5 Ramadan Myths Busted

Based on my brief Ramadan experience

Obligatory waiting in traffic amjad selfie

I wanted to write at least one more post about what my life has been like since Ramadan started because I thought it’d make for an interesting post. Ramadan is a holy month in Islam where people fast during the day time for 30 days. Fasting is from sunrise to sunset; no food or drink, not even water. This year’s started off with some major confusion surrounding when it actually started. You see the Islamic calendar relates with the moon’s cycle. So for weeks I’ve been asking when Ramadan started and gotten different answers. I must have received no less than 5 contradicting messages from people the Saturday before it started. “Google says..” quoted one non-Muslim friend. Well Google was wrong.

Let’s look at some other Ramadan in Sudan myths and misconceptions. And by myths I mainly mean the wrong assumptions I made about Ramadan before I knew better.

Everyone is fasting. WRONG For starters children and elderly don’t fast. Some families have kids “practice” a day or two as they get older. If you are traveling or sick you also don’t have to fast. (Shouldn’t this have ended the World Cup Muslim players fasting controversy?)  When girls are on their periods they don’t fast. Although they have to “make-up” days throughout the year before the next Ramadan (same for those who skipped due to traveling). In the end, fasting or not fasting is a personal decision.

Everything shuts down during Ramadan. WRONG I think I got this idea from the fact that on Fridays everything closes for people to go Mosque. I told some friends that I was planning on doing a big shopping trip before Ramadan started to hoard food. They looked at me and started laughing and then told me stores would still be open. While some stuff is closed, a lot more is open than I thought would be. Groceries and little shops all stay open. Schools running classes (like mine) stay open. We were really surprised to still have good attendance this past week. Restaurants open at night. The buses still run. Life continues as normal. If you have a job you still have to go to work.

The hardest part about fasting is not being able to drink water. WRONG Well, maybe for some it is the hardest part, but a general survey of complaints has yielded many more about smokers being antsy wanting a cigarette or coffee-drinkers with headaches from being unable to get their caffeine-fix.

People lose a lot of weight during Ramadan. WRONG Well again, I don’t have scientific evidence on this but I recently saw this article. Overeating is apparently a big problem. Some people try to take 4 meals in the span from 7:30pm-4am. I can’t imagine working out or running in Sudan when I could drink water (although there are gyms and clubs which residents frequent) but its safe to say during Ramadan the physical activity is even more limited.

It’s going to be really challenging to feed myself during Ramadan. WRONG Since Ramadan has started I think it’s actually the best I’ve eaten in the last 4 months. Since our usual cafeteria and fast food lunch places aren’t open and due to general interest, I’ve really taken up cooking a lot more meals. And no I don’t mean Ramen noodles. I’ve made some great lentil and chickpea soups and salads and then used the leftovers to make my own falafel (sans food processor BTW). I literally whipped up dinner for my entire household two nights last week. WHO AM I? The second part of eating awesome during Ramadan has been the amazing Iftar dinner’s I’ve been invited to. Iftar is the meal around 7:30 here that breaks the fast. There are some special foods eaten for Ramadan and the meal is always taken on mats on the floor. Dates and ful ( slow cooked fava beans) are a must.  I think the most important ingredient in an Iftar “breakfast” is the whole family or community coming together. Many families eat outside in the streets. The purpose of this is so if any traveler is passing during the time fast breaks they can be invited to join.

Outside our window at  4pm vs at 7:30pm. You can see the tea ladies' chairs stacked in the parking lot during the day. They set up right before fast breaks. You can see in the second picture the groups of men eating on mats on the side of the street. Some days we can see as many as five different groups just from our back window.

Above and below are examples of Iftar meals. They both include some Sudanese signature items like dates and ful. Above also includes moola and garassa which I've discussed previously, salad, and powder sugar covered zalabiya for dessert. Below in addition to ful and dates shows some yogurt dip, temiyah, salad, rice, and french fries.

After dinner we got to play with a puppy, so clearly that was the highlight of the evening.

Take-Aways/Sahfari*

So it’s July. I’ve made it. In 20 short days I’ll be leaving the place I’ve called home for the last 10 months. In the last month or so I’ve thought about what I’m going to “take-away” from this experience. Its even more refreshing now that some new volunteers have arrived and asked me these questions and what to expect. I’ve thought a lot about how I want to “talk about Sudan” with friends, potential employers, and strangers. I’m definitely searching for a balance.

A farm on Tuti Island overlooking Khartoum

I’ve really been thinking about the way I view and define violence, development, and freedom while I’ve been here. I hope to continue to challenge my and other’s definitions with different cultural interpretations.

Rachel and I have spent countless nights here debating lots of etymology used in International relations and development. The one we could never quite get over was “Developing vs developed country.” Although far better than the other category option of “Third-World,” I think our community of practice owes it to work out better language than this.  It’s problematic. I’m sure there have been far more articulate arguments made about this issue and I urge you to post them in the comments section below.

Some pretty terrible things happened to some people while I’ve been here. For security I’ve not shared those stories on this blog. I’m not going to whitewash those truths when I come home, but at the same time I don’t want my experience to become throwaway anecdotes which minimize some truly horrible  problems in Sudan or make it about “how rough I had it” (EYEROLL) or something that perpetuates or plays into the stereotypes of Sudan which Americans have.

Nile Street at Sunset

I think it’s very hard to simply say any statement saying “Oh well Sudan is like this…” “Sudanese people are like this” The same way when my students ask me about America and I tell them I can’t generalize about all Americans. I’m going to try to take that lesson to heart. 

Ok here are some more pics of what I've been up to this month!

Nas with notepads - a monthly spoken word event

Hanging with some fun ladies for mougrib tea

Henna- a beautiful Sudanese tradition for women before they get married

One of two Mexican restaurants in Khartoum "Amigos" describes itself as Tex-mex

Goodbye dinner at GAD!

*Sahfari (Sah-FA-ri) is the arabic word that is used to get food "to-go" it means take away. Easy to remember because its like  going on a safari

Kassala for Beginners

"Kassala, Mashallah, Humdallah"

I feel I must backtrack and offer you all some description on my wonderful trip I took to Kassala (Cuss-a-lah) in the East of Sudan back at the end of March. Honestly I’m so incredibly grateful that Rachel and I found the time to travel.

Sunset over Kassala

Our journey to Kassala  began very early in the morning. Luckily our friend helped us navigate the bus station at Mina Burri. It was a pretty hectic scene, so we were happy to find our bus and attempt to go back to sleep. The bus ride from Khartoum to Kassala is 8 hours. The buses are large coach busses, with tvs and AC. Ours was decorated with orange fringe, fur, and beading everywhere.

We arrived and were met by our good friend and fellow volunteer who is teaching at the University of Kassala. Even though he, himself, had only shortly just arrived he would be our tour guide while we were visitng. Also another friend arrived the night before from Port Sudan.

First glimpse of Kassla on the local bus into town

The first thing I noticed about Kassala were the mountains. Beautiful rocky mountains that do, indeed have, as my guide book described, an “other-worldliness” way about them. The second thing I noticed was that it was considerably hotter in Kassala. The heat hit me like a wall getting off the bus. This was back in March too, when I was still asking Sudanese friends when it would get hot again. Well, I had my answer.

The heat was bad like, bad-bad. But the scenery and company was too good.

View of Mountains from the University of Kassala

The center of Kassala has plenty of juice stands. They were round or hexagon shaped and reminded me of touristy food or lemonade stands in beach towns. Much to our surprise Kassala seemed much cheaper than Khartoum. Not surprising was that Kassala was much smaller and had much fewer people who spoke English. I also saw people of different ethnic groups and tribes that are less present in Khartoum. Of course we saw many Beja men, dressed in their classic uniform, a jalabiya with a vest over it and Rashida women who distinctly dress in black velvety robes/gowns with red beading and their veils covering their mouths.

Teapot gated entrance to Totiel 

During the trip we visited Totiel, at the base of the Taka Mountains. This is a frequent spot for honeymooners and other Sudanese on vacation. Many coffee and tea huts are set up or even carved in at places at the base of the mountains. The have painted the rocks and decorated the area so it is quite festive. My favorite part of Kassala was having coffee and popcorn (served together like in Ethiopia) at Totiel while watching the sun set over the town. We also people-watched looking at the newlyweds, the women in their finest beaded tobes with beautiful henna on their hands and feet. We tried to assess which couples seemed the happiest and which women were fairing the best in their clunky wedged high heels on the mountainside. The next day the members of my group were determined to climb part of the mountain to see Eritrea on the other side. I was determined not to pass out from the heat just from being outside.* So, I passed. I didn’t pass on drinking from the well at the base of Toteil. The well is said to promise good fertility (here’s looking at you, honeymooners) and that visitors will return to Kassala.

Coffee hut on Totiel

The well

Toteil coffee huts empty which would fill with people before the sunset

How I creepily took a pic of honeymooners

The pot is called a jebana

Coffee  is also called Jebana so you order a "jebana fi jebana" served with salty popcorn and incense 

 We also visited the Khatmiyah Mosque also located at the base of the Taka Mountains.

Our other time in Kassala was spent checking out different souqs (markets), parks, and walking through some mango farms to the Gash riverbed. 

Stopped to splash ourselves with water from an irrigation pump in the mango grove

 Of course when a family found us wandering around in their farm they offered us, to rest with them and their kids got us some fruit.

Overall it was a wonderful trip. Even in the heat it was nice to get out of Khartoum, explore nature, and see different cultures. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling to Sudan. 

*Also contributing was my lack of mountain climbing footwear and clothing. Have you ever climbed a mountain in a skirt? You can assume it's not a great idea. 

Teacher Musings and How to Deal with the Heat

I realized I haven’t given a life update in some time and so it’s probably only fair to write about what I’ve been up to. A lot has happened! I moved from Bahri (Khartoum North) to Manchea*, a neighborhood in center of Khartoum. I moved because Rachel and I received a new university placement at Comboni College. We live much closer to Nile Street and “all the action” Khartoum has to offer, though we do miss the tightly-knitted neighborhood of Safia and our favorite neighbor Haj Safie at times.

Our  kitchen where our signature dish pasta and Mish** tomato sauce is made

Camboni College has a really interesting history. It was started as a primary school by missionaries but has since scaled up.  It is named after, Daniel Camboni,  the first Catholic Bishop of central Africa, who worked as an Italian missionary The school administration worked with the Ministry of Education and now offer 4 Bachelor’s programs in some sort of public/private partnership. They also offer "after-school" English, Spanish, and Italian short-term courses. There is a church at the Souq Arabi campus and all the secondary students wear lavender blouses and headscarfs for girls, with black bottoms. It is pretty amazing that their campus is located right around the corner from “the big mosque” in the center of Souq Al Arabi. Many students of all different backgrounds attend classes at Comboni. The classes I teach are short-term private classes which are small and grouped by level. They are much more manageable than my 80-100 group of rowdy 17 year olds at Bahri University. This has had a huge effect on my feelings about teaching and my spirits in general.

We haven’t been without problems, but overall the administration of the school is the most organized I’ve been involved with or potentially heard about here. Our coordinator is an incredibly bright young Sudanese woman who splits her time running the short term courses for Comboni and running an oncology clinic. She speaks fluent Italian and English and is taking Spanish courses. Honestly regardless of the frustrations we have, this woman runs a tight ship and is an inspiration.

The terrace across the street from Khartoum University where I taught my private class

I was also teaching private classes associated with Khartoum University that just wrapped up in April. If you’ve been following the politics there, I’d add it finished just in the nick of time although I’m saddened by the university’s closure. I really enjoyed this group of students. At the end of our class we even took a class trip to Jebel Aulia, about an hour south from Khartoum on the White Nile, to have a picnic of fried fish.

Students exploring the dam

Boat ride on a fishing boat by our picnic spot

We have decided to hold our own English club on Nile Street twice weekly. Nothing like having a hot cup of tea on the side of the road in 100°F heat. I can’t actually believe I got this far into discussing my life without mentioning that Summer is killing me!

A spot along Nile Street by the "India Bridge" to Bahri

Nile Street!

It’s hot hotter even hotter now. Always. There isn’t much else to say. The heat has made many of the volunteers, including myself, more anti-social. People don’t want to leave their homes, which is fair. Staying in seems to be one of the best ways to cope. I feel like I should have learned more tricks of the trade by now, but really, I only have a short list with a few of the lame ways we have coped with the heat.

1.)    Drinking water

2.)    Putting our sheets in the freezer

3.)    Standing in front of the fridge while it is open

4.)    Multiple showers daily

5.)    Drinking more water

6.)    Holding a water bottle like it’s a baby.

7.)    Naas Pizza delivery (ah-mazinggg BTW)

Like I said not a very impressive list, but hey, I think we’re doing alright, for ourselves. 

The glory that is Naas's "Ethiopian Pizza"

*Currently polling the English spelling of the neighborhood as I've seen it Manchea, Manshiya, and Manshia.

**My googleing in English failed to produce a good picture but for all intensive purposes Mish is like yogurt veggie dip

The 7 Types of People Who Volunteer in Sudan

Who Actually Goes to Volunteer in Sudan?

The following are a few traits that are true about most people who come to volunteer in Sudan:

•          Has a genuine interest in travel or learning about different cultures than their own
•          College educated 
•      Doesn’t know exactly what’s next for them in life
•          Has volunteered in the developing world before
•          Doesn’t speak Arabic
•          Did not wake up one morning and have some sort of epiphany about saving the world
•          Owns a copy of the Bradt Sudan Travel Guide

Sunset over Hamed al Neel Omdurman

Declaimer: These are loose caricature profile descriptions, in real life many of my fellow volunteers have characteristics from several of these categories and perhaps some don’t fit into any of these categories, despite my catchy title. Even I don’t fit into all the statements above, this is my first time volunteering, and just because I’m able to give an outline of “who” volunteers, it is much harder to encompass “why” people volunteer. People’s motives are personal and in many cases too complex to fit into a nice short categorized description. 

Building on Tuti Island

The 7 types of people who volunteer in Sudan are as follows: 

The Arabic Student

     The Arabic student arrived to Sudan with two suitcases. One with clothes and supplies and one with books.  The Arabic student declines invitations to hang out at a pizza place with fellow ex-pat colleagues opting for meeting local friends for their cousin’s wedding (the 4^th wedding they’ve been to this week). They throw Arabic phrases in all their conversations even those with their kawaja (white) friends. The Arabic student even buys a jalabiya (local dress for men) or rocks henna on their hands (local tradition for women) and doesn’t shy from talking to people in the street.

The World Traveler

     The world traveler is deeply interested in gaining a new cultural experience. The World Traveler has been a passport holder for as long as they can remember. They’ve camped in the desert, meditated with monks, and became a tour guide in Cairo. This isn’t their first time at the rodeo of working in a “developing country.”  They are interested doing the “touristy” stuff in Sudan to check items off their bucket list, and also meeting and enjoying the company of the Sudanese people. The world traveler can cook cuisine from many countries thru some creative improvisation with local ingredients and gives great small gifts from their past travels. The world traveler has great advice.

The Long-term Volunteer

     The long-term volunteer is a quirky but awesome individual.  One day he/she found an ad in a newspaper calling for volunteer teachers in Sudan and the rest is history. They can’t help themselves but keep coming back with a month trip home every couple of years. Even though they have lived here the longest they aren’t self-centered or conceited in the least bit. They are always willing to share advice, jokes, and stories. They maneuver otherwise sticky situations gracefully with a huge smile, decent Arabic, and a spring in their step.

The Recent College Grad

     The recent college grad is looking for a break, trying to push off the “real world” or seeking unemployment by choosing to come to Sudan for a “meaningful” gap year. The recent college grad probably studied international affairs, history, or anthropology.  In school they specialized in terrorism, women and forced migration, or peace studies. They would like to find work in their government’s Foreign Service, international development, or apply to a graduate program in conflict resolution. The recent college grad expected they’d be living in a hut but is cool with the modern conveniences of Khartoum.

Peter Pan

     Peter Pan is a white man who came to Sudan because he is lost. He talks about his plans to start a business, he is destined to be a social entrepreneur, but never will because then he’d have to grow up. He thinks it’s such a shame that Sudan has let itself go since the British left. Peter Pan complains about how frustrating the Sudanese culture of being late, laid back, and unorganized is but ends up acting this way as well. Peter Pan is a charmer. He fancies himself a number of things. He works the system.  He’d rather “live like a king” in Sudan. Peter Pan doesn’t want to settle down in one place just yet and probably will stay in Sudan until he secures his next gig in Thailand or Argentina.

The Ex-Corporate Lawyer

     The ex-corporate lawyer is a nonsense risk taker who decisively knew they had to make a change in their life and quit their fancy high-paying job at a law firm.  The ex-corporate lawyer is head strong and unafraid of new experiences. They went back to school and decided they wanted a job with more meaning in life. They are the “mom” or “dad” of the group planning socializing time, encouraging volunteers step out of their comfort zones, and making sure everyone is healthy. The ex-corporate lawyer has a strong moral compass and is assertive in stating their opinions. . They throw themselves into their teaching job like they would any work they had done back home,  and plan lessons extensively which can be frustrating when as happens people are late, buses take wrong turns, and classes are cancelled but their enthusiasm ensures that they make great Sudanese friends.

The Religious Person

     I don’t know much about the religious person because up to now in my short experience I have yet to meet someone who fits this profile. I do think its worth mentioning the religious person due to the numerous stories and instances of this character I’ve heard about. It seems as if the religious person is usually female, very sweet, and means well, but at times finds themselves isolated or at tension with life as a volunteer teacher in a predominately Muslim society and with the comparatively less-religious volunteers.

Khartoum Botanical Gardens