Warm greetings from Khartoum (7)

Hi dear friends,,

Its very nice to write to you again from Sudan, after this short pause due to my moving to my temporary stop in Khartoum for the next 15 days, before I go to my hometown Kassala in the Eastern region where I work and live.

Last moment in Oslo:
The taxi driver came just in time 03:45 am, I saw him while I was dragging my suitcase down to the reception in Haroldshiem hostel in Oslo, a middle age man short and fat, looking like middle Eastern people, I was trying to insert my praying mat inside the suitcase while he approached me and said in Arabic: ((" As-salam Alaykum" the praying mat is very important))". I said happily : ((" yes it's ))" so you are the one who will take us to the airport, then he started to help me getting my luggage to the taxi, while my colleagues the Rwanda and Nepali delegates and my counterpart Mohammad brought their luggage too.

It was very nice morning weather, fresh air, little showers and of course the green nature all together were on our farewell all over the way to Gardermon airport, while a very happy dialog was rounding between us the delegates and the taxi driver.

Gardarmon airport:
Vishwa the Nepalese delegate was taking pictures trying to use all the last moments we had in the airport, he looks like the one who is trying to pause and capture every single moment left with friends. Aline and Jennifer the Rwandan delegates were worried about their over weight luggage, so they were some how looking confused, but also I recognized some sadness behind their eyes, the eyes are always can't lie. Yes we all have the same sadness because of leaving all these friends behind us with very less actual hope of meeting them all again, Including our selves, the delegates, we will fly in different directions in a very short while from now and may be we will never see each other again.

Unexpected flight delay:
KLM the Royal Dutch air lines was waiting for us by the gate no 36 to take us to our only one connection in Amsterdam, which will last for only 2 hours before taking the airbus 330 to Khartoum. The plan was suppose to arrive at Khartoum by 17":30 pm in local time which is one hour before Norway.

The air craft left the gate heading to the takeoff runway, and the cabin crew were busy with their safety presentation, while i was relaxing my back to the seat and closing my eyes trying to avoid my nervous of the takeoff moments. Suddenly in stead of starting the takeoff the captain announced that there is a small flaps damage which requires taking the plane to the maintenance tarmac for a short while before resume the flight again. ((well, come on, that was what we want on this moment)) I said to my self. The maintenance delayed us for 2 hours in Oslo so unfortunately our Khartoum flight was already left when we arrived to Amsterdam, but the KLM prepared for us a new booking to Khartoum with one connection more in Amman Jordan with Royal Jordanian airlines. It's OK I thought, nothing more than making our trip lasts for 24 hours instead of 13.

Warm greetings from Khartoum:
We landed on Khartoum airport at 03:30 am, and I was waiting for this moment for long time, but you know what? there is always some good luck inside the bad luck, I was preparing my self to get down while it's still very warm in the evening, but luckily we arrived early in the morning while the temperature was 36 C, and it was a very nice moments, I saw all these stars back again, and all these people that I know again, it's unforgettable moments.

One last whisper,,, Its really warm these days in Khartoum hehe, 43 degrees in the first day, but now I get back again my Normal Sudanese mode.

This is the movie we show after our presentation during the homecoming seminar. It includes some photos from our activities as a youth delegates in Hordaland.

Good bye Bergen (6)

This is my message to all colleagues and friends in Bergen-Hordaland,

It was a great honor for me to work with you here in Hordaland and Bergen the last 9 months, as a youth delegate from Sudanese Red Crescent.

On regards of the exchange I really learnt a lot of things practically and professionally from you sophisticated people, and that was a really added to my life a new values.

I also enjoyed your really warm friendship all over the duration of my stay, and from there I also learnt a lot of good values, specially the cultural exchange including the lovely Norsk Ørdatk.

Every single moment of my 9 months in Hordaland was a very good time, and that's why it went like just 9 moments, and suddenly I found my self in a position of goodbye, which is very difficult. But still there is hope of meet again no matter when and where, but the most important thing is not to give up that hope.

Thank you

Goodbye,,,

Where is the good in goodbye? (5)

Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.

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How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

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Goodbyes are not forever.Goodbyes are not the end.They simply mean I'll miss youUntil we meet again!

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The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.

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Absence from whom we love is worse than death, and frustrates hope severer than despair.

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CowperExcuse me, then! you know my heart;But dearest friends, alas! must part.

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May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

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Happy trails to you, until we meet again.Some trails are happy ones,Others are blue.It's the way you ride the trail that counts,Here's a happy one for you.

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No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth.

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Can miles truly separate you from friends.... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?

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Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

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What shall I do with all the days and hoursThat must be counted ere I see thy face?How shall I charm the interval that lowersBetween this time and that sweet time of grace?

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Not to understand a treasure's worth till time has stole away the slighted good, is cause of half the poverty we feel, and makes the world the wilderness it is.

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She went her unremembering way,She went and left in meThe pang of all the partings gone,And partings yet to be.

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Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love.

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Love is missing someone whenever you're apart, but somehow feeling warm inside because you're close in heart.

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The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.

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The NotebookYou and I will meet againWhen we're least expecting itOne day in some far off placeI will recognize your faceI won't say goodbye my friendFor you and I will meet again

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Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.

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In the hope to meetShortly again, and make our absence sweet.

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Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.

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So sweetly she bade me adieu,I thought that she bade me return.

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But fate ordains that dearest friends must part.

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Love reckons hours for months, and days for years; and every little absence is an age.

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Where is the good in goodbye?

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Sellection from goodbye frases..

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http://www.quotegarden.com/goodbye.html

We will see you on Monday (4)

It was a great surprise this evening, that we found all these volunteers waiting for our last presentation on Hordaland, and then the greatest gift that Susanne and Trude had made for us on behalf of Hordaland Red Cross.

It was a book contains pictures that represents our present in Hordaland since the beginning, very nice album, and all these nice comments made by the volunteers on the sides of the photos, its a great gift that will keep me connected with the memories of Norway for ever.

At the end Trude told me her experience when she left Lebanon after her mission ended there as a youth delegate, she said that she was saying to the people: I will see you on Monday. That's only to go out of the sad moments of saying good bye, just to leave it for the destiny, that we have this hope of meet each other again, no mater when and where, so it's not good bye then, and let me say it as Trude did, I WILL SEE YOU ON MONDAY.

Do you forget something every morning before you go to work? (3)

Yes I do.. since I'm in Sudan many times I forgot to take either my cell phone, my keys bunch, my umbrella or my wallet, it's always one of these things is missing when I arrive to work, but it's too late then to go back unless I lose half of my day just on the way back and again to the work.

But now, I never forget any one of these four thing any more, at least, and here with the secret:

once a day I have met an old driver, he works for the international federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Khartoum, he came to Kassala my city in the east of Sudan with a team for a certain mission, I hosted him that day in our family house to stay over night and then in the next day him and the rest of the team drove back to Khartoum. In the morning joined us me and my brothers drinking the morning tea , and then we started to discuss around many issues, then I told them my story of forgetting my things, he looked down for a while then he looked to me with a big smile and he said to me: you know I was just like you, but I have a very good way to remember my things, I always count to three before going out, and that by checking 1- my watch 2- my wallet and 3- my car keys. if there something missing the counting will never come to three, so I know what is the missing thing very easy.

Now I do the same I remembered that story when I forget to take my umbrella one day, and it was a very good weather, but then when I was coming back there was heavy clouds and it started raining, and that's Bergen. from that day I always count to 4, 1- my wallet, 2- my keys, 3- my cell phone and 4- my umbrella.

Try that and you will find it very practical,,,,

see you tomorrow, stay near :)

7 days I will never forget (2)

This last week of my stay in Hordaland, I'm going trough a lot of memories, a full 9 months tape is playing in front of my eyes again, and there fore I find the chance to pause the tape in certain days, moments and experiences, to point on, and share with you here on this spot.

(1) 17-09-08

This day we got a really warm welcome in Bergen train station by Håkon, Susanne and Trude, our contact persons to the red cross in Hordaland. That welcome really made me very ambitious and looking forward to work within the volunteers here in Bergen.

(2) 25-12-08

Christmas vacation was very long , and that was due to the cold winter which restricts voluntarily our movement to avoid the unnecessary moving out in the cold weather. But this day was a special, because me and My college were invited by Marina our colleague who is working in Nepal as youth delegate during her stay for Christmas here in Norway, she took us to a nice tour to Sotra, and then she took us to her family house where we met her father, mother and 2 younger sisters, who received us in a very warm welcome and we all surrounded around a dinner table, before going back to our place. really that was a good day which I Will never forget.

(3) 05-03-09

Experiencing a real cold winter, is something really special, yes I know that the cold weather in Norway is extreme, but how does that looks like?, how a man feels with that? . In this day I found the answers for these questions when I and my colleague Mohamad were participating with the red cross in their winter course in Finse in the middle of Norway 1222 mt from the sea level.

(4) 18-03-09

To do an activity and to get the good result that you were looking for is something very good, that day we take a presentation about human trafficking and Red Cross youth had a presentation about their activities in Stord Island VGS school, we were aiming to spread the word about human trafficking and to get new members from the schools to red cross youth, luckily, recently we have been told that some students are starting up a branch of red cross youth there in Stord, and tat was a real happiness moment came due to that day.

(5) 18-04-09

The visit of my colleagues the youth delegates from all over Norway to my district during the event against Human trafficking that we made with Bergen red cross youth, was really made me very proud and feel very happy, also the brilliant work which has been done by the volunteers here in Bergen that day was a reason of my proud too.

(6) 17-05-09

It was a lot of expectations that made me looking forward with allot of excite to the Norwegian national day, which was amazing really, i was impressed with all these shows and all these crowds of people, and I wondered where does they came from, It was a very good day that I will never forget indeed.

(7) 30-05-09

Austevall, this small Island in the west coast of Norway is a real treasure, full of the natural beauty, all this sea look, green nature and amazing sun set scene. me and my colleague were invited by Susanne the leader of hordaland red cross youth to her family where we spent a very good weekend among that generous Norwegian family.

7 messages in seven days (1)

7 similar Sayings "Ørdtak" in Sudan and Norwy

1- Tomme tønner ramler mest , this mean: empty barrels makes a loud noise. It's the same saying that we use in Sudan.

"البراميل الفارغة تصدر اصواتا مزعجة"

2- Som du sår høster du, means: you reap as you sow. In Sudan we say the same, also there is a funny arabic poetry that sayes " Almahdi throw an arrow and hunted a deer with, but Ali bn Sulaiman hunted a dog with his arrow, so every one should eat what he have gotten.

"رمى المهدي ظبيا شك بالسهم فؤاده, وعلي بن سليمان رمى كلبا فصاده, فهنيئا لهما كل امرئ ياكل زاده"

3- Når katten er borte danser musene på bordet, this means: When the cat is gone the mouse dance on the table. in Sudan we say when moustache owner gone"the cat" the tail owner plays "the mouse"

"غاب اب شنب ولعب اب ضنب"

4- Ikke kast stein i glass hus, this means: don't through stones on glass houses. In Sudan we say if your house is made of glass don't through peoples houses with stones.

"البيتو من قزاز ما يجدع بالطوب"

5- Morgen stund har gull i munn, this means: Morning time is gold in the mouth. In Sudan we say the blessing comes early mornings.

"البركة في البكور"

6- Den må du lenger ut på landet med, this is used if some one told a lie, I'm not sure how to trnslate this correctly to English, but I guess it says "you can tell this to someone out of the country", in Sudan we say "Do you think I'm Indian?" it's just because in the past Indian are not so often comes to Sudan, but in the last 50 years there are so many Indian came to Sudan and they are now very famos as good merchants in Sudan, and of course they are now linked very much with our culture, more over they are fluent in Arabic too, and the funny thing is, now they are using the same Ørtak, one Indian said so to me, which makes me laughing all that day.

"قايلني هندي"

7- Uten mat og drikke, duger helten ikke, this means Without food and drink, the hero is not sufficient. In Sudan there is a saying from Darfur in the west of Sudan sayes " Ithought the sticks holds the blader, but I rialised that the blader is holding the stiks, and that means this man thoght that his legs are holding his stomatch, but he understand that its not any more if he is hungry.

"كنت قايل شعيبة شايلة قريبة, لكن لقيت قريبة شايلة شعيبة"

wait for message (2) tomorrow

Panorama 2008-2009 part (4)

(1)

In our efforts against human trafficking with the Hordaland red cross youth district board we developed a presentation about human trafficking for VGS schools, while they prepared a presentation about Red Cross youth, so we had a combined mission to the schools in the district aiming to spread the word about human trafficking and to inform about red cross youth, and as a result of that now Stord Island will start Red Cross youth group very soon. This picture is during the presentation in Stord VGS school.

(2)

This picture was taken in one of the very beautiful places I have ever been, and that is Ullensvang hotel lying just beside the fjord in Lofthus, where the Hordaland Red Cross had their annual meeting, and we were there me and my college Mohammad, in a position of observers. It was a good experience that we got the chance to see how the district assembly is working as an organization in a democracy process. "Behind me a very beautiful scene from the window of the hotel room, you can see the fjord and the beautiful mountains covered by snow on top".

(3)

This picture was taken in Oslo in March 09 during the stand of the youth delegates within the accompanied activities to the red cross youth districts annual assembly. In the stand the youth delegates was telling about the youth delegates project while other stands has been set just beside our stand about many different other activities and themes. The youth delegates were also involved in the social activities in that gathering beside having a place of observers during the meetings as well.

(4)

This picture was taken after a planning meeting with the new red cross youth group in Dale town, this group had made their kick start activity recently in January in Dale school, on which they recruited 17 volunteers. Me and my college Mohammad joined Susanne and Trude -From red cross youth district board- to this meeting.

(5)

To get to our flat we have to go up to the small road behind me which is going up in about 30 degrees slope, and when snow comes and followed by little rains shower which is so often in Bergen, then it turns to slippery ice carpet, then it's difficult to go up or down without losing balance and may be falling down, and to avoid falling I developed and experienced some new techniques to keep my balance when going up and down this slope, I can mention two of them , the first technique I developed is to kick a stone and step on it during my trip down the slope just to have some Solid object to step on. The other technique is to go up just by the iron fence in the right side of the road catching hands on up to the other end of the road where our flat is laying.