Day One Hundred & Sixty Eight - Winter On The Way

Talk to my Mother this evening reminded me of this song.

Thank you Del Barber for bringing joy into the world with your incredible talent.

WINTER ON THE WAY

I missed the first snowfall in Winnipeg
It followed me to old Chicago town
Like an old friend that goes the extra mile
Reminds me that I should head on home

Wish I was listening to the evening radio shows
Broadcast from coast to coast to coast
The yellow glow that leaks out of my house
Into cold nights from those double panes
Bringing word that winter is on the way

Forget about all the work left to do in the yard
Put on a big ol' pot of coffee
And give the winter a nice place to dream

Oh I know, it's a long way home
I'll be back there soon
And I'll hold onto my best thought of you
Oh bright, eyes winter on the way

And I will see how much warmth can be shared
Two lovers use soft words infront of fire
Weather man is predicting a foot or more
There's no other better place to be

Oh I know, it's a long way home
I'll be back there soon
And I'll hold onto my best thought of you
Oh bright, eyes winter on the way

When we wake up tomorrow morning
Throw on one more layer of wool
Shovel the walk for the newspaper girl
And we'll wonder why anyone would complain
When they hear that winter's on the way

Day One Hundred & Sixty Seven - The Hash

The Hash. A weekly occurrence here in Juba. Always on Saturday. What happens is a group of Khawaja’s get together for a walk or run of a random length (usually around 5K) followed by socializing with tasty fermented and non-fermented beverages depending on what you fancy.

The Hash happens all around the world. Hashing originated in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia), when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British Paper Chase or "Hare and Hounds", to rid themselves of the excesses of the previous weekend. The original members included, Albert Stephen (A.S.) Ignatius "G" Gispert, Cecil Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Ronald "Torch" Bennett and John Woodrow. After meeting for some months, they were informed by the Registrar of Societies that as a "group," they would require a Constitution and an official name. A. S. Gispert suggested the name "Hash House Harriers" after the Selangor Club Annex, where the men were billeted, known as the "Hash House" for its notoriously monotonous food. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and finding the trail, harriers reaching the end of the trail would be rewarded with beer, ginger beer and cigarettes. Hashing died out during World War II after the invasion of Malaya, but was re-started after the war by most of the original group, minus A. S. Gispert, who was killed on 11 February 1942 in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, an event commemorated by many chapters by an annual Gispert Memorial Run. Apart from a "one-off" chapter formed on the Italian Riviera by Gus Mackie, growth of Hashing remained small until 1962, when Ian Cumming founded a chapter in Singapore. The idea then spread through the Far East, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America, booming in popularity during the mid-1970s. At present, there are almost two thousand chapters in all parts of the world, with members distributing newsletters, directories, and magazines and organizing regional and world Hashing events. As of 2003, there are even two organized chapters operating in Antarctica.

At a Hash, one or more members, “Hares” (it is always two members here) lay a trail, which is then followed by the rest of the Pack. The trail is marked with flour arrows or mounds. The people at the front keep the Pack together. “On-On” is the phrase used by the leaders to let everyone else know that they are on the right trail. No one is left behind. We always stop at certain points to let everyone catch up and then continue on together. At the end of every run, there are songs sung. We have a very interesting bloke who was obviously in a choir in his younger years. I don’t think the songs would be as entertaining without him leading them. We welcome the newbies. And then there is a song for the rule breakers. Rules are things like, no headgear, no electronics, new shoes, and any other rule a Hare decides to make up that day. Names. Everyone who participates in the Hash eventually receives a name. Here in Juba a person receives a “hash name” on their fifth hash (I have two more to go). Hashers are not allowed to name themselves. What fun would that be. So people tell stories about the person being named. These stories can be true or entirely made up, but the point is to tell stories that will bring out a good hash name. I am not looking forward to the name day because it involves having random stories told about you, a song sung for you and then beers poured over your head as an initiation of sorts. How’s that for a welcome to the club?

It is a really great way to meet people and to see parts of the city you otherwise would not see. For example, last week was at the Southern Sudan Breweries Ltd and an awesome run. Cool to see the other side of the city. And we have gone down many random paths and back roads. Locals get a kick out of it. A bunch of Khawaja's running in a pack down the dirty dusty busy streets.

So there you have it. The Hash. A fun way to meet people, socialize and get a little exercise on a Saturday evening.

Day One Hundred & Fifty Seven - Khawaja On The Run

The location of my new home is perfect for running. We are rather secluded compared to where I was previously living; therefore, I can run freely down the roads in the area. There is only one short stretch, maybe 10 meters, of tarmac and then it is dirt roads from there on. The roads may be miserable to drive on, but they are good to run on. A natural ground for my feet to plant themselves on.

When I say I can run freely I mean that I do not have to wait around for a driver to take me to the UNMIS track. I can run right out my compound gate and run freely down the road, with only the people to stare at me, greet me and when I am lucky I even have people join me on my run. I am quite encouraged by the people I pass and it may sound silly but I am challenged to run a little faster because I am always being watched. It is like I am in competition with the people I pass. I have something to prove to them. I would never dare start walking.

On Monday I had about 10 boys and girls, running behind me for almost 5 minutes. It was slightly awkward because I knew that they could all school me, but none of them passed me so it was cool. Why not bring more attention to myself with a group of cute kids running behind me, right? On Tuesday I went to put on my runners and lo and behold they were sopping wet. The ladies that clean my room and do my laundry thought it would be a good idea to clean them for me. Very nice of them but NOT appreciated at all. Runners just are not meant to be washed. So that being said I put my anything but dry, however clean runners and went on my way. I had a girl, maybe 16 years old, run along side me for a minute this time. Considering she was in flip-flops she kept up very well. I asked her name but I didn’t quite catch it…Today was a quiet run (with dry runners). I started early enough to see a gorgeous sunrise. It was lovely.

Day One Hundred & Fifty Four - Imagine

Recently I have been having conversations with people who have been in South Sudan since before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in 2005. It is unimaginable what they experience. Juba is extremely different from what it was two years ago. I can’t imagine how much it has changed in the past five years and more. Part of me would have liked to experience South Sudan before now, but at the same time what would that do for me. Put some more experience under my belt living in an insecure country. Living a very minimalist lifestyle. Having only one or two places to go out to where there were only a handful of expats around. Experiencing Juba only having 30 vehicles. Seriously three years ago there were only 30 vehicles in Juba. No there are sooo many. Mostly driven by people who don’t know how to properly drive. Security was much more intense than it is now, and even now, for me, to see soldiers walking about with AK47s is certainly not a normal thing and I do not thing I will ever really get used to it. People who have lived here for years however are used to it. It is their normal. Seriously Juba turned into an entirely new place in the last two years. The people who have been part of this transformation and who have experienced it first hand intrigue me to no end.

I was telling a friend how much I like living here and it made me start to think of why. It obviously is not the most luxurious place to be. There are limited places where one can go and have fun. Getting around is at times difficult. Living here involves being very organized when it comes to logistical things. Logistics is usually a problem. It is hot and dusty and bugs. I was attacked so many times tonight. Bugs stuck in my hair. Not cool. However, I love the people here. I have met so many interesting and amazing people. Surprisingly enough it is easy to become attached to this place. I have probably already shared these sentiments with you. The fact that I am still here is evidence enough of how I am enjoying myself and how Juba is treating me.

John Lennon has an extremely famous song, Imagine, which I feel represents a part of what South Sudan has accomplished. People dreamed of peace, of living in unity with one another. They lived through hell, millions of lives were lost and for those who survived were fortunate enough to see the dream of peace become a reality. Now I am not saying that South Sudan is fully united and there is no conflict. Compared to what South Sudan was three years ago, five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago, South Sudan is an entirely different place and a million times more peaceful than what is was.

What has gone on in this country is overwhelming and extremely hard to fully comprehend what life was like in South Sudan before 2011. And I know I never will, but I can listen to stories, read about history and make myself aware of what people went through to create the country I live in today...


Any place can be beautiful if you have an open mind, open eyes and an open heart...

Day One Hundred & Forty Nine - To and Fro

The sun is shining. I was just mauled by the new dog (name yet to be determined) at the compound, so I was covered in orange dirt. Lovely. Originally she was called Cashew (because she is a nutty dog according to her previous owner) but I advocated that she be renamed and her current owner has yet to dub her with a new name. She is a cute and very hyper little pup.

I have attempted to wake up at 6:30am for the past 3 days. Every morning my alarm goes off, moan and roll over to get up but end up resetting it to 7:30am. Fail. I can’t figure out why I am so tired. Goal for tomorrow is to wake up at 7:00am. Gradual changes ya? The location of the new compound I am living at is quite perfect for running because it is not a very public location. I can run alone without being bothered and do not have to worry about being mowed down by vehicles passing by.

I decided to listen to Christmas music this evening after I went for a run (yes I am continuing to write this post as the day passes by) and I could not have chosen a better album to start off with. A Charlie Brown Christmas album is excellent. Beautiful music and it does not overwhelm you with Christmas cheer. It gives you the right amount of warm feelings in your heart that you feel when you know that it is the Christmas season. Back home there is snow on the ground, it is getting colder and colder each day. I am sure people have their Christmas lights up on their houses and stores have all their Christmas decorations out on display. Here on the other hand, there is more dirt/dust on the ground; it is getting hotter and hotter each day. There are no Christmas lights on any of the houses, unless you count Home and Away Restaurant but theirs are up all year round, and there are no stores that have Christmas decorations on display. This is all a new experience for me. I have never been outside of Canada this time of year. For this reason, it does not even feel like November.

Day One Hundred & Forty Three - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Today I printed about 25 pages of documents, non of which were double sided. In the process of printing these documents I wasted about the same amount of pieces of paper due to printer difficulties. And you know what is so bad about this? All of these papers get put in the garbage. I am keeping them for scrap paper, but the majority of people throw them in the trash. I have though about this issue a lot. The whole issue of the lack of, or shall I say non-existent, recycling system here. The only things that get recycled are some water bottles and of course beer bottle get reused. Water bottles get reused for various purposes – soap holders, water, and petrol, cooking oil containers, which are sold to the public or used in restaurants. This is actually very clever because they poke holes in the cap and then can use it as a sprinkle/control the amount of liquid that comes out.

HOWEVER. SO MUCH IS WASTED HERE!

It hurts me a little every time I see someone throw trash on the ground or throw away something that back home could be recycled.

Here you bury your trash, throw it in the nearest giant pile of trash or burn it. The smell of burning trash will never get old, nor will it ever be pleasant. Funny thing about burning trash here, it reminds me of living out at the acreage and when we would burn the trash in the burning barrel.

In short, the implementation of a recycling program would be fabulous here. Obviously this is not the top on the list of what South Sudan needs but it certainly would help with sanitation and cleanliness.

Day One Hundred & Forty Two - Mirror

Last night I was lying in bed thinking about how I do not have a mirror in my bathroom and I would really like to have one. A mirror is such a simple thing that a lot of people would not think twice about because typically there is always a mirror in a bathroom, and multiple mirrors in a house. A mirror will come I just have to be patient. I guess that some people rarely see their own reflection in a mirror. They do not wake up in the morning and go look at themselves in the mirror. These thoughts reminded me of a day when I was walking down the street here in Juba and I walked past 4 little boys, maybe between ages five and ten, dancing around and checking themselves out in a storefront window. This window was basically a mirror with the kind of tinting it had on it, and these boys were having the time of their lives. It was so cute. My perception of the situation was that these boys were so fascinated with their reflection because they do not often see what they look like.

Just an observation...

Day One Hundred & Forty Two - November

November snuck up on me like a ghost. It feels like October just began and now it is November.

November rains apparently. It rained all evening yesterday and most of the night and it is continuing to rain this morning.

I am officially moved out of my tent and into my new room at the new compound, which is located across the city. So this compound is build on the grounds of the military hospital making for interesting surroundings and interesting security measures at the gate. Slightly inconvenient but I shall make it work. Security will be worked out and I will become a pro at logistics, maybe, or I will just get frustrated with organizing rides, time will tell.

My new room is big enough to fit a huge bed, desk and wardrobe. I have my own bathroom shower and all. I really really really like not having to go outside to use the toilet. I can just roll out of bed and walk 2 feet. No more trekking through the dirt at night to use the toilet and my feet will stay clean after my shower. Very luxurious. I am hoping to switch out my big bed for a smaller bed so that I can have more room to move around. A single bed will suffice as long as the mattress is nice.