The UN Party

The flies here are awful. They are worse than the mosquitos, landing on every part of you and refuse to fly away, even when you shoo them. We tried to kill some with a rolled up piece of paper, but the only one we successfully killed was one already dying on its back. I think they win that fight. But if you sit outside of the patio, out in the shade of one of the buildings, the flies go away and the air is cool and there are crickets chirping and a rooster crowing and wind blowing really gently. And when the sun sets everything looks softer and the noises die down and the sky is brilliantly painted with blood reds and purpley pinks.
Last night, after a frantic day of attempting to fix the internet, we had a very disjointed dinner that only Neesha and I attended. Ed and George stayed behind to fix the computers (and by the way, I've told Ed he isnt allowed to split the Team in half like that anymore. George is missing out and Neesha and I have no idea what is actually going on because we are just doing things like eating and shopping). Anyway we drove down to the Yunice Corner, a resturant that we eat at every day (for the one or two meals we actually get to eat-we are cutting corners and also I think Ed just forgets about food a lot-breakfast for example, has completely ceased to happen). The resturant is run by a nun named Sister Jane and it is well known for serving the best local food in Juba. Its almost entirely filled with local Sudanese (you very rarely see UN people there for example) but the food is delicious. They have fried chicken and fried goat and stew and rice and all kinds of breads and everything is served with this tangy broth like sauce. You can sit inside or outside, there is a sink lining one wall where everyone washes their hands, and inside soccer or national geographic africa is always on the TV. They use toilet paper rolls to hold back the curtains-it actually works really well.
Anyway Neesha and I ate there with the Bishop and watched the Czech v. Swiss soccer game, and then we went back and got Ed and George to go gate crash a UN party. It was a party held by the Mine Agency of the UN in a compound by the airport in an open sided tukul (hut). We technically werent invited but when we saw it on Jubalicious we decided to go. We had to give them our names for security. We had a hell of a time getting there because the airport is pretty dark at night and so we couldnt see where the turnoff was and only had a vague idea of where we were going. We finally found it after three tries, and got through security (and saw THE worlds largest beetle type thing-it was the span of my hand). THen we followed another group of people through this maze of UN pre-fab buildings, and then we found it. It was in a Hawiian themed hut with a bamboo bar and fans whizzing over the grass roof. It wasnt that full when we got there at nine (the soccer game was still on) and we kind of stood around awkardly until one guy pushed us towards these men sitting on a bench so we went and introduced ourselves (Ed had walked up to a Brit named Joe and was chatting about business-he seemed amazed at the end of the party that not many people had actually wanted to talk about business, but instead had wanted to relax). The three guys we originally met were all from Zimbabwe (Andre, Justin and Roselle, I forget the fourth guys name). They got us some beers and we hung out with them for a while, and the drunker they got the louder they got, and more people showed up and it actually turned into a pretty big party (that we didnt stay for.) There were so many expats, I had no idea there were that many in Sudan. The guys we were talking to all worked in de-mining. Two of them worked in logistics, and the third guy actually took the mines out of the ground. He was trained in the army and had worked in Afghanistan and Iraq before coming to Sudan. He looked like an army guy-big and burly, but he also smiled a lot, which softened him up a bit. The guy the party was for (Pers) was the de-mining medic, and he was leaving to go to North Korea, which we all thought was not only crazy but a bit ...well...bizarre. Can you DO anything in North Korea? It was my impression that they put you under lock down and escorted you everywhere you went.
Anyway, we left at ten fifteen to wait for the Bishop to come and pick us up because we had promised the gatekeeper that we would be home by ten thirty at the latest. When we got home, I took a shower. The showers are so fantastic at the end of a long day, when you are sticky with bug spray and sunblock residue and anti-itch cream and sweat. The water is cold, but i've learned to take cold showers (and really enjoy them). Then I went to Neeshas room and listened to Harry Potter on tape and went to sleep.
This morning I woke up and everyone had gone to mass. Mass would have been fun to go to but I wasnt disapointed I missed it because I needed the sleep and also, by staying with the Diocese, I'm sure i'll get more chances. I realized that Neesha had the key to my room so I couldnt get in and change, and then I realized that I was locked in the women's dorm. I snuck out through the kitchen and found Ed who was chatting with a guy on the porch, and he told me to relax until everyone got back so I went back to the dorm and snuck back in and relocked the door and then found Pussy the kitten. I brought him back to Neesha's room with me and lay there in the dark under the fan cooling off and playing with him and then we both fell asleep (holding each other's paws! so cute!) When everyone got back, I made some gatorade for breakfast and then went with George over CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Oversea's Development) and got internet access so I could finally post four days worth of posts. Its wonderful here because the fans are going and there are no flies.

As a side note. I am putting the first batch of pictures up with Picasa as a web album, and then I'm going to use the web album to make the slide show on the blog. I have no idea what the sunset of arizona pictures posted by Dave were about-i think it was the default until I posted my own. Anyway I'll post both the slideshow and the link to the web album so you can look at them in either place. Its taking forever to upload the pictures (I've been here for an hour or an hour and a half and i'm 32% done). This batch is Nairobi and Juba, and it is a collection of George, Neesha and my photos. I hope you enjoy them!