Sudan update - what a boring title!

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Well, I hope this blog entry isn't as boring as the title! So, what's it like now for me in Sudan? The old adage "what a difference a day makes" might be quite appropriate here.

I'm sharing a house with a really lovely couple, a Frenchman called Serge and his wife Pat, originally from Wales. Having spent the first few days isolated with people whose first language wasn't English, then with young people (very early 20's) who, despite being really lovely, are definitely on an entirely different wavelength, it's brilliant to be with people who are in my age group. No more "awesome" as a response to virtually every question/comment, etc . etc. Result.

The house I'm sharing is lovely. It's got two bedrooms, one of which is mine (which has twin beds in it). I've got my own shower-room - en suite, no less. There's a lovely courtyard/garden, which has a raffia-type roof that keeps the sun off. It's got a small kitchen off to one side. The kitchen is reasonably well equipped. We've got a washing machine (twin tub - you have to load it by syphoning water in through a hose attached to a tap). We've got satellite TV (I love it - I'm fast becoming addicted to "Desperate Housewives". How desperate is that? I almost got to watch 'Dirty, Pretty Things' with Audrey Tatou the other night but, as it didn't start until 10pm, I found it totally impossible to keep my eyes open. The flat I was in before didn't have a fridge, despite the fact that we are supposed to have one, it's one of the conditions of our being here. So, 'cos it's so hot, food was rotting and having to be thrown away. So, it's like a luxury abode here. BUT it's luxury Sudan style. Sudan is an African country, so is nothing like at home. Accommodation is very basic and everything is sort of cobbled together. So, the cutlery bends as soon as you look at it! None of the saucepans have handles, nor lids (or if they have lids, they're just ill-fitting ones). The cooker is a calor-gas, two-burner stove, no oven. We've got a flipping great fridge though. And an added bonus is that Pat really likes to cook and is very good at it. Yummy!

We even have a cleaner (two, actually), who come in about five days a week, for about an hour a day. However, they seem to do little more than just move the dust about in a very desultory manner. I'm not sure the term 'cleaner' isn't a serious misnomer! Still, the thought's there. As is the dust.

We have geckoes (lizards) zipping about. There was one on my bedroom wall the other night. As I occasionally sleep with my mouth open, I was hoping I wouldn't swallow it in my sleep. None too pleasant a thought!

I've done a bit of wandering about. I managed to find my way to the SVP office in the centre of Khartoum. Some of the other volunteers live in a flat at the top of the building (a disgusting hovel with a permanently broken toilet actually, which I think is a health hazard), so I was able to pop in and see them. I walked back along the Nile, getting slightly lost, but finally finding my way via asking people. What was really good was that I wasn't worried about being lost. I knew I was close to where I lived and I felt confident that I would find my way. And I did!

I taught my first class on my own today. There were about 50-60 students. (At least two of my other classes have up to 150+ in them)!!! It's crazy. There's absolutely no way you can effectively teach speaking and listening skills to that amount of people. I've been told I can split the classes down the middle and have two smaller classes ('smaller' being a relative term, you understand), which I am sure will make things easier, but still not an ideal situation. Still, I can only do what I can do. Anyway, back to today's class. They were lovely. I got them into pairs to turn statements into questions, culminating in them having to think of a question to ask me, to write it down, then tell it to me so that I could check that it was gramatically correct. And, wouldn't you know - the first pair were two young men and their written question was along the lines of "what sexual practices do you prefer". I think they were trying to shock me. I gave them very short shrift. Bearing in mind that Sudan is a muslim country firmly rooted in a strict religious ethos, it wasn't a question I expected. I just told them very firmly that they knew it was a rude, inappropriate question to ask. I also asked them if they would ask the same question of the other women in the room (the female muslim students). They wouldn't answer, so I asked them again if they would ask that question of the other women in the room. I wouldn't let it go until they answered and, of course, the answer was 'no'. So I told them - leaving them in no doubt that I was extremely angry - that under no circumstances were they to ever ask me a similar question. At the end of the lesson one of them came up to me and apologised. I don't think they'll do it again. If they do, I will expel them from the class, but I really don't think they will. So, a funny old day. But, despite that, it was a good class. Although they're at university, the standard of English isn't anywhere near as high as I had expected it to be. In fact, some of them have quite limited spoken English. So, all in all, it'll be a bit of a challenge. But, so far, I'm enjoying it. And the students are incredibly grateful for the help they receive. And, in the end, if my input helps them, then I'll have done my job.

Ugh, I'm beginning to sound a bit evangelical, so I think it's time to stop. More later.

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