Jackfruit

Okay so yesterday's blog post might have been a little weird. My blog posts often are a way for me to reflect through the various emotions and thoughts that go through my head. They are pretty raw, without much editing, and for the most part they are not censored, though there will be things I will not post in them.

However, what I really wanted to focus on saying today is how beautiful I think South Sudan is. It may not be conventional beauty that we might picture when we think of a country or a place. I have yet to find a beach with white sand and perfect blue water. Also, this is a landlocked country so there is no ocean. Semantics...

Anyways, the beauty here comes from appreciating what they do have and not comparing it to what western society looks like. The is beauty in other ways. There is so much interesting vegetation. I am lucky to be able to walk through the compound's gardens and see different cacti and flowers and lots of different bushes and trees I am learning to identify.

At breakfast the other morning I discovered a tree growing large jackfruits while I was eating on the veranda. I've only ever seen jackfruit like this since coming here. It is so large and oddly shaped. The fruit that grows on the trees is interesting and there is a lot more than might be expected. The fruit tastes great too. Bananas and oranges and pineapple. There are many fruits in season now, and more when the rains start in a few months.

I have found different animals and insects since coming here. There are different lizards around that are so interesting to watch. They are fast so they hard to catch on camera. I really like the large colorful ones. Thankfully, though I have not found any snakes or big lizards in my room. I found a rhino beetle in a bush at the office one day. That was incredible. There are many birds to watch too. While I know there are other animals here like lions and hyena I have yet to see those, which is probably a good thing. But from a distance I would like to see more wild animals.

And there is beauty and wonder in the people and culture here. And I am not just talking about the attractiveness of the people themselves but of the society that they live in. Watching the children look after each other, holding hands as they walk down the streets or playing together. Young kids are able to walk together in a way I have never witnessed in the US, without parents. Seeing how the women walk carrying gallon jugs of water or baskets of fruit on their heads, having the grace and skill not to spill a thing. There is beauty in the way people interact and look after each other.

Sure, there are issues in the culture and society. They are not perfect. But neither is the US. And I think it is important to look around and see how many good things exist here. Times are hard and there is a lot of trauma and struggles here but the people are not without hope and they are not without a bright future. But there is work to do. And it helps to see the beauty and potential that exists to give hope and reason to the hard work ahead.