The Sudan - 8

38 deg centigrade at 8.30 in the evening. Its been a long hard day today - everyone wanted to keep working (mind you there is a startling amount of work still to be done before we start the workshop on Sunday) so it was with great relief when we finally walked out of the office at 8.30pm despite the air being almost overwhelmingly suffocating with heat. Actually I have to say this is brilliant weather - sure its hot, dang hot, but its also dry - there is no humidity - its not at all sweaty

I sat in the meeting with 18 other people - not one of them English, and yet we all talked English all day. Fortunately for my humbling embarassment, there was also an India, a Moroccan, an Italian, and an Egyptian at the table, so i convinced myself that they weren't all talking my mother tongue just for my benefit.
Today is Friday. Fridays and Saturdays are the weekend here, so technically many of the participants in the meeting should have been with family and freinds. Many of the men came in their weekend dress - crisp white robes and head wraps (i cant remember the names for these items) They looked very elegant especially the older men with snow white whiskers to match their clothes and contrast their dark skin. Interestingly that the clothing is traditional, but there appears to still be a place to put their ever-ringing mobile phones.
There was lots of talking and plenty of laughing, and of course the plentiful supply of tea. Rather disappointingly, it appears that the tea of choice is lipton bag on a string - but with a couple of heaped teaspoons of powedered milk and a couple of heaped teaspoons of sugar. I counted the sugar bowls - each twice as big as a tea cup - there was a sugar bowl for every 3 tea cups.

I had a vision of loosing weight while i was out here - i could do with a few pounds off, and i lost nearly a stone when i was out in India this time last year. But eating here doesnt appear to be that far removed from back home. Biscuits with your afternoon tea, chicken and chips in a tin foil basket for lunch (and sadly for tea if your unlucky). there is always potato fries androasted veg with your battered fish or braised meat. Now i appreciate that im in a hotel that clearly caters for international travelers, journalists and business men, but i wouldnt mind having a go a some more traditional local faire.

Well the panic is beginning to settle in, and so tonight i must burn some midnight oil so that i am both ready with my own presentations AND my proposed plans for the running of things - it can sometimes be a bit tricky to get others to listen to sense, but im sure a prepared "document" might speak their language