Christmas and New Year's in Juba

I was supposed to leave South Sudan this Saturday, 15 December.  But as there is no pressing need for me elsewhere, and the South Sudan regular program Financial Coordinator is going on a break, I will be staying 3 more weeks to replace him.  I should now leave Juba around 5 January, probably with a week of break before heading out somewhere again.

So I will be spending another Christmas and New Year’s in the field.  I love that!  First, I hate cold weather.  My last 7 Christmases have been in Africa, and even the thought of a white Christmas sends chills up my spine.  It is also special to spend these holidays with co-workers from different backgrounds and cultures.  Each one adds his or her own flavour to the festivities.  

I am sure that we will eat well.  Our habitual cooking crew is a Georgian (the country, not the state), an Italian and me the Franco-American.  This team will certainly assure a wide and varied Christmas dinner.  The market near our house has nearly everything we could possibly need, and there are some large grocery stores which cater to the non-nationals for a price.

Planning ahead, I purchased small gifts in November when I was in Lyon, so everyone will have a Christmas present.  There should be around 12 of us.  We will probably do some kind of gift exchange as well.

I found some really cheesy fake Christmas trees in one of the larger expatriate stores here, but they are very expensive.  So I think we will improvise on the decorations.  “Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Falalalala, la la la la”!  Someday I am going to have to grow up.  But it will certainly not happen during the Christmas season.