At the risk of sounding overdramatic, these last few days have been hell, so prepare yourselves for a good rant. Everything that could go wrong has, and nothing has gone right. I can't even count the number of times I've just broken into tears in front of complete strangers - it usually helps you get what you want faster, actually.
The first step was going to the police station, then getting my old phone number back, then asking the airline if they could refund my ticket to the south (also stolen), then realizing the ticket hadn't been written on the list of stolen items on the police report, so back to the police station. Each of these trips, of course, costs time, money, and wears down on your patience as everyone wants to chat with you, ask you where you're from, what happened when the bag was stolen, etc - and you just want to finish your business and get the hell out of there. Back to the airline, they say the head of the office is at a different office - go to Street 15. I go to Street 15, they say he's at the airport. I go BACK to the airport... it goes on and on like this. The embassy was probably the worst of all. To issue me a new passport, they wanted a birth certificate and all sorts of original ID that of course, I didn't have. So my parents had to take some things to a Passport Canada office in Ottawa. I had to bus back downtown to get passport photos taken. Come back to the embassy only to have the guard tell me they're closed and won't let me in. Go back the next day. They tell me it will cost close to $300 to get the new passport. I don't have enough money with me. Add on another trip. Throughout this whole process, the phone I am using (a backup to the one that was stolen) is acting disfunctional. Today, I go buy a new one, only to get home and find that it doesn't charge itself - ie. it's broken.
Today, I realized I have been back in Khartoum for 11 days (at $50 a night I might add) and have achieved absolutely nothing. I need to accomplish something soon before my spirit is totally crushed. Today, I hired a translator to help me to through an interview I would use - they ask for so much money, and then they translate worse than I do on my own!
Ok, I think I have gotten it all out of my system. May tomorrow be a new day...
2 comments:
Hey Heba,
Alhamdullah that you are safe and in a good health and InshAllah things will work for the best.
I am praying for you and Inshallah Allah will make it easy for you to get your passport and all what you need to come back safely. Sometimes we need to learn what we need to learn in a the harshest way but that's okay too coz we know how to manage and move on latet.
Just look after your self and be safe hun.
Love you and May Allah be with you habebti..
Heba.. Mohamad was telling us you created a serious problem in his village. Apparently, you were such a huge (and popular) novelty there, he was given a rough time by those few people who were not able to make it in time to see "Heba" or were not able to crash the group gatherings were you were! According to him, you would win the election if you ran there :-) If indeed you will stay in Sudan, I know now you can have a job there :-)
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