Taha in Norway

Warm greetings from Khartoum (7)

2009-06-29T16:45:00.005+02:00

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)

2009-06-12T11:55:00.003+02:00

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)

2009-06-10T23:41:00.006+02:00

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)

2009-06-09T23:11:00.006+02:00

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)

2009-06-07T17:50:00.005+02:00

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)

2009-06-06T09:23:00.009+02:00

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)

2009-06-05T23:52:00.012+02:00

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)

2009-06-01T02:55:00.005+02:00

(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.

Panorama 2008-2009 part (3)

2009-05-31T23:59:00.004+02:00

(1)

This picture was taken in January 09, during a stand against human trafficking in Bergen city centre. In the picture Trude "volunteer from Bergen" was selling me in an auction conducted during the activity, every one from those who saw the role play was surprised and wondered if something like this is still happening in this world, and the answer was simply yes, it's happening every day even though it takes many different types and ways. I think that Bergen red cross youth are doing a great job against human trafficking and we got the chance to be a part of this great group in the west of Norway.

(2)

Fløyen, this beautiful mountain in Bergen city has a special place in my memories, I have been on the top of this mountain several times, sometimes joining Red Cross youth , and sometimes with friends, the scene to the city from Fløyen is very beautiful, and you can see the Northern sea from there as well. I like that mountain very much, and I hope to go in Hiking trip to it once more before I leave to my country.

(3)

In this picture I was plying Santa clause role during the Christmas dinner in Hordaland district office. It was quite funny role play actually within the social programme that evening.

(4)

This picture was taken with involve your self campaign group, in that day we participated in 2 shows in Oskøy and Fana VGS schools, the shows included by theater shows and presentations about human trafficking. Many organization are participating on this campaign in Norway including the Red Cross youth. More information can be found on the campaign web badge, just click the link above to visit .

(5)

This picture was taken in Bergen city centre last September, I'm sure I will never forget this charming city.

,,, stay near, tomorrow there is more :) ,,,

Panorama 2008-2009 part (2)

2009-05-30T01:14:00.004+02:00

(1)

This was an interview with Christina, she was the leader of Multi-mix group in Bergen red cross youth, the group has been rewarded in that day by Bergen municipality as an active youth group.

(2)

This picture was taken during a blood donation stand in front of the student centre in Bergen city in Halloween day, this activity is runs by the students group and we had the chance to participate in similar stand also during Valentin day too. The stand was for recruiting blood donors and to give out information about red cross activities. In the picture there are some children from kindergarten with their supervisor having some candies and "SMALL" information by the student group.

(3)

This picture was taken in Oslo in the red cross head quarter, while we were having a role play about human trafficking during the Human trafficking seminar with my colleges the youth delegates in Norway. In this picture appears also Sandra Melina from Colombia in the right side and Aline Ferry from Rwanda in the left side.

(4)

This picture has been taken in Oslo during the youth delegates training course in Haroldshiem Hostel, appearing behind me the professional photographer who was teaching us some skills of taking good photos that day.

(5)

This photo is in front of the lion Statue, it's one of so many Statues that are laying and standing every where in the beautiful city of Bergen.

,,, stay near, tomorrow there is more :) ,,,

Panorama 2008-2009 part (1)

2009-05-29T22:12:00.003+02:00

(1)

This was a presentation about Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers structure to the Hordaland Red Cross youth during weekend gathering in September last year.

(2)

This was a presentation about Sudan to the Multi-mix group in Bergen city, this group is a natural place to meet socially with other volunteers and participants that are new to Bergen/red cross youth.

(3)

This picture was taken with the international humanitarian law group, while they are having an educational game about rules in war.

(4)

This picture taken by Susanne L F, the leader of red cross youth in hordaland, she is a sophisticated and professional volunteers leader. the picture is in front of the small lake in December 2008, before Christmas, you can see the lake water is frozen because f cold weather.

(5)

This picture is with Susanne's family in September, it was in the first week of our arrival to Bergen, we gathered around dinner table with her family and also Trude who is appearing in the picture, she was a youth delegate in Lebanon last year, and she was leader of Bergen red cross youth, and recently she has been assigned to the district board.

,,, stay near, tomorrow there is more :) ,,,

Home calling (1)

2009-05-27T14:04:00.003+02:00

Yes, it's true that now we are approaching the end, now I can see it from here, my home city Kassala, and I can feel my first steps down in Khartoum airport, in 20th of June evening, and I wonder how will it looks like? . Yes I'm very excited now to that day, more than every time before.

But,,, still I feel like I have many things that I haven't done with yet, many things that I haven't seen before, but now I can see them very well, and I Say to my self this shouldn't be like this, we must do something to make it better,but no time, the timer already started to countdown in the opposite direction now, tik, tik, tik, 17, 16, 15. My current plans needs more moves, quicker steps, I hope that I will be able to finish it, even though it's not that much things to do, but still I feel really like in hurry.

Norwegian has a very nice saying (Ordtak) a friend of mine told me with, and that is "Borte bra, men hjemme best" that means to be out side is good but to be in your country is the best.

Scene to Bergen city from our Flat

2009-05-21T19:29:00.008+02:00

It's 23:00 pm, if I wasn't here I wouldn't believe that dust time can last until this late, even though it's more lighter further North, I'm sure that our friends in Bodø and Tromsø enjoying mid night sun right now. This is Norway. (front scene to the city from our flat in Laksevåg, Bergen).

This is the same scene during new years Eve, it's giving an overview to big space from Bergen city, and also the view is from high angle down to the city because the flat is on mountains area, so it was a great chance to see most of the fire works in the city.

The same scene during snow storm in December last year. because it rains too much here in Bergen so snow can be melt quickly.

Gratulerer med dagen Røde Kors

2009-05-18T15:55:00.003+02:00

I was looking forward to be in the parade in 17th of May celebration with the Red Cross column, since I have heard about how fun will it be from so many people. And yesterday I was very impressed really to see these waves of people full of happiness in the city centre, watching the parade, which is really deserves to be watched, I feel like being in the past but in a very modern edition, with all these national dresses and the carnival of classic cars, classic bicycles, dances, and many good things.

Red Cross column was full of life and love to the people who really react very nice to what red cross volunteers doing, clapping to them and saying after tem their slogans, "røde kors i morgan, Gratulerer med dagen, hipp hipp, Hurra hurra hurra".

After that all together we went to the red cross activity house and enjoyed the Norwegian traditional rømmegrøt

Celebrating 150 years of the Red Cross movement in Hordaland

2009-05-10T18:10:00.004+02:00

From 15:00 to 17:00 many volunteers participated in the event which has been organised by Bergen Red Cross, to spread out information about Red Cross in the city centre, just some leaflets and fliers to be handed out to every one in the street.

some volunteers has really creative ways to have peoples attention, like that one who was walking on a rope that he tie it between the two trees in front of Bergen red cross activity house, the way which leads to Fløyen mountain which is one of the tourist places in Bergen, so the street was crowded with people going and coming, while he is walking on his rope, some people approach him, and then he smiles and lets them to try walk over his rope, and during that he tell them about Red Cross and hand some leaflets to them.

Me and my college Mohammad were also distributing leaflets in the city center, during that day for one hour and then... no thing left all the leaflets has been distributed by the volunteers, I'm not sure how much was it, but I think it was too much quantity, every one just came over and tokes what he can, and went out spreading, talking, enhancing red cross 150 years.

Next day with Trude and Ruth from red cross youth in Hordland, we went to Voss where we participated with the local branch in their stand, which was really full of activities, many old women "volunteers" making food and coffee, first aid group was just near to us having a competition, and the local red cross branch as well.

2 sudanese In the winter land

2009-05-06T13:13:00.000+02:00

Fine winter coure with Search and rescue group

can you imagine how cold was that day?,,

I will tell you something; to understand how cold was that, just think about some one who used to average of 35 degrees in his normal life which also can exceed to 45 degrees in the summer, imagine if this person came to a country where the temperature is cold but bellow zero degrees are so often in the winter, but even though imagine when somebody from that cold place to tell you that he will take you to spend some time in "a very cold place" if this expression came from someone who used on cold winter, then of course I will be afraid to go, but also I was so excited to see how will it work, because I know that there will be some arrangements to keep somebody worm somehow.

The temperature was -5 degrees bellow zero which is cold, but the problem was the wend, it's true that the wind can multiply the weather cold when it comes, and imagine to stay out there for 4 hours.

to make it little near to those who doesn't experience this, I will give an example, which the fridge temperature when it make ice then that cold is zero degree, so we were in -10 fridges at that day :)

But the arrangement were very good, Me and my college were wearing a special suits which are really worm, in addition to extra jackets sweaters and even wool underwear, gloves, sacks, and also there was a special wind cover which we put on while we were out side, to keep our bodies more protected, but still i was feel with cold, ohhh it was really especial experience that I have had in my entire life.

this was quit funny experience, when I tried my very first skiing on my life, I thought it's as easy as I'm seeing it on TV, but then I found my self loosing my balance down to the snow for more that fifty times I guess, after many tries I just headed to one of the sloops and sat on the skies down, it was so nice experience.

this trench is one of the regulations that the search and rescue groups use to protect the victim from the wind after they get to find him until they evacuate him to the medical care.

This snow cave is also something amazing, can you imagine that the temperature inside is only zero while it's bellow zero with many degrees outside?
we have been told that it's even can be more warmer by using special sleeping bags and when you breath your body will take care of warming you up, and then you can sleep your night in there without any problems.

this is when me, my college and Håkon our contact person were digging our snow trench. the snow was very deep, and it was hard to move over smoothly, it's too soft to carry such load of flesh over. so I was trying to touch lightly the surface trying not to sunk down in the snow.

Activities with asylum home group in Bergen city

2009-05-04T16:20:00.000+02:00

Hiking trip to Fløyen with the asylum seekers:
The first activity with the asylum home group in Bergen city was hiking trip to Fløyen Mountain, where we and about 10 of the youth from the asylum home in Bergen were participating in addition to the group and Susanne from the Red Cross youth district board. Most of the participant were Arabic speakers, some of them speaks English and one of them is multi language he can speak Norwegian too, our role was to help the group starting up, and we found ourselves helping somehow on establishing a communication between the group and the Arabic speakers passing the messages in Arabic and back in English. At the end Susanne told them about multi-mix activity too if they are interested to join in the coming future, and they were very interested on the Red Cross youth activities, asking many questions, and luckily they got most of the answers they need.

Social gathering in the asylum home:
On 22nd of April we met the group and the 10 participant on the administration office of the asylum home, the activity was to know each other and to make some plans for new activities, and the group hanged some made some nice posters with some alternatives, so as to be used as a check list, but also the new ideas from the participant were welcomed during the discussion as well. Finally they agreed on having hiking trips, visit the aquarium, climbing sessions, swimming sessions, barbecuing and making food. So they started to have the plans setted for May and June according to these results of the wishes of the asylum seekers.

Hiking trip to Løvstakken Mountain:

Seems we are going to experience all the seven mountains in Bergen, I wonder why I didn’t started these trips earlier, and why I missed all this pleasure all this time, perhaps because I wasn’t able to realise how beautiful is those mountains and the city view from up there. This time we went with the asylum seekers to the mountain of Løvstakken, it’s one of the seven mountains surrounding the city of Bergen, 477 meter above sea level, Located west of the center of Bergen, and has a great views from the top to Gullsteinen and Nordaasvannet in south, Fyllingsdalen in west the Bergen fjord in north and the center of Bergen in east with great hiking paths.

We spent a great time up there, while the weather was wet and foggy in the beginning but then suddenly it turned to be sunny and more beautiful, and this is one of the habits of this charming city, it can suddenly turn to an unexpected weather type, so that I always have some extra clothes, umbrella and sun glasses with me.

We are looking forward now to a tour to the all seven mountains which is going to be on the 24th of may, and it seems like a public rally will take place that day since many people from Bergen city and perhaps from other places in Norway are going to participate too.

As a preparation for the next activity which is going to be in the asylum home administration office in Bergen, on 1st of April me and my college Mohammad went there and hanged a poster made by the activity group, and we talked to some of the asylum seekers and some of the officers in there in order to commerce for the coming activity.

Red Cross youth-Human Trafficking stand, Bergen, Norway

2009-05-04T01:13:00.000+02:00

Almost all the youth delegates in Norway, in addition to 2 volunteers from Telemark, 2 from Akershus, and 2 from Oslo university student group, were gathered due to an invitation from Bergen Red Cross youth to participate in a long weekend full of activities against human trafficking. (18th to 20th of April 09).

A series of really long, but interesting and successful events, started Saturday morning in Torgallmenningen yard. Luckily, the weather was beautiful and the sun was shining all day, and all over the yard there was crowds of people hanging around enjoying that weather, while red cross volunteers moving around telling them about human trafficking and collecting money for the Red Cross projects against human trafficking outside Norway.

It’s not the first time that I have been "sold" here, but this time Colombian, Nepalese and Norwegian beauties were "sold" too. It was amazing this time. Trude, the slave seller calling and burning up the competition and a lot of people paid attention to what we were doing, and many of them contributed and donated money to the campaign, by the end of the day we were able to collect some NoKs, and to distribute a lot of flyers and information around.

Next day was a fun hiking trip to Fløyen Mountain, and sightseeing trip afterword around the beautiful Bergen. Some of the volunteers and the guests participated in this activity, and it was so much fun that day.

Last day started with a stand in front of the student centre in Bergen to spread information about human trafficking, but also to advertise for the humanitarian forum in the evening in Bergen University.

At the evening, 55 people came to the small auditorium in Bergen university with plans to participate in the humanitarian forum about Human trafficking. It was started by Sandra Milena and John Freddy, the two Colombian youth delegates. Then a police officer spoke about human trafficking, but gave a legal perspective to the problem for. It was an interesting presentation were the participants asked a lot of questions during his speech. Then Jennifer from Rwanda gave a speech about human trafficking in her country. And after that we rapped it up with a movie about a project in Nepal which was also meaningfull and interesting.

At the end I would like to say that I’m very proud of what Bergen Red Cross youth have done this weekend, and also our guests, the volunteers from the other districts and the youth delegates. I hope that they will continue their amazing performance and team working.

بلاد العم سام

2009-03-27T23:28:00.000+01:00

سبعة اشهر مضت منذ حضوري الى بلاد العم سام، فترة لا استطيع ان اصفها الا بانها تجربة فريدة من نوعها، تميزت بالكثير من المتناقضات حسب تقديري ذلك ان طبيعة البلاد هذه طبيعة منفتحة نحو جميع الثقافات البشرية، و من هذه النقطة كان الثراء بالتناقضات و التي من شأنها ان تضيف الكثير لخبرة انسان اتي من مناطق محافظة تميزت بضيق التجربة مع الثقافات الاخرى أو قل فلترتها بحيث تنسجم مع ما يتماشى و القيم السائدة في مجتمعنا، فمن هذا المنطلق كانت تجربة بلاد العم سام ثرة من حيث الاضافة لتجربتي مع ثقافات اخرى مختلفة و متنوعة الى حد ما، و هنا لابد ان اذكر ان هذه البلاد هي من اغنى بلاد اوربا و هذا ما اكده لي اكثر من قابلتهم من الشباب النرويجيون هنا، و لهذا السبب بالاضافة الى انفتاح البلاد فهي تعتبر وجهة للكثير من طالبي اللجوء و العمالة الوافدة من شتى بقاع الدنيا، الناظر للطريق العام يرى مختلف السحنات من افريقيا، و اسيا و امريكا اللاتينية، زنوجا و عربا و لاتينيون و اسيويون. عدد كبير منهم يتحدث اللغة النرويجية، لسهولة التعامل مع المجتمع اذ ان المحال التجارية و سيارات النقل العام و المصانع و اي مكان يخطر على بالك يمكن ان تجد فيه جزء من العمالة الوافدة اي ان المعاملة لهؤلاء تتم على قدر كبير من الاريحية و القبول، فمن هنا لابد لهم من تعلم لغة اهل البلد ليسهل التعامل مع الجمهور عند التعاملات المختلفة و التبادل التجاري.

يتبع.

First break fast on Air

2008-10-09T16:01:00.000+02:00

It was the first day in Ramadan the Holly month, 1st of September 2008, the day of which we suppose to leave to Norway me and my college Mohammad. Unusual day,, full of action, exactly like what we see in movies. we are not fully prepared yet to travel because we have some procedures we have to follow so as to be able to leave at 15:00 pm. Mohammad has to see the national service to get permission from them, then together we have to have yellow fever vaccination and to get the certificate as attachment to the passports, then we have to get the exit visas. to do this we started moving early by National service office to get Mohammad's permission, and that was from 7:30 to 10:45 am, during that I went to the Red Crescent head quarter to see the public relationship officer to get the passports for yellow fever vaccination. After that I drove back to pickup Mohammad and suddenly I mad an accident with the car and it was horribly affected, and I'm very lucky that I didn't get hurt. So I called Mohammad by phone and I asked hem to take a taxi back to Red Crescent head quarters, while I have to pull the car to head quarters too and to inform the owner to get it from there, after paying the cost of fixing of course. then the first challenge was over, and we started the second phase by taking my motorcycle from head quarters heading to the hospital for the yellow fever vaccination, and we finished with that at 1:30 pm. then we went back to head quarter and we gave our passports to the public relationship officer for the exit visa, and we succeeded with that by 14:30, then we parked the motorcycle and we took red Crescent car back to our house and we picked up our luggage, and finally,,, we are in the air port. at 15:00 pm. while a driver from Red Crescent came and took the car back.
Long trip from Khartoum through Cairo and Amsterdam up to Oslo, took around 14 hours with connections. started at 18:00 pm from Khartoum, ended at 11: am next day in Oslo.
we started fasting in Khartoum before departure, and we had our first breakfast in Ramadan on the Air, the captain of Egypt airlines was not sure when is the breakfast time exactly, so he told us to Waite until he observes sunset and then he will declare FATOUR for us. I was so hungry looking out of the window, and the sun refused to set down, woo, we are 36000 feet up, so how it goes down while we are up with her??? . Finally captain declared FATOUR at 19:16 pm after 1 and half hour flying from Khartoum,