some photos from independence

I am not clever enough to make a fancy slideshow of these photos. But here is the link to some photos of Independence Day. And,  yes, those are pictures of me trying to do traditional dances... pretty hilarious.
https://picasaweb.google.com/jneelsen/IndependenceDayCelebrations?authuser=0&feat=directlink

yah, that really happened or, things they don't teach you in grad school

Now that I'm leaving moving to a new post, I feel like I can share a few of my more harrowing stories with you, and not risk taking several years off of my father's life by making him worry...
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This is a conversation that happened a few weeks after I arrived:

Me (incredulously): Wait, you want me to do what?

My boss (seriously): Go and talk to the xxx... *

Me: You mean the vigilante militia who fights against the xxx**?

Boss: Yes

Me: About what?

Boss (calmly): Well, they're angry with the UN and they're threatening to shoot at them... and most of our cars are marked "UN", so they'll probably shoot at us by mistake.

Me (thoughtfully): ...huh... what would you like me to say to them.

Boss (matter-of-factly): Ask them not to shoot at us.

Me (confused): is that really my job?

Boss (convincingly): you're very good at talking to people. they'll like you

Other colleague (sarcastically): yah, as a 4th wife...

Me (cautiously): OK... I'll set up a meeting... um, how do you set up a meeting with a vigilante militia group?

Boss: call the governor, he'll arrange it

Me: the govenor? of the state?

Boss: yes, (takes out his cell phone) here's his number

* local good guy militia
** local bad guy militia

Moral of the story?? Treating people with respect and being charming is a universal language, appropriate for cocktail parties and armed negotiations.

Oh, and it really did turn out alright, just a misunderstanding really, everything is OK.

I don't even know where my Kalashnikov is...



photo of the migration



Today I read an article that claimed South Sudan is host to the second-largest terrestrial wildlife migration in the world.

This is news to me... in the last 7 months I have seen 5 monkeys, several snakes and bits and pieces of a few small antelopes, but that's about it. Its good to hear that in other parts of the country, animal life is thriving.  

Of those monkeys I've seen, 3 of them were on display, tied to a tree in front of the "Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism". Their fur was worn through where the rough rope which held them had worn away at their bodies, they looked emaciated and miserable. This is the South Sudanese answer to a "zoo". Like so many things here, the intentions are good... its the execution that is tricky.

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Here is an excerpt from another article describing a trip by members of the Ministry to Zimbabwe... I particulary liked the tip from the delegation's leader about why investing in the burgenoing travel industry is a safe bet. 

"South Sudan: a new wildlife destination?

2nd August 2011

Officials from South Sudan have been touring Africa to learn more about wildlife and tourism industries


A delegation from South Sudan's Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism is in Zimbabwe to see how the country manages its wildlife and tourism, while taking the opportunity to seek investors in the sector.

...

Speaking at the same meeting, Lt Gen Omoli, leader of the delegation, said that South Sudan has a wealth of resources besides oil – the country has six national parks and 12 game reserves.


"We are here to see how you are running your parks, hotels and how you formulate policies that govern your tourism.

\...

Lt Gen Omoli also assured potential investors that the war was over and their investments would be safe, “They need not fear anything in South Sudan because back in the day, one had to sleep with their gun but now I don't even know where my Kalashnikov is."

Earlier this month, the Wildlife Conservation Society emphasised that the vast wildlife and tourism potential of South Sudan was critical to the country's economic future.

South Sudan boasts some of the most spectacular and important wildlife populations in Africa and supports the world's second-largest terrestrial wildlife migration of some 1.3 million white-eared kob, tiang antelope, Mongalla gazelle, and reedbuck."

Bush meat: a photo essay

Bushmeat: Meat cooked and eaten in Africa that comes from a variety of wild animals, hunted in local forests. 

Bush meat can be from wild pigs, bush rats, monkeys, wild antelope... basically anything that lives in the bush which is not human (I hope) is a good candidate to be hunted, butchered, smoked and cooked in a stew. It sounds gross, it's actually pretty yummy.

*note about wildlife: In many places, great apes and endangered monkeys are hunted as bush meat. This is not the case in Western Equatoria. Probably because these animals don't exist here. (maybe because they've all already been eaten...) There are several environmental groups dedicated to fighting the killing and consumption of these animals. Though I believe in bio-diversity and do not want any animals to be hunted into extinction, I have to question the sanity and humanity of a group that raises millions of dollars a year trying to eliminate a food source from the diet of refugees.

*note about health: There is also a theory that HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, entered the human population because of eating monkeys infected with a similar virus, Simian Immuno-deficiency Syndrome. I studiously avoid eating monkey meat in case there is another nasty virus out there waiting to make the inter-species jump. Any other unhealthy side affects from eating bush meat are minimal and the same as eating anything in S. Sudan. Because the meat is smoked first, its unlikely to make one sick.

I have no idea what this animal used to be... a pterodactyl perhaps?

I think that this may have been a small antelope.

Before the main meals of the day, people in S. Sudan "take tea". This tea is 5-6 teaspoons of powdered milk and 4-5 tablespoons of sugar upon which hot water is strained through tea leaves. Its delicious and has enough calories and sugar to keep you going until lunchtime.

The local restaurant kitchen in Ezo. Bush meat stew, made with palm oil and ground nuts is boiling in that pot. Just behind is a big juicy pile of raw goat.

This woman is not knitting. Those are intestines. I have no idea what they are used for. I didn't recognize them in anything I ate, but I'm sure that they made an appearance.

Leg of bush meat anyone? By the way, just next to it is a can of vitamin fortified oil which the US distributes to refugees every month. In the background you can see "greens" in the green plastic bins. They get boiled and sometimes mixed with a sauce made of ground nuts and palm oil.

The kitchen at the place where we ate while in Ezo.

And for those of my friends who are more adventurous... here is a recipe that is very similiar to what I eat in Ezo.

Wild Boar in Groundnut Sauce

In Africa, the term bushmeat is applied to any game caught in the wild. Wild boar (or wild pig) is a popular bushmeat in Africa (except among Muslims). If you don't have any wild boar on hand, substitute any other game or pork.
What you need

• two or three pounds of wild boar or pork (any part); cut into bite-sized or serving-sized pieces
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• a few onions, chopped
• a few tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• one cup peanut butter (natural or homemade), or similar amount of fresh or roasted peanuts
• oil for frying

What you do

• If using peanuts instead of peanut butter:
  Roast the peanuts in a baking pan in a hot oven, or on the stove in a large skillet, turning often. Remove the skins from the peanuts and mash them with a mortar and pestle, mince them with a knife, crush them with a rolling pin, or use a chop them fine in a food-processor.
• Heat a few spoonfulls of oil in a large pot. Add the meat and fry it until it is browned but not done. Reduce heat. Add water, salt, and pepper and simmer for about half an hour.
• Add the tomatoes and onions and contine to simmer until the meat is done and becoming tender.
• Remove some of the liquid and mix it with the peanut butter to make a smooth sauce. Add this to the meat-tomato-onion mixture.
• Continue to simmer on a very low heat until the meat is very tender.

**note: I wrote this blog post several weeks ago... a few weeks after I wrote it, I was the victor in an epic battle with a tapeworm and a parasite. It is possible that the bush meat consumption and the tapeworm were related events.