Salami, Shuffle and Strappy heels.

I'm healthy again. I'm not going to enter the Olympics but I can walk, I'm getting over the flu and the random collection of insect bites and stings are slowly fading back into normal looking skin. Awesome.

Also loads of great things have happened. I was just choosing to ignore them before and focus on the crap. Sorry bout that.

Anna's husband James arrived a few days ago, he's here for two weeks. Francis (Anna's son who was visiting last month) loaded him down with salami, pepperami, pepperoni, good chocolates and other luxuries that just can't be bought here. So it could be seen that James (a vicar) became a mule for smuggling pork products into an Islamic state just so we can enjoy really great sandwiches. Brilliant.

Francis also added a wee gift just for me. A really small gift... a tiny (about 2x3cm) hot pink, Ipod shuffle mp3 player. ohmygosh. an IPOD SHUFFLE! what did I do to deserve this? So I have it currently hooked up to Rinee's computer to charge up. I found on her computer a music folder titled "big fat funky mix" from Angus, the same guy who gave me the phrase "sweating like a chimp in a gimp suit". (Actually Francis also gave me the phrase "sweating like a blind lesbian in a fish shop". there is a lot of opportunities to have sweating smileys here.) So soon I'll be smoking my shisha listening to a big fat funky mix on my brand new ipod shuffle. Wicked.

On Saturday I was hanging out a Rinee's place making masquerade ball masks for a US/UK embassy staff ball she had managed to get tickets to. Then Rosa (who was accompanying Rinee) called to say that she wasn't going and that if I wanted her (100 usd) ticket I was welcome to it. Hell yes! Fantastic.

There was a little bit of a maria-from-the-sound-of-music moment was a beautiful teal curtain was transformed into a sari and a gift bag into a mask. With a small cosmetic shop of make up and a kilo or so of jewelery everything was perfect. Rinee looked stunning in a sliver outfit she had bought over from England. The ball was fantastic. It was like we were not in Sudan. there was alcohol and high heels (my flip-flops were mostly hidden under my sari). wine, dancing, food, people with very long job titles... and the the question lingering in my mind... when these people packed to live in Sudan at what point did they decided to throw in a Venetian mask, a tuxedo or a pair of strappy heels? and what kind of baggage allowance do these people have?

Chatted to loads of NGO and Embassy workers. I have a coffee date on Tuesday with a Canadian UN envoy who is currently in Dafur. I'll keep you posted.