ask me what products I use to keep it soft. "I wash it daily with normal shampoo and then I just let it dry in about 30 minutes", I told them. After a short pause they looked at each other, laughed loudly and said that they couldn't imagine that. After I'd asked them why they couldn't, they one by one lifted up their scarves and revealed their hairstyle. I was speechless! The majority of them had very long, very thick beautiful hair which had been tied at the back to keep it in shape. "You should see me in the morning; you would not recognise me!", one said, while putting her hands next to her head to show who wide her hair is when she wakes up. The others nodded as they recognised their own hair experiences."Actually, I am sometimes really happy that I can wear a scarf", one of them concluded. "When I have a bad hair day, nobody will know!"

Gifted morning

Sometimes people can really surprise you with their gift. Today, on my way to Omdurman I received a nice necklace from the friendly taxi driver. Happy and honoured with my new jewellery, I saw one of Frank's colleagues standing at the door when I reached back home. The smile on her face revealed something, but I couldn't have imagined that she also had a gift ready for me! "This is for you!", she said. While I unwrapped her present she couldn't stop smiling of excitement. The present turned out to be a coffee (or tea) mug with my face printed on! I think my coffee will never taste the same again from now on ;) This has indeed been a special, gifted morning; let's see what the rest of the day might bring!

Desert wonders

Sudan doesn't welcome as many tourist as other surrounding countries, but that doesn't mean that there is nothing to see or to discover.  Before I came to Sudan, I never realized that the number of pyramids for example, is much higher in Sudan than in Egypt. Even recently, a couple of 'new' pyramids in the North of Sudan were discovered by a group of archaeologists (see: link). We realized that visiting a few of the Sudanese pyramids was a 'must' during our stay in Sudan, so last weekend we visited the special Meroe pyramids in the North. And,..what is the most suitable and reliable means of transport in the desert surrounding these pyramids? Exactly, a camel! It was indeed such a nice experience to see the sun rise over the tops of the pyramids while shaking and bouncing on the back of this true ship of the desert. Instead of it being a commercial tourist site, the whole place was deserted and the only things surrounding us in the midst of these ancient buildings, were a few camels and a lot of sand. After having enjoyed the nice views, we bounced our way back while seated on our friendly animals. It was truly  a mystical experience to always remember. And thanks to our muscle ache, we will at least for the coming days!