Commenting Back

12/11 5:08pm

Title: Commenting back

Hello Tom!
I’m sitting here in the middle of the yard of the CCF guesthouse, with the pc and satellite modem, reading your and other people’s comments. Thanks for helping out with the team back home and for staying in touch with us out here; it really makes a difference. I’m also looking forward to being back home. I’ve already been thinking so much about how to do more. Please say hi to your wife and beautiful baby; see you soon!

Hi Patty Williams:
The Oregon forest sounds pretty nice! There’s not much green out here in Eastern Chad. I love the desert, but trees can be wonderful also. My diet has not been the best either. Again, there are not many greens to be had. I shouldn’t really complain; I’ve had more than enough calories each day; too many, maybe, since I’ve been drinking the coke with all of its regular sugar; no diet coke out here, no matter how hard I look. I also eat a lot of simple sugars, coming from the white bread; there’s no whole-wheat bread and no whole grain rice; not much fruit either. I’ve had to eat some red meat, which I had not been doing for about fifteen years. There are just not many options though. Wow, thinking about food is making me hungry. I could sure use a turkey burger right about now!

Hey Tere:
Wow, Patty in the forest of Oregon and you in Puerto Vallarta. I’ve seen a lot of sand, but there are no oceans close to Chad. I’ve felt a bit restless today, used to running out to the camps, coming back to work on the videos, and then uploading in the middle of the night. I’ve been thinking a lot about the beautiful people I met along the way. The story and faces that keep coming back to me are the ones belonging to Farha and her sisters. As it gets close to being dark, I think of her having to be the strength and comfort for her siblings, with her father dead and her mother away for a month and a half. Camp Oure Cassoni is also the one at which the refugees feel unsafe, even inside of the camp. I hope her mother gets back soon.

5:30pm

Title: Commenting back

Hey Maria N:
That is a great question you ask: Are the Sudanese refugees that are born in the camps inside of Chad recognized by the Chadian government as citizens? I do not have the answer, but I will go look for it tomorrow, Monday. Thanks for staying with us, Mary. How’s soc. 164 at MSMC going? When do you go out on Christmas vacation? I’m looking forward to see you all soon.

Hola mi Zaharita!
Si, vamos a tener cuidado por aca. Creo que ha estado todo tranquilo aqui; cuando menos no hemos oido de nada malo. Dales un abrazo a Mimi y a mi Gabo-gabo-gabo. Ya pronto vamos a la playa de verdad, en Hermosa.

Hello Irma!
Yes, I did get this way before starting the journey back home. We’re still in Abeche tonight and tomorrow, and then we fly out to the capital on Tuesday and to Paris and home on Wednesday night. I’m also kind of looking forward to the long flights home; it will be a chance to “decompress” at high altitude. A big hug to you and all the little ones!

Pam:
Thank you so much for that info on Chad; very interesting! It’s curious that there is no mention of the three generals that resigned; it’s supposed to be a pretty big deal. It was interesting to hear Akaye speak about his feelings about the refugee situation. Akaye, our Chadian interpreter, was saying that he believe that the people of Chad should be very welcoming of the Darfurian refugees. He says it is the right thing to do because they are people, just the same as those on this side of the border. He also said, though, that you just never know when things could go wrong in Chad, and it could be Chadians pouring out of their country looking for safety with the neighbors. I think that many here have a sense of a deteriorating political and safety situation. Part of my heart will be staying in this border area.

Hey Juan Carlos:
It was such a strange feeling seeing confirmation of the upload of Day 21, sitting here in this garden at about 1:30am last night. I’m still not sure how we all pulled it off, but it was definitely a team effort. All the people that work out here at the different agencies are also very amazed. They had not quite seen “journalists” like us! Hey, it was really cool getting messages from you and all of your family (little Brandon is excused, until he learns how to write). Lex, we’ll be able to bring some great material to your Amnesty International Club at Redondo Union High. Tell hi to Mom, and good luck with transcribing her writing :-)