1 month/mois

Trip Start May 16, 2006

Trip End Jul 09, 2007

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Flag of Sudan Khartoum, Sudan
Saturday, July 29, 2006

I reached a milestone this week and made it through my first month in Sudan. I don't know how it quite happened ... if you ask me, it feels like I've been here much longer. Then again, I've just started feeling vaguely competent at my job, so on that side, one month doesn't feel that long. That's the reason why I get a little frustrated some times, as it feels like I should be fully competent, even though I've only worked for basically 20 days. It's quite amazing as well, because I have all kinds of responsibility, the kind no one would ever give to an intern back in Canada. Not only that, but I have AUTHORITY in that people listen to what I say and deal with it. My opinion actually means something and has an impact on everyone I work with. I'm just not use to that concept, because I've spent most of my life being told that my opinion, although interesting, just wasn't that important and even if I fought for it to count, it never really did ... until now! So work here has a certain surreal feeling to it and that's perhaps one aspect that I never anticipated

cemetery sunset

.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm working harder and more than I ever have in my life. Things are going well, but there's just so much work to do. Unlike many of my MngSF colleagues, the staff here is perfectly competent ... it's expats we have more trouble with. THe national staff knows how to run things smoothly and they've seen expats come and go, whereas everything is new to us. It's more when expats start acting like they know everything and that the staff owes them that the problems begin. And to make a long story short, I've never worked this hard, and I'm going to have to work much harder if I want to accomplish all my objectives.

But then there are moments like yesterday afternoon. Moments of pure magic. After a month, it was time to get out of the Office-Guesthouse-pool routine. So we went to see the Sufis, also known as the twirling dervishes. Anyone who has seen them cannot say that Islam is a dreary and joyless religion. Every Friday, the Sufis start chanting next to the tomb of Hamed Al-Nil. It's a little mosque, in the middle of a cemetery, in the middle of the desert. When you get there, you start wondering why on Earth you would want to stay there. But more and more people arrive as the sun nears the horizon, and the chanting gets louder, with the drums, the men dressed in white, the Sufis in Green and everyone in a circle, following the rythm

dwirling

. At last, they start twirling with such an expression of loving joy on their face ... it's as "zen" - if you'll pardon the expression - and peaceful as one could get.

After a month here, I finally felt in Sudan. What a welcome it was, talking with the people, being able to participate in the ritual and feel this sense of communion. I think I would go back every week, to have tea in the cemetery (yes, it is weird, but you get used to it ... you'll see on the pictures), mingle and share.

So after one month, I know the way to the office by foot, I feel vaguely competent and I've seen the Sufis ... Welcome to Sudan!

Hugs n kisses

Edith