That's usually the case here in Sudan....'Wow, what a great week, everything is going perfectly.....' and then.... 'What the heck, this week is killing me!' One week your up, the next week your down. Your emotions climb onto this perpetual rollercoaster which slows down only long enough for you to barf and then up you go again. You look forward to weekends, you long for holidays..... No wonder the average life-expectancy for a disaster relief worker in the field is 5 years. So what keeps people going? What keeps them motivated, energized or even positive? Is it the rush this work offers, the money (get rich off the poor?), opportunity to experience cultures you would otherwise never be able to? The opportunity to run from problems and start over? The chance to make a tangible difference in someone else's life? Everyone has their reasons, some much more altruistic than others. For me, it's the people... the relationships you make (and eventually leave behind unfortunately) the connections that are established and the opportunity to experience another persons culture. When I think back, my best memories are non-work/program ones. Drinking tea and smoking sheesha in the market with locals - just sharing and listening - hearing from them what they see. Spending nights out under the stars in remote villages. Attending weddings, funerals and new born baby celebrations. Visiting someone's home, taking pictures of their family and sending them the prints. Visiting a sick staff member in the hospital. You can't put a price tag on stuff like this.... being able to participate in these events, being welcomed into others lives makes the rollercoaster bearable. So despite the fact that this week took a nose-dive, here's what reinforces the positive side to being here - I took a drive this morning along a specific part of the Nile here in Khartoum. Along the banks of the Nile at this part there is farm land, not much, about 50m form the water to the road but it stretches on for quite some distance. I found a spot to park, got out and just took a walk on someone's farm (I use this word loosely). There aren't any fences or obstructions, you can pretty well go where you want. Peaceful, quiet, green, fresh. The farmer came to meet me (probably thinking - what the heck is this white guy doing.... crazy.... haha) and welcomed me to look around more. We tried communicating back and forth for a little while.... I think he wanted some money.... I told him in Arabic 'money is bad and that God will provide'... he seemed to like that. And so I just kept looking around, just enjoying the nature. As I got back to where I parked and pulled away, I noticed a group of boys. By their dress I assumed they had just come from tending a field. They were gathered in a circle and they were break-dancing.... some b-boys in Khartoum...wicked!!! I stopped driving and just watched them..... I was tempted to get out, go over and take some pictures but I just didn't want to interrupt... or impose. The expressions on their faces, the passion and intensity... it was a bit surreal. Wasn't expecting that..... and so another memory lodged into the scrapbook of my mind - this one I'll remember for awhile.
Currently listening to: Kayah & Bregovic - To nei ptak
