The most negative views on Yemen are expressed by people from the MENA region... Most of the bad jokes are from here: Sana'a is the only city that Allah recognised when he recently went back to the region... It is as if the Arabs thought that they dont deserve to have such a traditional and "left behind" country among them... In fact it is the most authentical place in the region, and eventually in the world. People stick to values that may seem archaic and completely different from what the Western world is promoting... It makes me think of the big confusion between tradition and religion in Afghanistan, with or without the Talibans! The country is moving slowly to the same situation I found in Botswana: Very basic houses in the middle of nowhere but the inhabitants access to all the satTV international channels and eventually commmunicate through mobile phones or even Thurayas... Very soon they will access to the internet when staying in the desert! But still women may not be allowed to go out alone and children will continue to be malnourished and die at an early age... How to get people address the right priorities? What kind of vision could be promoted in such an environment? It brings back to the antagonism between the Westerners and the rest of the world. The sense of victimization you feel in the Islamic countries should also be addressed in one way or the other: Who should do that? When are we going to stop hearing from remote rural people in Yemen that "they hate Americans"? Why should we still have so many countries where you are banned from coming if you have a Israeli stamp on your passport? We used to have that ban when South Africa was still under the apartheid regime.
The funny story of the day: Najla told me that when she was an adolescentl girl she was told that if any man seeing her in the street fell in love with her she could immediately fall pregnant... That is worse that the common story from home where adolescent girls convinced their parents that they got pregnant after swimming in a pool (My dear, you cant imagine what nasty men can do in a pool: masturbation in a pool can lead to pregnant girls!) ...
Monday, May 7, 2007
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Leaving Yemen
What should I remember of Yemen?
Beautiful ladies in abayas? The black abayas are getting tighter and tighter with time, making you guess what is inside... very exciting! Far better than a vulgar bikini! Far more attractive than the still victimised women in burquas of Afghanistan!
The eyes that are staring you behind the veil? We all know that the veil helps to go for the forbidden!
The architecture of the old city, Tulla, Manakha or the skyscrapers of Shebam? They are really builders and cannot be copied by any other people!
The clever ladies that surround me in the office? The smile of Saba? The elegance of Hanan? The ambition of Buthaina's family? And keeping in mind Rana, Najla, Anharo...
The kindness of field staff (Khaled, Farah, Ebbi, Fadhl) when I visit them or the skills of drivers with whom I have been travelling? Hussein, Hamza, Mohamed (many Mohamed in fact, from Aden or Dhale, or Ibb, Hodeidah).
The way Yemenis are shouting at each other? So typical, surprising, noisy but I got used to it. I am more astonished by those who reject these habits and want to hide themselves behind walls and doors and want to impose their own habits instead of adjusting to local situation... They are found red handed as intolerant individuals!
The big cheek of khat chewers? I stopped the day I tried to do it properly (4-5 hours) because I ould not sleep and had a hang over the day after... I keep thinking that it is wrong even if it is not recognised as a drug! Water scarcity and malnutrition should be remembered but how to make people aware of it?
The evening walk in the main street of Al-Malla/Aden ending in the Chinese seafood restaurant with a Kronembourg beer...? The nights spent at Sheraton Gold Muhr, Elephant Bay or Mercure?
The craziness of the huge President's mosq in a country that is not guaranteeing survival an development to the majority of its children?
I stop here because I already listed 2 negative comments...
Beautiful ladies in abayas? The black abayas are getting tighter and tighter with time, making you guess what is inside... very exciting! Far better than a vulgar bikini! Far more attractive than the still victimised women in burquas of Afghanistan!
The eyes that are staring you behind the veil? We all know that the veil helps to go for the forbidden!
The architecture of the old city, Tulla, Manakha or the skyscrapers of Shebam? They are really builders and cannot be copied by any other people!
The clever ladies that surround me in the office? The smile of Saba? The elegance of Hanan? The ambition of Buthaina's family? And keeping in mind Rana, Najla, Anharo...
The kindness of field staff (Khaled, Farah, Ebbi, Fadhl) when I visit them or the skills of drivers with whom I have been travelling? Hussein, Hamza, Mohamed (many Mohamed in fact, from Aden or Dhale, or Ibb, Hodeidah).
The way Yemenis are shouting at each other? So typical, surprising, noisy but I got used to it. I am more astonished by those who reject these habits and want to hide themselves behind walls and doors and want to impose their own habits instead of adjusting to local situation... They are found red handed as intolerant individuals!
The big cheek of khat chewers? I stopped the day I tried to do it properly (4-5 hours) because I ould not sleep and had a hang over the day after... I keep thinking that it is wrong even if it is not recognised as a drug! Water scarcity and malnutrition should be remembered but how to make people aware of it?
The evening walk in the main street of Al-Malla/Aden ending in the Chinese seafood restaurant with a Kronembourg beer...? The nights spent at Sheraton Gold Muhr, Elephant Bay or Mercure?
The craziness of the huge President's mosq in a country that is not guaranteeing survival an development to the majority of its children?
I stop here because I already listed 2 negative comments...
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