Marhaba from Yemen, where the tops of motorcycles and dashboards of cars are required to be adorned with a big ass piece of animal fur (whereas rear view mirrors and brakes are optional). Let there be no doubt, this looks sexy.
And as you have heard, tourists are sometimes kidnapped in Yemen. Here is what the state department forgot to tell you:
And as you have heard, tourists are sometimes kidnapped in Yemen. Here is what the state department forgot to tell you:
Once upon a time during the last two years, some Westerners were kidnapped by a Yemeni tribe. A member of the tribe had heard that Westerners needed to consume alcohol daily or they would die. When he told this to the leader of the tribe, a group was dispatched to the Taj Hotel in Sana'a to procure 30 cases of beer! Beer is rare here, costs around $6 per can and is only available at fancy hotels (and
this random Chinese "restaurant," which may or may not serve food). Anyway, I'm trying to think of ways I might increase my appeal with kidnappers.
Sometimes the crowded, life-filled streets of Sana'a remind me of India, but that similarity is based on superficial things like the noise, pollution, the stares I get, and the ridiculous range of things for sale on the streets (from spiced potato sandwiches to scandalous underwear -- both dispensed from wheelbarrows).
Nearly all Yemeni women wear abayas and burqas. Up until last week, when I was lucky enough to be invited to a local wedding (men and women have separate events and the bride and groom meet for the first time at the end), the only Yemeni woman whose face I'd seen was that of my teacher. I'm wearing kurthas over my normal clothes (fulfilling my life long dream of becoming a drag king). Most of the Western women at my school wear abayas and cover their hair. I'm not doing this - I don't think it is necessary to do so to be respectful of local norms (or to be as respectful as I care to be) and I am happy to provide another example of what is possible for women in public life.
I'm living in a really fantastic tower house in the old city. It's an oooooooold building, but recently renovated by some expat with design flair. I have a living room filled with windows overlooking a huge garden (more like a farm) and beyond that, the old city is visible in every direction. The apartment has really amazing details, like ancient wood shutters, the traditional Yemeni stained glass designs above all of the windows, and these crazy really steep
and totally uneven stairs. The key to the front door is about 6 inches long and the key to another door is like a big wooden hairbrush. The first two levels of the house contain things like the stable and a room with big vats for grain storage. It's my very own mini-castle. There are nightly power outages, during which time I often go out on to the balcony with an oil lantern and read.
The old city itself is pretty amazing. There are these narrow winding stone roads - most too narrow for cars - and it is a total maze. I'm always getting lost, but always eventually stumble upon my quarter. There are still camel operated mills here - a blindfolded camel walks in circles all day to power the mill all the while thinking that he is roaming the deserts of Arabia.
