8/16/2008

Voted Worst in Sudan

My list of Worsts actually have categories, similar to the Academy Awards. So, if it is your custom to get into PJ's, make popcorn, cuddle up, by all means do so, cause it'ssssssssssssss



Showtime!



Worst Use of Recycling Centers

And the winner is .............Sudan



In fact, there are no recycling centers in Sudan, but that does not stop them from disposing of all the plastic soda and water bottles. They dispose of them everywhere, in the streets, in shops, in parking lots, at the airport, at the mall, behind your office. You get the picture. Lots of rubbish.



Worst Use of Miss Manner's Rules of Etiquette

And the winner is..............Sudan



Those of us that were taught our please and thank you's, may I's, holding doors for an elder, giving up seats to pregnant women on the bus, etc. Sudan is a hard adjustment. This is one of the aspects of British Colonial Rule that went home with the British. No one uses the arabic word for please. Instead, they say give me, get me, come here, do this, etc. but never with any hint of malice. It's the culture. Take it or Leave it.




Worst Use of Boston's Rules of the Road

And the winner is..............Khartoum, Sudan



Actually, there are rules, but none of them is about patience, letting someone out of a driveway, letting the other person through the intersection first, using your horn only as a warning, staying alert, or obeying traffic signals. In fact, in Sudan, the Yellow caution light comes when changing from Red to Green. This way it is like driving a Funny Car at the Drag Races everytime you enter a vehicle.



Worst Leave it to Beaver Dad

And the winner is...............Sudan



In Sudan, the culture allows physical punishment of your wife and/or children, without the threat of answering to the police. It is a reality, and it does not matter if you are Arab or African, Muslim or Christian, cleric or not, rich or poor, educated or not. It happens, a lot. This culture is all male chief rule. Agencies that would deal with this abuse are non-existent in Sudan. Women and children suffer and not always behind closed doors. It's the culture, Take it or Leave, if you are able.



Worst Red Carpet Gown

And the winner is.............Khartoum, Sudan



The "top" is the traditional woman's cover made of yards of colorful scarf material that actually envelop a woman from head to toes. They are beautiful to say the least. Watching a woman maneuver down the street is akin to watching womens gymnastics. That being said, I had my turn wearing one and I can say two things: first, they are meant to be worn in cold climates, like Alaska, and second, they need to come with an owner's manual or a least a personal dresser.



Worst Use of a Degree in Economics

And the winner is................Sudan



Pretend that you have now graduated with honors from Penn State (main campus, if you please) with a degree in Economics. You return home so excited and are not greeted with "Great job, we are so proud of you", but "the dishes need washing, the clothes need cleaning, the food needs cooking, so and so is looking for a wife." Here in Sudan, as a woman, you will have a higher "Bride Price" if you are not educated. As a woman, or the eldest daughter, you are to run the house and take care of the men. It is the culture. Take it or Leave, if you are able.


Worst Use of a Sandblaster

And the winner is............. the desert of Khartoum, Sudan


The desert wind need to be harnessed. At this time, it merely blows sand everywhere and into everything. Rather than pitting our faces, and making it hard to stay clean during the day, we need to channel the power and use it. In what way, I leave that to you imaginative science individuals. Note though, I do not want it turned into a weapon of war.


Worst Use of a Willing Work Force

And the winner is.................. the government of northern Sudan.


Imagine coming to Khartoum when you are five years old. You are now thirty and have received your education here in Khartoum, you have worked here in Khartoum, you have lived the past twenty-five years of your life in Sudan. And, you are a registered Refugee from Eritria.

However, government policies say that only Sudanese will be offered jobs first. You must carry a certificate that states you are Sudanese. This is a booming economy, so it is said, and those that can go no where else, are losing their jobs.


This is our country, take it or leave it, if you are able.


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