Food...

Time for another bit of education about the wonders of life in Doro.

This is our Kitchen:



(I know, I dont think it looks much like a kitchen either, but there you are...) Where our meals are prepared. Four of us take it in turns to cook for each other. Here is me, taking my turn:


Those of you who know me well will know that I am not an imaginative cook, and so it will come as no surprise to learn that I cook the same thing every week. I've taken to calling it my speciality, corned beef hash, and it is good for two reasons. First, it tastes great and provides a source of meat that is not goat (the Sudanese have a fondness for eating goat that I do not share). Second, it only requires one pan, and thus one fire. Given the amount of paraffin (I say paraffin, it is actually jet fuel we use to light our fires. no joke) related incidents I have had since arriving here this can only be a good thing. For a while I had no hair on my right hand due to a cooking related incident...if it weren't for my cat-like reactions things could have been much worse...

Today I found, and inadvertently killed (by spilling petrol on it), a funnel web spider of some kind. Due to the flurry of protest to my last spider related post I have refrained from putting up any photos this time, so you'll have to use your imagination. This, and other previously reported incidents have led to me developing a finely tuned overreaction every time something touches my leg. Even if it's one of the other missionaries...

Speaking of which, I've known ever since the first time I came to Africa in 2004 that here it is not uncommon for guys to walk around holding hands with one-another. However, I have never seen so much of this as I have here, and I can tell you, having guys randomly grab your hand takes a bit of getting used to. Even John Maruti (who I recently learned was named after a car by some missionaries, who clearly had a keen sense of humour, when his grandfather turned up late for work the day he was born), my often mentioned Kenyan sidekick does it frequently. I've really got no reason for telling you that other than because it's a vaguely amusing aspect of my life here...

In case you're interested, work on the project continues to progress well. Yesterday we got news that a (by our standards) large plane is flying in empty next wednesday, giving us an opportunity to solve several logistics headaches in one fell swoop. I came up with a list of materials that our team in Nairobi are now purchasing to fly in for us. I just hope that my rushed shopping list is at least vaguely accurate or I'm going to look like a moron...All of this is to set us up for the big push to finish the building, which will start once the aforementioned Kenyan sidekick has finished plastering the interior.

The only other thing of note to inform you of is that my long held prayer of forming good friendships with some of the local guys has begun to be answered. The last couple of days have provided good opportunities to hang out with a couple of different guys from the area and spend some time getting to know them. We're not at the holding hands stage yet, but one step at a time and all that.

Unfortunately, I also have a rather sad update for you. Within the last week, we heard news that the woman we encountered having a difficult labour, who I told you had lost her baby, also died that night after surgery. There is a harsh side to life here that can be hard to accept at times, it is important to acknowledge that amongst my random musings about how much I'm enjoying myself...

And with that, my friends, I really must go. I've twice, make that three times, heard something move in my house and it sounds big enough that I should be worried. If I'm not back in a week, send someone to look for me...

Beds...

A while back, you may remember that I mentioned I was going to start sleeping outside, due to the extreme heat. Well, shortly after that, I did get round to finding a bed, and a nice location between my house and the fence of our compound that allowed me to tie up my mosquito net:

(I went outside right now to take this picture, I hope you appreciate my efforts on your behalf).

Anyway, this has been an almost entirely positive step in my life. It's generally much cooler outside, and falling asleep under the stars is pretty amazing. It has however occured to me that there is, in theory at least, a greater chance that I may find something unwelcome in my bed (and by that I mean a snake or a spider, rather than a person - you'll notice in the picture that I have a fairly substantial stick of bamboo there, just in case).

Today, Nehemiah, our compound manager and general source of reliable information on all things Sudanese, said to me "you really should not put your bed so close to he fence, the snakes like to climb up there and jump across"

Now, it does strike me that this is a tad unlikely, however there is just enough uncertainty in my mind that I feel like I should heed his advice (despite last weeks heroiccs, I'm not sure I'm ready for dealing with a snake in my bed. I mean, would you be?). Problem is, I really cannot be bothered. I'll let you know how all that works out anyway, unless a snake gets me before I get the chance.

There haven't been many other incidents of note in the last week. Work is going well on the clinic (with the exception of one days work lost due to a lack of water), and life on the compound has got much quiter as 6 of our number left for Nairobi yesterday.

Tomorrow I have to lead a bible study with some Sudanese guys. There could be anything from 4 to 14 people there, and it's very different from doing a similar exercise with people in Scotland. This is a shame, as most of my experience in leading bible studies is with people from Scotland. Most of these guys are too young to remember anything but war, and many of them have the most unbelievable stories. I've really got no idea where to start...which is part of the reason I'm killing time by updating my blog. I'll try and keep you posted of what I learn form the experience

In a really rather random aside, most of the time I've been writing this, I've simultaneously been havin a conversation using Facebook chat with Amy, who stays in the tukul next to mine. I like to think that is a first for Sudan. It certainly is for me...

Snake...

Today, I killed this guy:


But really, I thank God that he didn't bite me, as he had the perfect chance to shortly before we got him. Biggest snake that's been seen at Doro in quite some time...

Adventure...

If you've been paying attention (and if not, why not?). You'll remember that I said I was going on a road trip this past weekend, and that it should be an adventure. Well, it did not disappoint.

We (Dr Rob, Masiir & I) set off bright and early on Saturday morning to make the 30km journey North East to Khourtumbak with one quad & a motorbike. I drew the short straw and had to make do with two wheels instead of four:


And was forced to play the 'try and keep up with Dr Rob on a quad bike' game, which on a sandy windy track was easier said than done, although the challenge was fun. this was my view for most of the journey, when it wasnt obscured by dust:


After a couple of hours we arrived and went for a wander around some of the surrounding villages, many of which were completely deserted, such as this one:


As there is no water nearby and everyone had left to find some.

Then we returned to the central village and sat under a tree with some of the men as they discussed recent developments in the area (in the local tribal language, Mabaan, so we had no chance of understanding). During the afternoon Rob mentioned that he was a little tired and so they brought us beds so we could sleep under the tree while they talked which was welcome, if a little surreal.

Then a football match started on the pitch next to us, and I thought I'd join in. However, as I only had sandals I decided to play barefoot, I mean, how sore can it be...? Very sore, it turns out. The combination of hot sand and sharp rocks was more than I could bear (much to the amusement of my teammates) and I had to retreat to the sidelines at half time to put my sandals back on.

After some food, we set up camp under the tree (which was generally where all our activities centred) and settled down for a good nights sleep, apart from the disturbances by dogs chewing over the remnants of our dinner.


After the smallest and shortest African church service I had ever attended in the morning (it was an hour long and was attended by 16 people and a donkey), we set of for home, expecting to be back at Doro by abotu 1pm. After around 15km the real adventure started, this happened (I got a puncture, in case that isnt clear):


We were still some way from home, with no way of getting the bike home so Rob set off to go to Doro and get a new tube for the tyre, whilst I sat under a tree and waited (and attracted a lot of attention from the nearby village, who all came down to shake hands, or sometimes just stare at the white guy). When Rob returned, at a bout half 2, we set to work on changing the tyre, which if you've ever tried, you will know is not the easiest job in the world. We had a small audience who watched, laughed and eventually helped us get the tyre back on:


But, calamity of calamities, when we eventually tried to pump the tyre up it wouldnt work (I think we damaged it putting it on) and so we were back to square one, with daylight fast running out. So I was dispatched on the quad bike back to Doro to get the trailer so we could bring the motorbike home. Needless to say, I got back as fast as I could, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time (I only nearly rolled it once), and then made my way back to the village where Rob was waiting for me, giving four african ladies and their flour a lift for part of the way.

So, we got the bike loaded up:


by which point, as you can see, it was pretty dark, and set off on the long slow journey home (going flat out I could do it in 40 mins, fully loaded it took more than double that).

However, the journey was not yet over. About half way home we were flagged down in a village by a group of people where it transpired that there was a woman who was having trouble giving birth (she was on a bed, by the road, waiting for help to come from somewhere). Dr Rob, being a doctor, was able to assist while I looked on not knowing what to think (I'd never seen a woman in labour before). Shortly afterwards, it emerged that things were really quite serious but fortunately a land cruiser passed and was able to take the woman and Rob the remaining 10km to our clinic for further treatment.

And so it was that I got home at about 9pm while Rob went to our clinic with the nurses to treat the woman. I'd love to tell you that there was a happy ending and both mother and baby are well, but unfortunately the baby died, and the mother was by no means out of the woods when they sent her across the state to a hospital for an operation. Whatever else, life in Sudan is no fairytale...

Wildlife..

There isn't a whole lot of wildlife around here, in the classic african sense of giraffes, zebras and lions. There arent even any monkeys. Apparently they left during the war and haven't returned. I'm not sure how true that is though. Today I found, and killed, this guy. probably the biggest spider I've ever killed.


There have also been a couple of snake incidents in the last few days, but they weren't big enough to merit taking photos of (although I have learned that John is a mean shot when it comes to getting the ones in trees). Other than that there have been no animal sightings of note, apart from a rat in my tukul the toher night.

Tomorrow I'm heading on a road trip to a village up north (about 17 miles), should be an adventure. I'll take some pictures and let you know how it goes.

Other than that I dont have a whole lot to report this week. It is very hot, so hot that even the africans are compaining - I'm beginning to get used to being perpetually thirsty, and I think it may be time to think about sleeping outside. Also, I've managed to wander round the village and meet some of the locals which has been fun. Again, you get treated to surprising hospitality here, from people who othersie have very little. It's a little humbling.

However, I have yet again been struck by the curse of not being able to remember people's names, which is always detrimental to building relationships. I've had a few embarrassing moments on that front but I wont bore you with them here (partly because I cannot remember the names of those involved)...

Anyway, I'm off to find somewhere to put my bed...goodnight

Home...

....a least for the next seven months, so you can picture it:

Journey...

On Friday, I was treated to the privelige of a road trip across the wide open spaces of Upper Nile State, South Sudan, from Malakal to Mabaan County with one of the NGO's who work there. For those of you, like me, who are interested in these kind of details, here is a picture of my vehicle of choice (well, there wasn't really all that much choice):

The road varied from the very wide:

To the very narrow and windy:
...and was, for the most part, very very bumpy. It was good to see a bit more of the country though, we stopped off in a couple of towns en-route and managed to complete the journey in a timely 5 and a half hours (about 140 miles). And so it was that I came to be here, in Doro. Exactly one week ago today.

Since then there's been a lot of settling in, and beginning to get to grips with the construction project, as well as moving in to my new mud hut (pictures to follow). I finally got round to that yesterday, having had to replace the ceiling and clean it out, aided in no small amount by some of the other missionaries here. We then celebrated with dinner together under the stars...Then, things took another turn for the better when my ipod started working again. I'm sure you find this news as exciting as I do.

Also, while I've got your attention, a little lesson about Sudanese culture for those of you who have never been. It is supremely important to greet people here (I was told by one of the Sudanese staff here), if you walk past people without saying hello, even if you dont know them, then you will be considered rude, "people will say, that is a bad man". It takes a bit of getting used to when you've lived in a Scottish city for so long.