Its all about the process in "Camp Maban"

Okay..its been a month. For some, it seems like a short period of time. For me here in "Camp Maban" (our compound's name after shooting a video about it and coming up with this name spontaneously), its a lifetime. The reason why 1 month out here feels like 1 year is because to get anything done around here, it takes a process.

Let's take showering out here as an example; here's how it goes:

1. Get a bucket full of water from the water bladder that is located at one corner of "Camp Maban" (you have to make sure you've got your Willies on to get this done when its very muddy)
2. Carry the heavy bucket back to the shower at the other opposite end of "Camp Maban"
3. Go back to your tent to carry all your stuff including: towel, toiletries, fresh set of underwear and clothes
4. Don't forget to change into your shower flip-flops (or carry those as well if muddy)
5. Go to shower and hang everything in a way to guarantee that they remain dry for the next 5 to 10 minutes (or until you finish showering)
6. Make sure there's a small water jug to pour water on yourself. If not, go get one, clean it from the mud and use it.
7. Finally: take the shower! (watch out for the occasional scorpion)
8. Dry yourself and put on your clothes, but make sure your pants do not hit the wet and muddy floor (skirt and shorts are better in this case)
9. Carry all your stuff back to the tent (try not to forget your dirty underwear out there!). Put away the laundry, hang your wet towel and dirty pants to get some air.
10. Crawl back into your tent for hair brushing, lotion and deodorant (because by the time you reach step 10, you smell bad already!)

So, this was just an example of ONE process around here. Using the latrine is a whole different story.

Processes around "Camp Maban" usually start at 6:30 am and are never ending (sleeping is a process as well if you take into consideration noise pollution , hot temperatures and the frequent rain/thunder storms; hence you need a process to adjust to each one of those!)

Its definitely getting harder and harder to wake up every morning to work around here. Energy and motivation are both declining.  I'm wondering if my planned 1 week break in Egypt will work out and if it does, I wonder if it will be even more difficult for me to come back here (especially after getting a real toilet seat and hot shower experience!).

Let's wait and see if it will work out in the first place to get out of "Camp Maban" for a while.

Maban, South Sudan
11.8.2012