Well I must tell you...I sent several boxes of supplies and food from home so that they would arrive in my first couple weeks in Sudan. Last week Canada house received over 50 Large Gold bags of boxes (about 4 24 cases in size each) all at once.
The most shocking thing to see was the shape of a great deal of the boxes. I would swear that they were air dropped from a plane into Khartoum!! They it looks like they were dragged down the street and kicked around. I packed my boxes very well and made sure nothing moved around and I still had items broken inside them.
I also taped up the entire box and most of it held. Other boxes from other people here were not so lucky.
I guess when they say on the MFRC web site that when you pack something you must pack as though it would be dropped from a plane, sit on the hot runway in 50 degree heat for a week and then have a camel stomp on it. This is the only way to pack items!
Mike
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Oh MY!! Where am I Going???
Well in my last blog I had mentioned that I might get the big shaft...Well rumour (99% true) is saying that within the next week or two I will be deploying to the UNMO Team Site in the village of KURMUK Sudan. This is a VERY tiny village that has almost no amenities and lays on the border with Ethiopia. The market is almost non-existent and at times the water supply will dry completely up.
The village lays just under/beside a mountain which the German UNMO's love to hiking on.
Most of the roads in the area are still heavily mined and have not been cleared.
The border to Ethiopia is closed to UN personal however some have been known to pay kids to go across and buy supplies at the market in Ethiopia as it has more items then the one in the village.
I will be the only Canadian at this site.
Where is it? Look on a map of Sudan. Look at the border it shares with Ethiopia and divide that border in half. You will notice a part of Sudan that protrudes into Ethiopia and goes slightly south. Just below that protrusion you will find two roads that go from Sudan into one road in Ethiopia. Zoom in on this location and eventually you will find Kurmuk there. This is the town but probably not where my camp is.
If you follow the main road out of Kurmuk to the west and stop as it curves to the north you may see the words "Kurmuk Zaribah" to the left of that (if you look carefully) you will see a dirt airfield (airport and runway)...I will be somewhere around that location...I think I will be at the south end of the runway...you can see a slight village there.
What does this mean? It means that I will be surviving on food that I buy in Khartoum and that my folks send me.
Oh well, this will be a great learning experience!!
Mike
The village lays just under/beside a mountain which the German UNMO's love to hiking on.
Most of the roads in the area are still heavily mined and have not been cleared.
The border to Ethiopia is closed to UN personal however some have been known to pay kids to go across and buy supplies at the market in Ethiopia as it has more items then the one in the village.
I will be the only Canadian at this site.
Where is it? Look on a map of Sudan. Look at the border it shares with Ethiopia and divide that border in half. You will notice a part of Sudan that protrudes into Ethiopia and goes slightly south. Just below that protrusion you will find two roads that go from Sudan into one road in Ethiopia. Zoom in on this location and eventually you will find Kurmuk there. This is the town but probably not where my camp is.
If you follow the main road out of Kurmuk to the west and stop as it curves to the north you may see the words "Kurmuk Zaribah" to the left of that (if you look carefully) you will see a dirt airfield (airport and runway)...I will be somewhere around that location...I think I will be at the south end of the runway...you can see a slight village there.
What does this mean? It means that I will be surviving on food that I buy in Khartoum and that my folks send me.
Oh well, this will be a great learning experience!!
Mike
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Driving!! AHHHHH!!
Well its Tuesday. The day started off kinda rough. I have a new roommate who is on VAC and doesn't need to be up in the morning and he just returned from Canada so his sleep pattern is off. I got dressed in the dark and had breakfast. I headed off to the UN (about a 12 min walk) with Chris for our 0800h driving test. Just as we arrive at the UN gates (0755hrs) I realize that my UN security pass is sitting on my bed back at Canada house! AHHHH It's already +35 degrees outside. So I had to dump my bag and quickly make my way back to Canada house to grab my pass. By the time I got back to the driving test I was pretty much soaked!
The test was fairly simple whilst in the parking lot. Then when you pass that they take you for a drive in Sudanese traffic... You are on a 3 lane road that has no lines, no speed limit and you are sharing it with pedestrians, goats, bikes, Tuk Tuks, trucks and regular traffic of which more then half (says the driver evaluator from Sudan) have no licence no driving courses.
It is very common and promoted to make U-Turns in an intersection. We did this about 12 times. It's interesting to find out who has the right of way...normally the pushiest or first to honk.
Anyhoot Test went well, received my licence.
The rest of the day was spent with power points on various military subjects.
No news yet as to my final team site location.
I have resorted to going through my medical bag to find the strong cold meds now...
Hopefully this cold will be gone soon!
PS It was about 43 degrees this afternoon on the way home.
Night...
The test was fairly simple whilst in the parking lot. Then when you pass that they take you for a drive in Sudanese traffic... You are on a 3 lane road that has no lines, no speed limit and you are sharing it with pedestrians, goats, bikes, Tuk Tuks, trucks and regular traffic of which more then half (says the driver evaluator from Sudan) have no licence no driving courses.
It is very common and promoted to make U-Turns in an intersection. We did this about 12 times. It's interesting to find out who has the right of way...normally the pushiest or first to honk.
Anyhoot Test went well, received my licence.
The rest of the day was spent with power points on various military subjects.
No news yet as to my final team site location.
I have resorted to going through my medical bag to find the strong cold meds now...
Hopefully this cold will be gone soon!
PS It was about 43 degrees this afternoon on the way home.
Night...
Monday, October 26, 2009
Conflict Resolution
Woke up today having completed my first full night of sleep! Not sure if it was the sleeping pill, the cold medication or the beer but I finally had a full nights sleep. I did however wake up feeling much worse from my cold.. I also received my next three boxes that I had shipped about 2 weeks ago!! Man they are getting fast!
I spent the day in class with instructors from every corner of the world teaching us subjects that we had already taken back in May in Kingston. During our lunch break Chris and I proceeded to the Operations office to see if we could find out what team site that we were being assigned too. Chris did not want one particular site. I just wanted a main site and not one of the more remote sites. The Major from Pakistan asked if either of us could type English? Of course I said yes BUT why? He needed one of us to be a Staff Officer (Administration Officer in a office) in Juba. This is the one place that Chris did not want to go. So the Major put my name down. I asked if I would be doing UNMO Patrols and duties as well as Staff work. He said no and that was it I was assigned. As I left the office I realized that I have now been assigned as a Staff Officer and NOT as an UNMO for which I have been trained.
I bumped into one of the Canadian Majors and he said it was BS and brought me to see our CDN COL. He agreed that I should NOT be doing a staff job and he went to sort out the Pakistan Major.
I also discovered later that if I was a Staff Officer I would of also lost my second vacation period!!! F That!!!
So I am keeping my fingers crossed as the assignment list should be out tomorrow and I will find out what Team Site I have been assigned... I hope they don't screw me now and put me at a new site with no amenities.
I am cutting open my boxes tonight looking for my Cold FX and my Vitamin C!! Man this cold SUCKS!
Nite
I spent the day in class with instructors from every corner of the world teaching us subjects that we had already taken back in May in Kingston. During our lunch break Chris and I proceeded to the Operations office to see if we could find out what team site that we were being assigned too. Chris did not want one particular site. I just wanted a main site and not one of the more remote sites. The Major from Pakistan asked if either of us could type English? Of course I said yes BUT why? He needed one of us to be a Staff Officer (Administration Officer in a office) in Juba. This is the one place that Chris did not want to go. So the Major put my name down. I asked if I would be doing UNMO Patrols and duties as well as Staff work. He said no and that was it I was assigned. As I left the office I realized that I have now been assigned as a Staff Officer and NOT as an UNMO for which I have been trained.
I bumped into one of the Canadian Majors and he said it was BS and brought me to see our CDN COL. He agreed that I should NOT be doing a staff job and he went to sort out the Pakistan Major.
I also discovered later that if I was a Staff Officer I would of also lost my second vacation period!!! F That!!!
So I am keeping my fingers crossed as the assignment list should be out tomorrow and I will find out what Team Site I have been assigned... I hope they don't screw me now and put me at a new site with no amenities.
I am cutting open my boxes tonight looking for my Cold FX and my Vitamin C!! Man this cold SUCKS!
Nite
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Driving 101
It's Sunday and the first 1/2 day of class. It's time to learn how to drive again.... The class is a 3 hour lecture on how to drive 4x4 taught by a Sudanese man with a thick accent. He was very animated which kept the class interesting. If not I would of had to poke my eyes to keep awake.
We were done by noon and headed home.
My driving test is on Tuesday morning. Should be fun. The driving in Sudan is well.... hmm.. how to explain... If you want to make a left turn across a busy highway and so do 5 other cars, you don't necessarily line up and wait your turn. You just push in beside each other and all go at the same time or whenever you feel its safe. Yeh, A little NUTS!! I keep grabbing the "Oh Shit" handle in the truck as other vehicles get very close to us from all directions. Oh and traffic lights...mearly a suggestion.
We were done by noon and headed home.
My driving test is on Tuesday morning. Should be fun. The driving in Sudan is well.... hmm.. how to explain... If you want to make a left turn across a busy highway and so do 5 other cars, you don't necessarily line up and wait your turn. You just push in beside each other and all go at the same time or whenever you feel its safe. Yeh, A little NUTS!! I keep grabbing the "Oh Shit" handle in the truck as other vehicles get very close to us from all directions. Oh and traffic lights...mearly a suggestion.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Nice Saturday on the Town
Saturday we decided to hit the local shopping mall. It was 1/2 closed as many people do not work on Saturdays in Sudan. Remembering that Fri and Sat are the weekend and everyone returns to work on Sunday.
The mall consisted of a main store - a cross between grocery store and department store. It had only one floor and was about 60% food items and 40% house items and clothing and toys ect.. like a very basic wallmart. It was about the size of the Highland farms beside my house. The prices were a little high and there was not a great variety. One shelf unit would contain only two products but there would be an endless supply of those two products.
I bought some food to get me through the weekend. And some food to try loike powder milk... Just in case I need it at my team site.
We ate lunch at the malls food court. It was ok... The meals are more about the salad, soup and bread then the meat. The meat portions are always small by our standards. I had a Shish Kabob Chicken...
Once we got back to Canada house we asked if the security guard (called RAMBO..no I am not kidding) would be interested in giving us a tour of the city and show us the Sudan Museum. He said yes and off we went. When we arrived at the museum we found that it was closed. We carried on to view the Blue and White Niles.. This is how Khartoum receicved its name. The Blue Nile and White Nile meet in the centre of Khartoum and become the Nile. The nile flows North to Egypt. As a side note the nile was first successfully fully explored by Canadians!! Thats right it was our Voaguers that were hired by the Queen and the Canadian government to go to Africa and map out the Nile.
There wasn't too much more to see in Khartoum :( there is no tourist places. There is a boat tour that goes along the Nile. It has been reported that you pass an area where there are people hanging. Public hangings/executions are still performed here.
Sat night, I watched a movie and poped more cold medication...
The mall consisted of a main store - a cross between grocery store and department store. It had only one floor and was about 60% food items and 40% house items and clothing and toys ect.. like a very basic wallmart. It was about the size of the Highland farms beside my house. The prices were a little high and there was not a great variety. One shelf unit would contain only two products but there would be an endless supply of those two products.
I bought some food to get me through the weekend. And some food to try loike powder milk... Just in case I need it at my team site.
We ate lunch at the malls food court. It was ok... The meals are more about the salad, soup and bread then the meat. The meat portions are always small by our standards. I had a Shish Kabob Chicken...
Once we got back to Canada house we asked if the security guard (called RAMBO..no I am not kidding) would be interested in giving us a tour of the city and show us the Sudan Museum. He said yes and off we went. When we arrived at the museum we found that it was closed. We carried on to view the Blue and White Niles.. This is how Khartoum receicved its name. The Blue Nile and White Nile meet in the centre of Khartoum and become the Nile. The nile flows North to Egypt. As a side note the nile was first successfully fully explored by Canadians!! Thats right it was our Voaguers that were hired by the Queen and the Canadian government to go to Africa and map out the Nile.
There wasn't too much more to see in Khartoum :( there is no tourist places. There is a boat tour that goes along the Nile. It has been reported that you pass an area where there are people hanging. Public hangings/executions are still performed here.
Sat night, I watched a movie and poped more cold medication...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
UN Day - Clear In
Well I have just finished my 1st day at the UN compound UNMIS. What an experience. I could not count how many different uniforms I had seen or how many countries were represented. Reminder that the UN force here is comprised of over 55 countries and there are over 57 police forces here. Speaking of which I bumped into an RCMP, Ottawa and Halifax police officers so far.
The UN facility/compound here is about the size of a small university however it is completely surrounded by a 12 foot cement fence with barbed wire with armed guards at every entrance and on every corner.
When the UN arrives and sets up in a city it quickly becomes the main employer for that city. The UN can even cause changes to the economy as markets raise their prices because they know the UN members will pay.
Its about 45 degrees here and not a cloud in the sky. I have spent the morning running from this office to that office from getting one signature to finding another one. This also meant running from one building to another. There is over 40 buildings on this site. I was drinking water non stop. I was told by my friends here that there are some people that have very limited jobs (MASSIVE BUREAUCRACY) ...One woman's job was to look at the sheet you had and hand it to the guy behind her, you sat with him he placed a stamp on it, he moved you to the next guy who took your picture then back to the last guy for a second stamp saying that the pic was you then back to the first woman to leave the paper and pick up a lanyard. That's 3 people doing a one person job. There was a great deal of this in the UN. PS all these people and the other 3 picture takers were in one office and existed 4 feet apart from each other....
We ate lunch at the UN outdoor catered cafeteria.. that food is great. I enjoy the fresh watermelon juice. Hamburgers, Shwarma, Kabobs are the staple. They even have mist machines above all the tables to keep you cool while you eat. Again its amazing to see all of the different uniforms.
We headed back to Canada house at about 1:00pm. Went out for dinner that night for Lamb ribs. They were ok. I have learned that food here is really based on the salad, soup, and bread as there is never much meat.
The UN facility/compound here is about the size of a small university however it is completely surrounded by a 12 foot cement fence with barbed wire with armed guards at every entrance and on every corner.
When the UN arrives and sets up in a city it quickly becomes the main employer for that city. The UN can even cause changes to the economy as markets raise their prices because they know the UN members will pay.
Its about 45 degrees here and not a cloud in the sky. I have spent the morning running from this office to that office from getting one signature to finding another one. This also meant running from one building to another. There is over 40 buildings on this site. I was drinking water non stop. I was told by my friends here that there are some people that have very limited jobs (MASSIVE BUREAUCRACY) ...One woman's job was to look at the sheet you had and hand it to the guy behind her, you sat with him he placed a stamp on it, he moved you to the next guy who took your picture then back to the last guy for a second stamp saying that the pic was you then back to the first woman to leave the paper and pick up a lanyard. That's 3 people doing a one person job. There was a great deal of this in the UN. PS all these people and the other 3 picture takers were in one office and existed 4 feet apart from each other....
We ate lunch at the UN outdoor catered cafeteria.. that food is great. I enjoy the fresh watermelon juice. Hamburgers, Shwarma, Kabobs are the staple. They even have mist machines above all the tables to keep you cool while you eat. Again its amazing to see all of the different uniforms.
We headed back to Canada house at about 1:00pm. Went out for dinner that night for Lamb ribs. They were ok. I have learned that food here is really based on the salad, soup, and bread as there is never much meat.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
All is well in Khartoum
Just a quick update. My luggage is susposed to arrive tonight at the airport. I have had a 4 hour nap but still feel jet lagged. I begin the inclearance process at the UN here tomorrow.
Khartoum reminds me a great deal of Mexico. I actually feel like I am in Mexico. All of the important signs ans stores are in english. I had take out Pizza today from a local pizza shop on the main highway wish was very similar to a Pizza Pizza or dominos.
Canada house is pretty decent and will be my home for the next 3 weeks. Some of my mailed packages have arrived already!! (Less then 3 weeks from delivery to arrival!!)
I seems like most of my fellow CDN's survive at the team sites mainly on the food they get from home. It also depends on the team site that you are at. I wont know that until 3 weeks from now.
Any hoot, I am heading off to the market to go grocery shopping so that i have food for the next 6 days.
Khartoum reminds me a great deal of Mexico. I actually feel like I am in Mexico. All of the important signs ans stores are in english. I had take out Pizza today from a local pizza shop on the main highway wish was very similar to a Pizza Pizza or dominos.
Canada house is pretty decent and will be my home for the next 3 weeks. Some of my mailed packages have arrived already!! (Less then 3 weeks from delivery to arrival!!)
I seems like most of my fellow CDN's survive at the team sites mainly on the food they get from home. It also depends on the team site that you are at. I wont know that until 3 weeks from now.
Any hoot, I am heading off to the market to go grocery shopping so that i have food for the next 6 days.
Luggage Arrival
The arrival of my luggage was on time. GREAT!! There was only one problem...no one wanted to authorize me to leave with it. Nobody would validate that it was my luggage and that I could carry it out to my truck. One member of the KLM staff was helping me and said he would get the right guy. He left and I didn't see him again for about 45 min's. Meanwhile the airport was empty except me, my luggage and a whole wack of security that COULD check my tags and allow me to go. I did get the chance to sit and talk to one security guard who enjoyed my use of the Arabic language that I have been practicing.
Finally the guy from KLM came back to assist me and took me to another security guard who was there the entire time. That guard wanted to see inside my luggage (customs) however I have a Diplomatic Visa and should be free from search. He did not care and I didn't want to waste any more time. I opened the first 2 cases and he quickly gave a general look. As I went to open the next case the power went out in the airport and we were all standing in complete darkness. It stayed like this for about 4 minutes... Thank god for Indiglo.. used my watch to see where I was.
I finally got the clearance I required and left the airport to go back to Canada House. I finally had a change of clothes and shower stuff as I have been in the same clothes for well over 36 hours. I had a great shower and headed to bed.
Night...
Finally the guy from KLM came back to assist me and took me to another security guard who was there the entire time. That guard wanted to see inside my luggage (customs) however I have a Diplomatic Visa and should be free from search. He did not care and I didn't want to waste any more time. I opened the first 2 cases and he quickly gave a general look. As I went to open the next case the power went out in the airport and we were all standing in complete darkness. It stayed like this for about 4 minutes... Thank god for Indiglo.. used my watch to see where I was.
I finally got the clearance I required and left the airport to go back to Canada House. I finally had a change of clothes and shower stuff as I have been in the same clothes for well over 36 hours. I had a great shower and headed to bed.
Night...
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
More Excitment
I am now in Egypt at 9:00pm local time (3:00pm TO time). I have found out that my luggage remained in Amsterdam where it will be partying until I fill out the required documentation in Sudan of which I am not arriving until tomorrow!! AHH So no change of clothes or uniforms for almost 3 days.... This sucks! But it's all part of the adventure and the humour! I am still smiling as i have enjoyed the business class lounges in Cairo, Budapest, Amsterdam and Toronto... I have eaten enough food to get me by for the first 4 weeks...
We flew into Egypt at night so I was not able to see anything on the way in. The airport staff say that there is not anything really close to do or see in the 3 hours I have here..So back to the lounge I go again. I do plan to visit Cairo during one of my vacations that I get while I am on tour.
And the trip gets more exciting!!
I am now at Amsterdam airport 4 hours late and have missed my flight. There is no fear as the kind folks at KLM have made alternate arrangements for me..
I am now departing for Budapest where I will be for a few hours, then I will head to Cairo where I will be many hours and then finally off to Sudan arriving in the early morning and a day late...Maybe I can see some pyramids while I am waiting for my flight...
** I was able to see this from the aircraft however I did not have my camera with me. This is Budapest and the Danube river.
Again.... patience and humour... I finally get to visit Budapest!! Yeh!!!
Mike
Monday, October 19, 2009
Patience and a Sense of Humour!
Well I have been advised by many that in working with the UN in a multinational contiengent that you MUST have patience and a sense of humour!
My trip started exactly with that in mind. I arrived at the airport to find that they could not locate me on the computer...that was quickly sorted out. I made it through the security check just in time to enjoy about 30min in the KLM Business class lounge. I proceeded down to check on my plane with about 20min left before boarding.
About 5 minutes prior to boarding an anouncement was made "we are presently haveing an on board communication problem and we will not be able to board until we have a technician look into the problem. We will update you in 30 min". I immediately headed back up to the lounge for the free food and drinks.
About 30min later they advised us that the part is avail in USA and will be arriving here at 9:00pm and that we will now be leaving Toronto at 10:00pm not 5:45pm as the original schedule....
Oh well... I laughed, read, watched a movie and ate....
My trip started exactly with that in mind. I arrived at the airport to find that they could not locate me on the computer...that was quickly sorted out. I made it through the security check just in time to enjoy about 30min in the KLM Business class lounge. I proceeded down to check on my plane with about 20min left before boarding.
About 5 minutes prior to boarding an anouncement was made "we are presently haveing an on board communication problem and we will not be able to board until we have a technician look into the problem. We will update you in 30 min". I immediately headed back up to the lounge for the free food and drinks.
About 30min later they advised us that the part is avail in USA and will be arriving here at 9:00pm and that we will now be leaving Toronto at 10:00pm not 5:45pm as the original schedule....
Oh well... I laughed, read, watched a movie and ate....
All Packed
The day has finally come and I am all packed and about to head to the airport. I have a multitude of mixed emotions as I prepare to depart on my peacekeeping mission....
I will miss my friends and family the most... However I will gain new international friends and workmates who are striving towards a common goal of helping a country and it's people during their time of need...
Time to move to the airport...
I will miss my friends and family the most... However I will gain new international friends and workmates who are striving towards a common goal of helping a country and it's people during their time of need...
Time to move to the airport...
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