Eid Mubarak

So Ramadan is over and it is Eid. Eid is what they call all of their holidays/celebrations. Eid can begin on either the 30th or 31st of August. It depends on when Saudi sees the moon and declares Eid. They saw it the night of the 29th and our street promtly exploded into celebration. Firecrackers, kids running through the streets screaming and singing, the mosques singing late into the night and starting again very, very early on the morning of the 30th. (Did I mention that we live in the center of 3 mosques?)

The first day of Eid is for visiting friends. So, we shouldn't have been surprised when our neighbor came by in the morning to wish us "Eid Mubarak" (Eid blessings) and give us candy, as is customary to do. What we were most surprised with was that she didn't knock, just opened the door. This would have been fine except that it was early and we were both still on our pajamas! I didn't even have my contacts in yet so I was sort of squinting at her. It didn't put her off too much though becuase she still invited us over for fatuur (breakfast).

So a few hours later (they eat breakfast usually about 10-11), we got out of our pj's and went over for fatuur. I don't know these neighbors all that well. I had met a few of them before. There was a definite difference eating fatuur with them and eating it with the family of my language helper a few nights before. I guess because Sana's family knows me pretty well since I have been at their house 2x/week since February, and they understand my Arabicish better. It was still lovely though. A few times I got, "So, you don't speak any Arabic?" And I had to explain that I do speak a little, but it's hard to understand when 10 people around you are all talking and that I still don't think that fast in Arabic. Oh well! 

It felt like a holiday. Everyone, even the kids, had on brand spanking new clothes and shoes. The ladies all had fresh henna done. Breakfast was more extravagant than it usually is. Meaning--a great deal of meat. Which...I rarely ever eat meat. So I tried to subtly dance around the meat and my roommate later said that I did a good job. I was offered some of the delicacy of raw sheep's liver, stomach...and something else. I politely declined. I will try it eventually...I dunno, I just didn't feel like doing it at that moment with my first visit with some new neighbors. One day I will. Pictures will surely follow. 

I am happy for Ramadan to be over. I can eat and drink in public again. People will surely be less grumpy. Hopefully I'll see fewer fights on the bus and less car accidents. 

5 Things I'm Happy I Brought

I think I did a pretty good job of packing to move to Africa for 2.5 years. I only had one extra suitcase...and I think that's pretty acceptable. After 8 months there are a few items that stick out that I'm really, really happy that I packed.

1. Good Pocketknife
I bought a pretty good quality pocketknife a few months before coming over and I use it all. the. time. Poking holes in the trash can I am using for composting (which...is currently a bit of a failed experiment. but I'm not giving up!), cutting cardboard, shaping wire. All sorts of things. It makes my life easier.

2. Pumice Stone

Let's just say that always wearing open toe shoes, travelling a lot on foot, and living in a very dry climate makes this a necessity.

3. Excersize Mat

I was hesitant to fit this in, but I'm so glad I did. Excersize for a lady is a little tricky here. Being able to do workout DVDs in my room is a great alternative.

4. MP3 Player with Voice Recorder

Not only do I use it for listening to music, I record the dialogues we do in class as well as activities from my tutoring sessions. I then listen to them over and over while I am cooking, cleaning, or on the bus. It has been so helpful with learning new words and phrases! In my tutoring sessions now my tutor is teaching me Sudanese proverbs and sayings. We usually try one new one each time. It is interesting to see which ones we have that are similar and which ones they don't have at all. They say "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," and their version of "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," translates literally to "A bird in the hand is worth 100 in the tree." And I had to explain "Beggars can't be choosers" because they don't have a version of that. I can't wait for my mind to move fast enough to actually use one of these in a conversation!

5. My Purse with a Crossbody Strap

I brought with me my favorite bag that I have used everyday for the last 2 years. It's fantastic and the best part about it for Sudan is the long crossbody strap. I use it to hold down my headscarf. I'll be honest, I still struggle a little with the head scarf--keeping it up, not choking myself with it, etc. Esspecially on windy days and on the bus I just tuck it under the strap on my shoulder from my bag and it keeps it up so it's not always blowing down. I don't know how other girls do it without it!

Flying Buses

For everyone fasting for Ramadan the fast breaks at 7pm. I'm usually out around this time and it has made public transportation interesting.

One day I waited until the time was a little too close to 7 to come home from the centre. It takes me 2 buses to get home. I got one to the station, but as soon as I got to the station I was told that the bus I needed wouldn't be going for 40 minutes because the driver wanted to drink some water and eat.

This has only happened once though. Partly because since then I have made a point to leave by 6:00. BUT this is probably also the scariest time to travel! Now, the driving here isn't known for being good or safe per se. But 45 minutes before the whole town is breaking fast...the roads are like a danger zone! I can probably count on one hand the days that I haven't seen a car accident as I have been heading home at night. For real. I see one almost every night. And the buses are flyyyyying. I am equal parts delighted and horrified riding a bus home. I have been getting home in about 40 minutes instead of the usual 50-60. But there are times too that I have wondered if I was going to go flying out of the seat and into a window or something. Also the bus is less likely to come to a complete stop for you to get off.

So if you are ever in a Middle Eastern country around 7pm during Ramadan, know that the public transport is not for the faint of heart!

Arabic Verbs 101

Learning any new language is hard. Some languages, though, are more difficult than others. Most people agree that Arabic is one of the hardest languages to learn. Even most of the Sudanese folks here I've talked to agree that it is. That is saying something.

Here are a few reasons why.

Let's talk verbs. When learning a new verb you learn the two forms--the past and present. Katab/biktib for instance. This means to write. Katab means wrote and biktib means is writing. Both the past and the present have a different form based on who you are referring to when you are using it (me, you (feminine), you (masculine), he, she, you (plural), us, they). Past tenses have different suffixes for each and present form takes on different prefixes and suffixes. For instance:

ana baktib-I am writing.

inta bitaktib-You (m) are writing.

inti bitaktibi-You (f) are writing.

hu biktib-He is writing.

hi bitaktib-She is writing.

nihna binaktib-We are writing.

intu bitaktibu-You (pl) are writing.

hum biktibu-They are writing.

The prefixes and suffixes aren't universal though. There are like 8 types of verbs and you conjagate each of them a little bit differently. You are supposed to drop the "b" in the prefix if you are using the verb as a subjunctive verb. Oh, and to make it future tense you add a "ha" prefix to the present subjunctive form of the verb.

BUT if you are saying a verb but using it to show ownership or something, like, say, "He thanked me," instead of saying "me" you add the appropriate suffix onto the verb you already conjugated for he. So that would be "Hu shakarni." There are different suffixes to learn as well to show ownership of objects. Like kitab is book, kitabi is my book, kitabu is your (masculine singular) book etc.

Did I mention that there are TEN different verb forms? What I mean is that there is a different form of each verb to use it how you mean. Let's keep using katab/biktib (to write). That is Form 1. You use Form 2 when you are using it as a command--kattab/bikattib. Form 3 is used when you are talking about written correspondance for this verb-kaatab/bikaatib. And on and on. Not each verb uses all 10 forms. But...still. The day we went over these in class my head was swimming. I am not a grammer person. 

I'm not complaining. I'm pretty pleased with where my Arabic is at for being here 6 months. I think that flashcards have been my saving grace. That and my super patient tutor. I am able to sloooowwwwly read Arabic. It's like deciphering a secret code...that's how it feels anyway as I try to do it. Writing is still difficult discerning between some of the letters that sound the same. But I'm getting there. I can totally chat now which makes a huge differnce and I'm understanding the conversations that go on around me more and more. It's so nice! Well...usually. :) Some things I hear I'd be happy to have not understood!

Furry Dashboards

How have I not addressed these yet?

In many of the cars, amjats (run-down mini-van type vehicles that function as taxis), and other modes of transportation you will find fake fur covering the dashboards and sometimes steering wheels too. Its pretty fluffy and always looks a bit like the matted fur of a dog that went rolling around in the dust. Kind of funny and mildy horrifying. I suppose they make sense though. Otherwise I'm sure that it would always be way too hot to the touch. Not a look I think I'd ever go for in a car myself though.

I have also been amazed with the amount of trinkets some of the rickshaw drivers squeeze into their windshields. Some of these rickshaws are seriously tricked out. I try to avoid the ones that literally have the windshield and mirrors covered in little things hanging down. I've seen many of these fellows at intersections and driving along moving their heads around trying to see through all of the junk they put there.

The Sudanese taste has the affinitiy for the gaudy. Furniture, home decor, cars, buses--more is more. Esspecially the wealthier Sudanese really love all the painted, gold, shiny, sparkly stuff they can get. Our tastes for interior decorating differ to say the least.

"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness"

-Carl Sagan

Sometimes, esspecially when things get busy and stressful it's easy to get preoccupied in just trying to get through daily life here. I'm thankful for the things that keep the vision and the passion strong. Though sometimes these things are the hardest to hear.

One of the older boys, about 16 or so, wasn't at the centre for most of the summer. He returned a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to be blunt...he is a homosexual sex addict. So he has assuredly been abused. So he is a boy that desperately needs help. And though he has been staying at the centre he can't continue to because he is a danger to the other boys. What do you do? What is the lesser evil?

Then there is this baby orphanage right next to where we live. They find and take in babies that have been left for dead. The culture is a shame culture and keeping a child out of wedlock is impossible really. Sometimes the babies are found the in the back of rickshaws or in garbage piles or ditches. Sometimes the street dogs have gotten to them before anyone else could. ...Yes, many die that way. Apparently many are half Chinese. There's a significant Chinese population here. The place may (though I nor anyone I know know for sure) be trafficking the children. When a friend visited awhile ago they say that the kids are adopted. But...adoption isn't a thing here. People don't do it. And international adoptions aren't allowed. So what is most likely (and again I don't speak from a position of knowledge just as an educated guess) is that the children are "adopted"/bought/taken to be househelp (slaves) around the home.

This place is literally a 2 minute walk from my house. I walk by there everyday. Usually a few times.

Holy cow.

My life here isn't what I would idealize for sure, but my heart is here. I've said it before and I'll say it again--I can't believe I get to be here. It is a gift. A dream come true. I hope I can make some impact somehow.

Be praying for this country. There's a lot going on here right now. Many peoples lives are being shaken. Things seem fragile. There could be some difficut times ahead for many.

"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." Carl Sagan (again)

Cultural Thing

I guess you can't really put any culture in a box. Esspecially in a capital city where not only African and Arab cultures co-exist, but also countless different tribes are represented as well. From my humble observations though there seems to be some interesting dichotimies here.

First of all, if you are following the news about Sudan at all you know that there is a lot of interesting stuff going down at present all over the country. There are some parts of the country right now that are dangerous to be in and around and there is fighting going on all over. The country split just over a month ago and there are a number of issues yet to be resolved in that split. However, where I am living is one of, if not the, safest capital cities in Africa. There is some violence and petty theft and things, but comparatively this is a very safe place to live. I've never felt unsafe here. Plus Sudannese are generally incredibly friendly, helpful, and are big on community. Most of my neighbors I still don't know all that well but if anything were to happen I have no doubt that my roommate and I would be well looked after. Every evening when the sun starts to go down the men on our street pull out chairs and sit and chat and watch out over our street. I think the motivation is more social than neighborhood watch, but you still feel like there is someone looking out for you. Though, even when I am on the bus or walking home at night by myself I never feel unsafe.

Another sort of cultural dichotimy I don't really understand is their sense of humor and saving face. The sense of humor is self-deprecating in a way. If someone falls on the street, or says something silly everyone is quick to laugh. Not in a mocking way, that's just what you do. Like when my bus got into a fender bender the other day the first thing everyone on the bus did was laugh. But, on the other side, like many Arab cultures, they are very big on saving face. Esspecially with men, if they feel like they have been insulted or embarrased in front of other people it will ususally lead to a confrontation. Saving face so much so that people won't answer you "I don't know." They will answer what they think you want to hear or make something up. So I've learned if I'm trying to find how to get somewhere or looking for something in the market I will usually ask a couple of people and try to get a consensus first. I've also gotten pretty good at reading whether the person knows what they're talking about or are just saying something.

One thing that I really don't understand is that this is not a line culture. Not a line culture?! That is a cultural thing?? Apparently. When I go to the shop I won't necessarily be served in the order of how I got there. Sometimes the shop owner will ask me what I want ahead of other people that got there first. Sometimes, like at the ice cream place, I won't get anything unless I squezze myself into the front and act in a way that Americans would consider pushy and rude. More than once I have been at one of the bigger stores with actual registers and things and I'm halfway through being rung up and the cashier stops, and rings up another customer, then once they are finished will come back to me. There is generally no sense of, what is so ingrained in us, that whoever was there first should go first etc. Same is true for the bus at busy times. If you don't push your way on, you won't get on. It is so different!

Also, I would just like to quickly address the Sudanese sweet tooth. Oh my goodness. These folks love sugar. Yesterday one of my neighbors gave my roommate and I a lesson in juce making the Sudanese way. She made a standard blender full of juice. About 6 oranges went in, at least 3.5 CUPS of sugar, filled it to the top with water, and blended. Oh my gracious. So darn sweet. She had us drink 2 glasses each. It made me feel sick. (Because I usually eat little to no sugar in my day to day life when I can avoid it.) Most of the milk you can buy is sweetened. The sodas here have more sugar in them than American ones. Some of the ladies put soda in a baby bottle for their kids for crying out loud. It's nuts. And yes, yes indeedy, diabetes is a problem here. I will say though that their sweet tooth matches their hospitality. I couldn't ask for a more welcome, friendly place to live.