Friends in the Souq

The curtain section of Souq Al-Shabi

"Souq Al-Shabi is the place to be!" This is what my colleague decisively said, when I asked her where we could find the fabric that is needed for one the children's games in Kosti. There are plenty of 'Souqs' (markets) in Khartoum, but she couldn't wait to show me her favourite one. A few minutes after we had entered the Souq, I was happy that I wasn't there by myself; I would have lost my way in the maze of all the market stalls! We started our search for the special ('parachute') fabric and we asked everyone around. The first man said he didn't sell it, but he was sure that his friend a few meters ahead would sell it. So, with good hopes we went there and asked the same question. He was very sorry he didn't have it in his collection, but he assured me that his friend around the corner definitely sells it. So, we proceeded. The next salesman looked at us for some time, frowned his eyebrows and knew for sure that his best friend on the other side of the Souq would give us a good price...Two hours later, we still hadn't find the right fabric but we surely had a nice time strolling over the market area. And one thing is for sure..even for making friends, Souq Al-Shabi is the place to be!

Plane spotting

Some people love to look at (aero)planes; they will do whatever they can to find exactly the right position and angle to be able to see the different planes landing and taking off. Well,..for these people Khartoum would be paradise! The international airport of Khartoum is namely located in the middle of town! (see: city map of Khartoum). So from early morning until late evening, and all time in between, you can see, hear and feel (!) the different planes arriving and departing. Last week I visited the National Council for Literacy which is located very close to one of the airstrips. During our meetings we were obliged to take a short break whenever a plane would fly over, because it would be impossible to actually hear each other. One of the participants asked me if I had ever touched the wheels of a plane. I said no and asked him why. He assured me that if I would stand on my toes on the rooftop of the building, I would be able to touch them with my hands. An interesting offer, but I think I prefer to spot them from a distance..

Inside

In response to your concerned emails in relation to the current situation  in Sudan, we would like to confirm that we are both doing fine. We are advised not to leave the house, so we have stocked our freezer, downloaded enough films and we have removed the dust from the famous Sudanese boardgame 'Ludo' ('Mensch-erger-je-niet' in Dutch). So, enough to keep us busy this weekend. We will keep you posted!

Colours and cocktails

One of Sudan's colourful characteristics is the 'cocktail'. Don't get me wrong; I don't mean the alcoholic version, but a beautiful blend of (layered) fruit juices served in long see-through glass. The variation of fruit to choose from is endless! A very tasty example is the 'Flamingo cocktail' which contains coconut, mango and strawberry. When you use your imagination, it does look like a flamingo in a glass! One other heavenly cocktail we don't want to withhold is the bright green one with mint and lemon, which makes your thirst disappear within seconds. We were lucky to have one of these (-have a look at the photo-) at one of Frank's colleagues' leaving party yesterday."Cheers!"

Curiosity

My colleague and I were enjoying a nice refreshing ice-cream outside one of the ice cream stalls in Khartoum. As soon as we sat down on one of the boulders, a few children approached us. Initially they held their hands up without even looking at us. Suddenly one of the children noticed that I looked different than all the other people present. My colleague started smiling when she heard the conversation the girls were having in Arabic: "This woman doesn't have a colour! I think she is from North-Sudan. No! She is from East-Sudan, I think! Maybe we can braid her hair? How many dots does she have on her arm? Why doesn't she speak Arabic?". Within no-time several children had gathered around us, curious to hear more about this strange, new person. I answered their curious questions and after that we waved them goodbye. It had clearly offered a bit of variety in their daily routine..

With a little help...

The road after rainfalls

The rainy season has officially started in some parts of Sudan, so especially in the nights it is: 'wet, wet, wet'. In the Sudanese context these rainfalls also mean: 'mud, mud, mud'! Especially the already remote areas become almost inaccessible because of the richness of water on the roads. Field visits can only be done in a four-wheel-drive, that has to work hard to conquer the challenges along the way. People driving a different kind of car or truck are less fortunate in these weather conditions. Last night, Frank heard a noise through the kitchen window. It appeared to be a car, stuck in the mud and its driver desperately trying for a way out of it by giving more and more gas. Frank, who by the way was fairly recently offered a 'rescue certificate' by the mayor of The Hague ;), didn't hesitate for a moment and offered his help. After a while the happy driver was able to continue his journey. I guess a little help from a friend is definitely needed in muddy conditions like these!

Fast learner

The 6-year old daughter of one of the cleaning ladies always comes up and says hello (with a big hug!) to all the staff members before going to school. This morning, she came into my room while I was just 'installing' myself and the laptop that I'd brought with me. She looked at the laptop with curious eyes and just stared at it while it was starting up. After I'd entered the password, I briefly went to the other room to greet her mother and- like always in Sudan- we starting talking about all sorts of things. After a few minutes I went back to my desk and what I saw there really made me smile. The girl was sitting behind my laptop, with one hand on the mouse, watching the photos in my digital photo gallery! What a fast learner!