Due to this blog being a school assignment, I have decided that I've learned a lot but I rather not continue with my blog after this post. In honor of this being my last post, I wanted to do a "Day in the Life" kind of thing. What a typical day in Sudan is like. This post will be from my prospective.
Since Sudan is a Muslim country, most people wake up at sunrise to pray their first prayer of the day,Fajir(Muslims pray five times a day). Once they're done with that, they go back to sleeping. In the morning, when fully awake most enjoy a cup of tea with cookies.
After that, the students who need to go to school go, and the people who work go to work. The morning is when activities around the house are to be done, for example cooking and cleaning. Then around Noon is when the next prayer, Duhr, needs to be prayed. After they pray, they eat a meal. I guess you can compare it to breakfast in the U.S. When that's done most enjoy watching television or due to the hot sun, take a nap.
Around four or five o'clock the third prayer, Asr, is prayed. After that, lunch is eaten. Around this time, people usually go run errands and visit people they need too. This is because the sun isn't as hot as Noon time. At sunset, the fourth prayer, Magrib is prayed. Around this time, most events occur such as weddings or parties. If families want to go out, they go around sunset. At around 8 or 9 o'clock, Isha is prayed and dinner is eaten after that. When all the days activities are complete and homework is done, it's time for bed and then a cycle of the day in the morning occurs.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Clothing
This is a topic that is very different in the United States and Sudan. In the U.S, they're are many styles and fashion that come out every year, and I guess you can say that for Sudan as well. However, I do not want to discuss the yearly fashions such as animal print or skinny jeans, but the more tradition dress in these countries.
In the United States, people just go with the flow and wear whatever is fashion. I don't think there is a traditional dress in the states, but there are fashions that will never go out of style. Such as the traditional blue jeans. Jeans originated in Europe in the 1500's and is still being worn today.
In Sudan, they all pretty much dress the same. I believe this is due to the fact that they dress more religiously, rather than trying to make a fashion statement. The women wear head scarfs, hijab in arabic. Here is a video to show how to wear a hijab
In Islam, women are supposed to cover their bodies from their head to feet. The Hijab covers the hair to respect Gods wishes. They also wear what we call abaya. It's a long gown that is predominately black although can be purchased in other colors. This dress covers the female body from the neck all the way down, long like a dress. There are also many different styles of abayas and they will never go out of style.
An abaya looks like this
The Men also have a traditional piece of clothing they wear that will never go out of style. It's call jalabiya. It predominately comes in white but is also available in other colors such as blue or gray. In Islam, men do not have to cover like women do so a jalabiya is more of a traditional wear rather that a religious dress.
Here is what one looks like
The difference between the way Americans dress and the way Sudanese dress is that in Sudan they dress more for religious reasons as in the U.S people wear whatever it is they desire. I'm not saying you have to wear these dresses in Sudan, they wear jeans, skirts, and shorts for the men as well, but this is the traditional way they dress.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Holidays Continued
Like I explained In my previous post, The U.S and Sudan are pretty different when it comes to holidays. Although this is true, they do share one similar holiday.
Sudan and The United States both celebrate New Year's day on the first of January. New Years is a representation of the new year and new beginnings. In The United States, most people celebrate with fire works, new years kisses, and getting drunk with family and friends. In Sudan, the people go out to eat and spend time with family.
There is another holiday celebrated on January 1st in Sudan and that is their Independence from the United Kingdom and Egypt as well. There had been long years of fighting between Britain and Egypt to try to take over Sudan. In 1821, Egypt invaded and conquered Sudan. In the 1890's, Britain sought to gain power over Sudan. The main reason these countries wanted to gain control of Sudan was because of it's great placement with the Nile River. Through the years of fighting, Britain and Egypt decided to have a free vote between the Sudanese to see if they would vote for Independence. Sure enough On January 1, 1956, the Egyptian and British flags were lowered and a Sudanese flag was raised.
In my opinion, Independence day is not really thought of as a big deal. They have celebrations and get-togethers with family, but it's not stressed as a big event.
This differs from The United States because their Independence from Great Britain is celebrated on the fourth of July. Americans celebrate July 4th with picnics, barbecues, parades, carnivals, etc. Britain had control over the 13 colonies up until July 2, 1776, but the actual Declaration in Independence was not signed and official until July 4th, 1776.
Sudan and The United States both celebrate New Year's day on the first of January. New Years is a representation of the new year and new beginnings. In The United States, most people celebrate with fire works, new years kisses, and getting drunk with family and friends. In Sudan, the people go out to eat and spend time with family.
There is another holiday celebrated on January 1st in Sudan and that is their Independence from the United Kingdom and Egypt as well. There had been long years of fighting between Britain and Egypt to try to take over Sudan. In 1821, Egypt invaded and conquered Sudan. In the 1890's, Britain sought to gain power over Sudan. The main reason these countries wanted to gain control of Sudan was because of it's great placement with the Nile River. Through the years of fighting, Britain and Egypt decided to have a free vote between the Sudanese to see if they would vote for Independence. Sure enough On January 1, 1956, the Egyptian and British flags were lowered and a Sudanese flag was raised.
In my opinion, Independence day is not really thought of as a big deal. They have celebrations and get-togethers with family, but it's not stressed as a big event.
This differs from The United States because their Independence from Great Britain is celebrated on the fourth of July. Americans celebrate July 4th with picnics, barbecues, parades, carnivals, etc. Britain had control over the 13 colonies up until July 2, 1776, but the actual Declaration in Independence was not signed and official until July 4th, 1776.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Holidays
In The United States, because there are so many cultures and religions living under one nation, there are also many different holidays celebrated. Examples being Thanksgiving, Christmas, New years, Valentines day, St. Patrick's day, etc. The similarity between Sudan and The U.S.A is that they both celebrate multiple holidays, but Sudan not as many.
Eid Al-Fitr is a religious holiday celebrated every year after the fasting of Ramadan. Ramadan is a whole month of fasting for Muslims. The purpose of the month is to be grateful for what God has blessed us with and to see how it feels to be without food and water. The fasting starts from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Eid is celebrated after the month is over to thank God and celebrate what we have and the people in our lives. The coming of Ramadan is determined by the moon and the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar is a calendar consisting of 12 months based on the movement of the moon and "each month starts when the lunar crescent is first seen after a full moon." There is no fixed date on when Ramadan or Eid will be celebrated each year, they are usually declared by the new moon. Eid in Sudan is traditionally celebrated with a group prayer at all the mosques usually in the morning. Before the prayer is over, there is usually a zakat or charity given to the less fortunate paid by the male figure head for the whole family. There are more than one prayer preformed in case people tend to miss it. After the prayer, people go to visit family, go out to eat, enjoy themselves and spend time with the people they care about. Sometimes gifts of money and chocolate are given to the younger kids.
There is another holiday celebrated in Sudan as well as other Muslim countries called Eid Al-Adha celebrated more or less two months and ten days after Eid Al-Fitr. I say more or less because this holiday as well is determined by the position of the moon. This holiday is celebrated to recognize the prophet Ibrahim or Abraham. The Muslims believe that God or Allah, commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. The Prophet naturally obeyed his Lord and in the middle of sacrificing his son, God sent down a ram in place of his son for listening to him. Now, every year Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat in remembrance of Abraham and his son. In Sudan, on Eid Al-Adha, everyone goes to the mosque for a prayer in the morning. After the prayer, the men usually slaughter the sheep while the women cook. Most families gather all together to celebrate their Prophet and God together.
There are also other holidays that are celebrated and will be mentioned in my next post, thanks for reading.
works cited:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/muslim/eid-al-adha
http://www.islamicity.com/science/islamic_calendar.shtml
Eid Al-Fitr is a religious holiday celebrated every year after the fasting of Ramadan. Ramadan is a whole month of fasting for Muslims. The purpose of the month is to be grateful for what God has blessed us with and to see how it feels to be without food and water. The fasting starts from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Eid is celebrated after the month is over to thank God and celebrate what we have and the people in our lives. The coming of Ramadan is determined by the moon and the Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar is a calendar consisting of 12 months based on the movement of the moon and "each month starts when the lunar crescent is first seen after a full moon." There is no fixed date on when Ramadan or Eid will be celebrated each year, they are usually declared by the new moon. Eid in Sudan is traditionally celebrated with a group prayer at all the mosques usually in the morning. Before the prayer is over, there is usually a zakat or charity given to the less fortunate paid by the male figure head for the whole family. There are more than one prayer preformed in case people tend to miss it. After the prayer, people go to visit family, go out to eat, enjoy themselves and spend time with the people they care about. Sometimes gifts of money and chocolate are given to the younger kids.
There is another holiday celebrated in Sudan as well as other Muslim countries called Eid Al-Adha celebrated more or less two months and ten days after Eid Al-Fitr. I say more or less because this holiday as well is determined by the position of the moon. This holiday is celebrated to recognize the prophet Ibrahim or Abraham. The Muslims believe that God or Allah, commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. The Prophet naturally obeyed his Lord and in the middle of sacrificing his son, God sent down a ram in place of his son for listening to him. Now, every year Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat in remembrance of Abraham and his son. In Sudan, on Eid Al-Adha, everyone goes to the mosque for a prayer in the morning. After the prayer, the men usually slaughter the sheep while the women cook. Most families gather all together to celebrate their Prophet and God together.
There are also other holidays that are celebrated and will be mentioned in my next post, thanks for reading.
works cited:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/muslim/eid-al-adha
http://www.islamicity.com/science/islamic_calendar.shtml
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Leisure time
While I'm sure we all like to go to the movies, mall, or hang out with friends, there's very much to do in Sudan as well.
With the first mall built in the Capital of Khartoum, Sudan in the city of Arkaweet, It was a great way people like to spend their time. It had many restaurants, a market, a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a small outside fair. This mall however, was burned down in May 2012. The source of the fire is still not detected.
Another way people like to spend their time in Sudan is by going to a place they call Nile Street or in arabic, "Shari'a Al-Nil." It's a beautiful area around the blue Nile. Most people like to take blankets to have picnics along the concrete walls near the river.
There are also many foreign restaurants people like to spend their time at. There are several called Amwaj, Laziz, Pizza corner, and my personal favorite Ozone. Many people of Sudan as well as foreigners that go there such as Americans, all enjoy the food of these places very much. These restaurants serve food such as burgers, pizza, fries, and chicken nuggets. To please their customers, they also serve desert as well. Ozone for example offers red velvet cupcakes and gelato.
Shopping is an important pass time that keeps people occupied. Whether it's grocery shopping or just shopping for clothes, the "Souq" or store is convenient for both needs. In Sudan, the name of the "Souq" is depending on where it it located. For example, There is a city named "Omdurman" which contains a store/ market called "Souq Omdurman." Many people set up stands in the market ans sells their items. There are stands for fruits, vegetables, jewelry clothes, and much more set up in the "Souq."
In the United States, there are also malls, restaurants, and markets which people go to to spend their leisure time.
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afra_Mall
http://wikitravel.org/en/Khartoum
With the first mall built in the Capital of Khartoum, Sudan in the city of Arkaweet, It was a great way people like to spend their time. It had many restaurants, a market, a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a small outside fair. This mall however, was burned down in May 2012. The source of the fire is still not detected.
Another way people like to spend their time in Sudan is by going to a place they call Nile Street or in arabic, "Shari'a Al-Nil." It's a beautiful area around the blue Nile. Most people like to take blankets to have picnics along the concrete walls near the river.
There are also many foreign restaurants people like to spend their time at. There are several called Amwaj, Laziz, Pizza corner, and my personal favorite Ozone. Many people of Sudan as well as foreigners that go there such as Americans, all enjoy the food of these places very much. These restaurants serve food such as burgers, pizza, fries, and chicken nuggets. To please their customers, they also serve desert as well. Ozone for example offers red velvet cupcakes and gelato.
Shopping is an important pass time that keeps people occupied. Whether it's grocery shopping or just shopping for clothes, the "Souq" or store is convenient for both needs. In Sudan, the name of the "Souq" is depending on where it it located. For example, There is a city named "Omdurman" which contains a store/ market called "Souq Omdurman." Many people set up stands in the market ans sells their items. There are stands for fruits, vegetables, jewelry clothes, and much more set up in the "Souq."
In the United States, there are also malls, restaurants, and markets which people go to to spend their leisure time.
Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afra_Mall
http://wikitravel.org/en/Khartoum
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Q and A
I actually decided that it would be a good idea to dedicate this post to any questions that my readers may have. I may do this a couple of times throughout my journey of blog writing to connect with my readers. Questions I have received so far include:
1) How exactly is the Sudanese school system similar to ours?
The point I was trying to make is that examinations are important in both school systems. Without exams, continuing any type of education is almost impossible.
2) Did I ever take the college exam in Sudan?
I actually did not, however I did take an exam to get into a good school while living there for a short amount of time. In the United States, there is an enrollment process to register a child in school and same with Sudan. I took multiple exams at different schools which in my opinion weren't very easy.
3) Do I have an estimate of how high the drop out rate is in Sudan?
I actually do not, this piece of Information was very difficult for me to find, but I do know many personally that did not continue their education after a certain time.
4) What is on the final exam?
The exam in order to get into a good university contains everything that the students have learned in their 11th year in high school.
5) How are these tests in comparison to United States end of year exams?
The end of year exams in the United States contain all the information the student has learned throughout the year, the same with Sudan. They both test the knowledge of how much you learned throughout the year, and the capabilities to move on to the next grade.
6) What happens to the Muslims in South Sudan and the Christians in North Sudan?
Nothing happens to them, they are free to live where ever they like but sometimes they might feel discriminated against.
1) How exactly is the Sudanese school system similar to ours?
The point I was trying to make is that examinations are important in both school systems. Without exams, continuing any type of education is almost impossible.
2) Did I ever take the college exam in Sudan?
I actually did not, however I did take an exam to get into a good school while living there for a short amount of time. In the United States, there is an enrollment process to register a child in school and same with Sudan. I took multiple exams at different schools which in my opinion weren't very easy.
3) Do I have an estimate of how high the drop out rate is in Sudan?
I actually do not, this piece of Information was very difficult for me to find, but I do know many personally that did not continue their education after a certain time.
4) What is on the final exam?
The exam in order to get into a good university contains everything that the students have learned in their 11th year in high school.
5) How are these tests in comparison to United States end of year exams?
The end of year exams in the United States contain all the information the student has learned throughout the year, the same with Sudan. They both test the knowledge of how much you learned throughout the year, and the capabilities to move on to the next grade.
6) What happens to the Muslims in South Sudan and the Christians in North Sudan?
Nothing happens to them, they are free to live where ever they like but sometimes they might feel discriminated against.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Religious views
As you can see, there isn't a wide range of religion in north or south Sudan. In America you have, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Atheists.
Works Cited:
"Sudan News - Breaking World Sudan News - The New York Times."Times Topics - The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/index.html
Kushkush, Isma'il. "South Sudan to bring big changes - CNN." Featured Articles from CNN. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-05/world/sudan.changes_1_peace-and-success-south-sudan-sudanese-official?_s=PM:WORLD>.
"Sudan / Religions - LookLex Encyclopaedia." LookLex [Travel guides / Encyclopaedia / Language course]. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. <http://looklex.com/e.o/sudan.religions.htm
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