Day 2 in Khartoum. A far more interesting place than I imagined. Did I bring a camera? No, I didn’t. Luckily Khartoum’s not that interesting visually, and I’d probably get arrested if I did try to take pictures.
- Most of yesterday and today arranging and carrying out interviews for this ECB assessment mission;
- Spent Valentine’s Day with three depressed – yet manic – Sudanese girls, courtesy of my friend Maisoon la paparazza;
- Submitted my travel application for Darfur (where I will probably regret not having a camera);
- Discovered Turkish restaurant – essential for vegetarian refueling, particularly humous.
Apparently Khartoum is the safest city in Africa, although presumably that’s only if you discount the insane driving. I assume this is because there are 7 different intelligence agencies, and you can never be sure who’s watching. Or even who you work for.
That’s where it’s going to get tricky. The Sudanese government is extremely… shall we say, sensitive about criticism, particularly from outsiders. I will therefore bow to censorship, risk the wrath of the blogosphere, etc, and limit my remarks to
- personal observations of a weakly humorous nature, and
- professional observations of a technical nature.
That should guarantee an interesting blog.? If I were you, I’d read something else for the next three weeks.
Related posts:
- Google Earth catches Avian Flu
- The Chronicle: 10/27/2005: Relief Groups Say 2005 Disasters Point Out Vital Technology Needs
- N-TEN Webinar – Hurricane Katrina – Innovative Information and Communications Response
- Wired 13.08: The Blogs of War
- The Pakistan army: information resources in the earthquake response
I think you should start writing a novel… Something about relief work humorous relief. Depressed yet manic Sudanese girls? LOL
Good luck on the trip and I hope you surface many stories and share them. I’m trying to hook into as many examples of development blogs, so if you find any more, give a shout out. And eat some hummous for me!
Do you think, Paul that the manic driving will be your very own “car tomb”? (Geddit!)
Hi, just stumbled by on my way through other aid and development sites. Can I ask whether you will be reporting or working on humanitarian aid? I have a blogroll of aid workers and would like to add this to it, if you could confirm the content.
Cheers!
Hi Elizabeth – that’s a difficult question to answer (mainly because I feel a bit rough today after last night’s party). I’m an aid worker, but the raison d’etre for this blog is more professional than personal – I work on information management in humanitarian and peace operations, and that’s the main focus.
I’d be honoured to be on your blogroll, though – I’ve used it myself to find more aidbloggers. I’ve written a bit about aidblogging, and will write a bit more soon – you can read those posts at http://www.humanitarian.info/category/blogs/.
Maisoon la paparazza!! well it is true isn’t it.. not many people walk around with a camera everywhere they go..