The essentials

I watched an episode of The West Wing last night. I’ve watched them probably six times before, back to back, but I still enjoy them.

The episode I watched yesterday was the second to last episode that was ever made, and focus on the transition between President Bartlet and President-elect Santos.

C.J. Gregg, the chief of staff, is getting a lot of job offers, and can’t really decide. Enter: Frank Hollis. Multimillionaire ala Bill Gates. He offers her 10 billion US dollar to help the developing world. He suggests fighting malaria or other health initiatives.

C.J. wants to build roads. And boreholes.

All I can say – come to Sudan, C.J.

What is this? Something at home has changed?

A lot of my friends that probably reads this blog have been traveling a bit, and are used to the idea of moving around. And one thing that always struck me is that everything seems to be the same when you go back. Rationally you know it’s not. Someone had a baby, some else got a new job, a couple broke up, another one found each other… But not real significant changes – to your life. You just experienced a lot, learned new stuff and has become somewhat of a different person than when you left. But all those things that happened at home, they happened without you, and therefore don’t really concern you. Until now.

A couple of days ago I got an e-mail from my sister telling me that my parents had bought an apartment and was planning on moving. Which in itself is not so dramatic. But this means that they would have to leave their home of over 30 years. My childhood home. The house I’ve celebrated 26 Christmases in. The house where I used to jump down the stairs at age two. The house where my sister got her (now) deformed finger squashed in the door. The house where I used to sneak-read (if that’s even a word) my books under the blanket. The house where David and Motoko lived with us. The house that is so familiar and holds most of my childhoods memories.

But I realized that this is not my home anymore. And I have no need for it anymore. My home is the general idea of Bodø. The small town, with all it’s fantastic people. And my home is my own apartment in Bodø. When I sit here in Juba, longing for home, it’s my home I want. Not my parents’ home. That house is just that – a memory. And these memories are still here, long after the house stopped having a emotional connection to me. So I’m fine with my parents’ decision. I think it a smart decision, and a sensible one. And it is very exciting that they’re are taking this huge step. I’m happy for them.

But it will be strange to come home and experience a change that affects me as well.

New adventures

I started this blog went I left Norway to go to Cape Town for 6 months. That was back in the beginning of 2006. I was attending University of Cape Town, and thought that blogging might help me tell the stories of my adventures in CT, hence the name. And it did. At first I wrote in Norwegian, I thought that most of my readers would be friends back in Norway, but soon discovered that also my new international friends in CT wanted to read. And especially after my return to Norway, the followers changed. Now it was my South African, German, American, Kenyan, Swiss or Canadian friends that wanted to follow my doings. So I switched to English. And kept it that way. Not long after South Africa, I journeyed on a new adventure. To Kenya to finish up my master thesis, and to spend time with my great friend Christina. But after the two months in Kenya, this blog has been practical dead. With the exceptions of a few cold hearted attempts to write while in Norway.

So, for the sole reason of getting this blog up and running, I’ve venture on a new adventure. I’ve moved to Sudan.

I now live in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. I arrived here a couple of weeks ago, and are slowly getting settled in. You know those first few weeks in a new city? You’re trying to figure out where everything is, what the shortest route to work is, where to go for the cheapest bread, or the best coffee? Well, it’s like that down here… times ten. Not only do I need to find out where everything is, but I need to remember it as well. You might think that that’s a stupid thing to say. But here in Juba, everything changes. It a different city by night, or when the dust has settled… And places just don’t, for some strange reason, look them same as they did the last time. But I’m slowing getting into the groove of Juba. I found the best coffee place. Great coffee and air-conditioned! What more can you wish for.

Anyway, I’m down here. And will be for a while. The blog will be updated.