Living in Yambio

Yambio . . . it has been a wild ride so far. The original motto, "Yambioooo - it's not terrible," has been upgraded to, "Yambiooo - I quite like it." It is becoming home. Everyday continues to be exciting and challenging (although now more in terms of work, rather than daily living). Here's a few things that I've been doing.

Passing the rainy season

Preventing malaria (NB: pants tucked into socks)

During my first few weeks here, people were being medevac'd at an alarming rate. It was mostly for malaria/cerebral malaria, but also for other fun infectious diseases like typhoid, amoebic dysentery, brucellosis and even one for . . . chicken pox?!?

Getting dirty

Now that the rainy season is over, this town is DUSTY. This is me after a run.

Helping the Catholic Bishop start his car

Due to the poor quality of car batteries that can be purchased in Yambio, a little push is often needed to get the car going.

Observing the preparations for the CPA Celebration

The celebration, which was originally scheduled for January 9th, has been delayed until January 19th due to delays in preparations - such as building this stadium. Keep in mind, electricity in Yambio only comes from individually purchased and operated generators.

Hanging out at the UNICEF mess = center of my social universe in Yambio

Getting stuck in traffic jams

"Driver" has been added to the list of my job duties

Enjoying Italian culture - primarily at this Italian NGO compound

nice outdoor kitchen (where one can have perfect Italian coffee)

watsan specialist showing how to wash dishes without a tap or sink

eating bruschetta, arrabbiata and drinking nice wine

collecting papayas (not Italian, but . . . still fun)

Attending fake birthday parties

. . . because there is nothing else better to do???
Thanks GoGo for introducing this concept to me. Oh yeah, and "Happy Birthday" ...bastardo! (one other thing I am learning at the Italian NGO - Italian cursing. nice.)

Spending holidays in non-traditional waysThanksgiving lunch in Bangasu. One of our HIV counselors helped me order this meal - cassava flour and dried fish in oil and groundnut paste.

Through hoarding, Juba shopping runs, and serious planning and schlepping of goodies from afar - on Christmas Eve we were able to enjoy homemade Italian proscuitto, parmesan, stuffed green olives, Italian white wine, French white wine, vodka tonics and cuba libres. Not too shabby for Yambio!

Laying around in the grass between bouts of drinking and dancing

Christmas Day: Dirty Santa (white elephant gift exchange - like my wig?!?)

Adventures in Yambio

So much has happened since coming to Yambio, you all would die of shock at the length of the post! In order to respect your time, and hopefully hold your interest better - I am going to try to summarize the "highlights" for you.

Day 1: Saturday, November 7th
I went to the market with a colleague. I needed to get off the compound as the initial shock over the living conditions were getting to me. After pulling up, I decided it was best not to bring in my camera the first time there - seemed a bit hectic. So unfortunately, I'll have to share some images of this amazing market with you at a later time. It is quite large - there must have been over 100 sellers!

So we are wandering around, I am checking out the produce and other products I've never seen before. After a few minutes a man in his early twenties dressed in a worn out SPLA uniform comes up to me, puts out his hand and says "Bonjour. One pound." I just laughed and asked why I should pay him one pound for bonjour. He kept speaking nonsense to me and getting very close. It was a friendly tone, but definitely inappropriate and he knew it. I backed away and made a sound to let him know is words and actions were unwelcome. His "friends" (friends? who knows, but other people at the market who knew him) started laughing and he left. Canadian colleague and market escort, Mel, just made a comment about it being weird and we continued on our hunt for garlic.

About ten minutes later I felt someone grab my side and I let out a very loud shriek (this place coupled with my overall jumpiness are not going well together). It was some kid, maybe 10-11 years old, who seemed to have a mental disability. Mel pushed him away and told him he was being naughty (he speaks both Arabic and some of the local tribal language - Zande). We walked on. The kid then came up behind Mel and punched him in the back!!! The kid then proceeded to follow us through the market asking for money and trying to grab at me (which Mel stopped from happening). He followed us all the way back to the car. I hopped in, and then decided to lock the door. 1 second later - he tried to open it (nice to know I sometimes make good decisions). Mel told me he had NEVER seen anything like that here and he has been in Sudan on & off for about 15 years! When we came back to the compound and told the others (what else do we have to do around here but gossip and tell stories?!?!) - everyone was genuinely shocked. Hopefully my next visit to the market will be uneventful.

Day 2: Sunday, November 8th
I saw my first wild dung beetle!! (I say wild, as they are common "pets" for elementary students in Japan.) They seem to be pretty common here (I've already seen about 4). I hope to someday capture a photo of one actually rolling some dung. We all must have goals, yes? But for now, this will have to do.

Later that day, I was relaxing in my room with the window shudders and door open. My room is quite sunny and can get a nice breeze going. This is when I heard "clack clack clack clack clack" and saw something moving in my peripheral vision. I turn around and see a glimpse of a lizard. He was scurrying about my room in quite the frenzy. I think the sound his feet were making on the floor were freaking him out just as much as me. I ended up trying to escort this poor lost lizard out of my room. That took about 10 minutes, with me shrieking and jumping around the entire time! I was warned by the "locals" (long-time UNICEF compound residents) to keep my door closed.

Day 3: Monday, November 9th
When I went back to my room after dinner, I was getting ready to shower. To get to the bathroom, I have to pass through a common area. to the bathroom. When I opened the door, I saw a bat flying around the room!!!! I tried to leave my room through my other door that leads directly outside, but it was locked from the outside. The only way I could have left was by going through the bat room. A prisoner in my own room, I texted Mel, "Bat Please help." He and Samuele (Italian guy working with ICRC) came to my rescue. They let me out of my room and helped the bat find his way out. He kept flying around, clearly unable to find an exit. At one point he was so exhausted, he kind of just laid down . . . poor guy! He did eventually find his way out.

Day 4: Tuesday, November 10th
I was heading out the door for breakfast. I had to freeze mid-step when exiting my room. Right under my foot was a giant tarantula!!! After running out of the building via the shared room, I decided I better go back to get a photo of this guy - I mean, seriously. When will I ever see a tarantula in front of my bedroom door again (oh, I hope the answer to that question is NEVER!). At breakfast I tell everyone what happened and show the photo - again SHOCK. Only ONE other person had seen a tarantula in Yambio, and that was after a local staff pointed it out in a field or something . . . No one could believe my luck! Here he is ready to eat my big toe!


Hopscotch Mafia wanted to post this image as a response to my last post . . . but really I think it is perfectly fitting for this one!

UNICEF Compound

As I have mentioned before, I am here to work on CMMB's first project in Southern Sudan. My two bosses (NYC- and Yambio-based) secured a compound for our office and accommodations in late October. We (Dr. James and myself) will move in after some improvements are made to the latrine, a shower is built, generator purchased, furniture procured, etc. Dr. James says he hopes to be there in one-week. I must say, I am not a believer. Until our compound is prepared we will be staying at the UNICEF compound. The CMMB compound is allegedly 300 meters from here . . . I am going to work out of the World Vision office tomorrow (and probably until our office is ready). Hopefully someone there can show me where our compound is - I am dying of curiosity. In other random news, Dr. James will not be joining me until Tuesday at the soonest, possibly Thursday.

Gate of the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) compound which is guarded by security guards 24-7. The entire compound is also surrounded by a tall electric fence.

UNICEF/UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) offices

UNICEF/UNHCR project vehicles
I am assuming that because it is a weekend, all/most are in the carport.

the "mess hall" for the UNICEF compound

backside of the "mess hall" - the fence is the division between the office area and the guest house/accommodations area

This building, known as Kapoeta, has two guest rooms with a shared a common space and bathroom facility - mine is on the right. My housemate is a German gal who is a consultant for World Vision. This building is located in the far back corner of the compound. Generator electricity is available 24/7, tap water is drinkable (I cannot believe this!!), flushing toilet, shower . . . this seems to be the only one that does not have a hot shower, but this is okay with us. The people who do have the hot shower complain that it is scalding hot. The weather is hot enough here that a cold shower is perfect.

The inside of my room.

The area between Kapoeta and the mess hall. Other buildings are other guest rooms.

The cost of staying here includes three meals a day and laundry service. Here are my clothes drying. They also press them before returning - very nice. However, they will not wash underwear or socks since the laundry is done by hand.

All cooking for the compound is done on these three-rock pits and charcoal. Soooo much work! The food is okay, but repetitious. Dinner usually consists of rice, a pasta dish with some ketchup-like sauce, cassava greens, a meat (usually goat), beans, and maybe another veggie (tonight was amazing as we had carrots!). There is also usually some fruit for dessert (very tasty pineapple tonight).

Farewell Juba, Hello Yambio!

Farewell Juba

The road the US Consulate is on

US Consulate - notice the big giant boulders in front. These are a security measure to prevent anyone from being able to drive through the walls of the consulate.

Freelance taxi driver, James

The big pole on front is for radio communications. If CMMB does not get one of these on our vehicle, I am not getting in it! (necessary for security, cell phone coverage is incomplete)

I was in the room on the left at Camp Oasis - #82. It was maybe a 7' x 10' room?

View from my tin cell - beautiful sunrise over the Nile River

I ran into my professor, Therese McGinn at the Juba Airport. How in the heck does this happen?!?!?! What a small world!

Shuttle to the UNHAS/WFP plane

UNHAS = United Nations Humanitarian Air Services
These flights are only available to humanitarian workers.

Views of Juba

Dr. Steven works for IMC in Tambura, a small village about a 7-hour drive from Yambio . . . no flights into there. He struggles with isolation :(

Hello Yambio!

View of Yambio from the plane. Some people told me it was a town.
Really?!?!? I just see a few mud huts with thatched roofs!!

My first time landing on a dirt airstrip!

All the humanitarian agencies' cars waiting for their passengers

w/ World Vision colleague, Rose

Roads are being completed by a Kenyan contractor. Apparently the wide, flat, dirt road here currently used to be a few feet wide surrounded by bush. The three senior staff of this project are staying at the UNICEF compound where I am temporarily (more on that later).