Quote Unquote Living

In the Natural History Museum, one of the more prominent museums in Khartoum, "the Living Collection was mostly dead" (176). That statement seems to most accurately describe the residents, and the city itself, of Khartoum, Sudan. They are like the opposite of the living dead; people supposed to be living, but all of their dreams and hopes are dead. There seems to be nothing to live for, certainly not pride in ones country. It is a shame that their museum has be so neglected as so that most of their exhibits are dead. They don't even care enough to feed the animals, never mind make a healthy habitat, replace the animals when they die, or even take the animals out of their cages when they succumb to starvation. Besides feeling bad for the poor animals, I also felt bad for the people. Where is their pride, their desire to have a great country? The people seem to sit back and watch as their world crumbles around them. Most want to escape the degradation and poverty that they call home, but once they realize that it is almost impossible, they sit and wait. They are waiting for what? Allah to come rescue them? Where is the drive to make a better life for themselves instead of waiting for someone to help them? Al-Rabaa, the curator of the museum, tried to raise money abroad, but when no one responded, he was content to sit back and wait for some one to magically appear, instead of taking action and trying harder. How are we supposed to help them if they don't want to help themselves? It seems to me that the entire country of Sudan has become like the Natural History Museum, considered living, but actually dead. *gr*