Sports day, birthday celebrations and photos!

My third teaching week in Khartoum and already I’ve had a day off! Well, not exactly a day off as it was sports day on Thursday, but this did mean one less day teaching (It’s an easy life!!!). Sports day was great fun, but unfortunately the house which I have been assigned to (imaginatively called ‘Nile’) came second. If only I had won the teachers race!!!!

Most of the field events took place in the school grounds, where I was in charge of the long jump, but the track events took place in a field owned by another school called Comboni. Although when I say field, I really mean sand pit! There was so little grass that the lanes had to be marked out using flour! (so that’s where the Hash got the idea from!) Luckily it wasn’t too windy or else the lanes could have moved half way through a race. Having said that, most students had trouble staying in their lanes anyway!

Unfortunately there are no photos of sports day (There are official photos, but obviously I can’t publish them without permission). In fact, taking photos in Sudan is problematic at the best of times, so it is not just a question of child protection in school. Taking photos of any public building could land you in jail (especially bridges), and obviously many local Sudanese will also take offence if photographs are taken of them. This is because according to some interpretations of Islam, taking a photo of an animate and living being is forbidden. So as you may have noticed, I have been very conservative with photos on this blog so far. Having said that, it is possible to obtain a photograph permit in Sudan, which I aim to get in the near future.

I’m now going to completely contradict myself by admitting that I actually took lots of photos at a celebration of the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday (peace be upon him), which I attended yesterday (Sunday) in Riyad, which is part of Khartoum. The event was an amazing spectacle, and a fascinating insight into Sudanese culture. On the one hand there were many local Sudanese and religious leaders preaching, praying and chanting hadith. On the other hand, there were so many brightly coloured flags, fairy lights, sweet stalls and even party hats – it was just like any other birthday celebration!

I even saw a gathering of the legendary Mahdi Party, perhaps best known for leading the Mahdi uprising against Anglo-Egyptian rule in Sudan at the end of the 19th century, which ultimately led to the death of General Gordon. Mahdists also believe in the return of ‘the guided one’ who will return to earth before judgement day to redeem Islam. This legend is told in a series of hadiths (hence the chanting) and is not actually mentioned in the Qur’an, which is why it is not universally accepted across the Islamic world.

Of course, it is experiencing events like this which attracted me to Sudan in the first place and so I hope I will get further opportunities like this in the future.

NB – When referring to the Prophet Mohammed, you should always follow this by saying or writing ‘peace be upon him’ as I did above. I considered this wise, considering everything which is published on-line, is and will remain public. I’m sure any comments will be equally respectful.

Handymen and 'The Hash'

I must start this week by reassuring those who, reading about my front door last week, became concerned about the security of my apartment. Rest assured, the locksmith from the school (actually more of a handyman) did eventually arrive to fix my lock in true Sudanese style! On arrival, there was no attempt to diagnose the problem, he just immediately dismantled the entire locking mechanism. Obviously concerned, I asked him if he was going to put it back or get a new one. Unfortunately, with no Arabic, communication was difficult but he seemed fairly non-committal and promptly left.

At this point, I should say several apartments in my block are occupied by teachers Unity High School, including all 3 on my floor, so I was not completely alone in this situation. A teacher from Australia whose apartment is opposite mine invited me across for coffee and even phoned Mustafa (the schools ‘head’ handyman) on my behalf. A couple of hours later he returned with a new lock and a friend with a drill, although this his friend did not seem to achieve much apart from plug in the drill and wander aimlessly around my apartment. However, after a lot of banging and drilling (some of which I’m sure was just for effect) the lock was replaced and I’m pleased to report it does work!

Incidentally, I’ve since met Mustafa a couple of times at school, who is very friendly. He has subsequently arranged for an electrician (who I’m sure was the man with the drill) to replace a few wall sockets which weren’t working and replace the plug on the fridge which had melted into an adaptor. Tip for anyone moving to Sudan: never trust the mains electricity supply!

A fairly uneventful week at school followed, although having now marked books and homework, I should amend my description of the students in last weeks blog. I had described them as clever and well-behaved, which they are, but like many teenagers they are also extremely lazy! I may have to issue a few sanctions next week for those who have not improved.

In an attempt to keep fit (or should that be get fit?)  I met up with a local expat running club yesterday called the Khartoum Hash House Harriers, or ‘The Hash’ for short. When I say running club, it is more of a social club which meets every Saturday for a run with a twist. The idea is that one member (known as the hare) plans a route and marks the course using flour for waymarks. However, each waymark consists of two or three arrows offering a choice of directions. If you pass two more circles of flour in the next 100 metres, you know you have chosen the correct route. If not, you have to return to the waymark and choose a different direction. Clearly, there is an added complication on days when there is a light wind!

In total, the run yesterday was about 10km, which was more than enough in the Sudanese heat! The route took us along the banks of the Nile and through a few cornfields, following some of the many irrigation channels which serve those fields. It was certainly good fun – and I surprised myself with how far I could run. However, the highlight was after the run, when everyone drives off in convoy to a ‘house’ for food and a few drinks, the details of which I won’t disclose! However, needless to say the patent ‘Hash House’ can cooler did come in very useful! I think I will join the club as a permanent member and run every Saturday.

First impressions of Khartoum

Just 10 days ago, I was relaxing in the garden of england (or should that be stressing in Kent?) wondering what the next week would bring. I had accepted a job teaching at Unity High School, an independent school in Khartoum, the capital city of the new Republic of Sudan. The BBC were reporting of fighting in the border area with the recently created South Sudan, but of course Khartoum is much further north, so I was sure this was not something I needed to worry about. Working out what to pack, and hoping I would enjoy my new school was of greater concern.

One week on, and I have just completed my first week teaching (Geography at KS3 and Environmental Management at iGCSE level). The kids at the school are wonderful, clever and well behaved (with the odd exception, of course). It's been a busy week - getting a new timetable, learning names, writing lesson plans, and attending 2 parents evenings!! But my colleagues in the school have also been wonderful at helping me settle into not just a new job, but a new country.

In fact, after my first week, if I had to sum up Khartoum with one word, it would have to be 'freindly'. Everyone is so polite, helpful, and happy, that I think it will be impossible for me to not enjoy living here. It is also extremely safe, which will suprise many people back home in England, who follow the news. I would also decsribe the local sudanese as extremely relaxed (some may say 'chilled'), which can be good, but can also be frustrating when trying to get something done.

I have moved into a large but simple apartment in central Khartoum, which is on the 7th floor and therefore has great views of the city. Pretty good I think for 'free' accomodation, included as part of my employment package. The city skyline is generally quite low, but is punctured by occasional tower blocks and numerous minarets. Whilst writing this, I am waiting for someone to come and look at a broken shower rail and (more worryingly) the lock on my front door. I just hope he is not too relaxed when he arrives!

Start of a new school week tomorrow, but no need to set an alarm, I will be woken by the calls to prayer which begin by 6.30 every morining!