Merry Christmas from Yemen!

No sign of Christmas here whatsoever! Tomorrow I think I’ll go to the beach and celebrate the birth of Christ! To put myself in the mood I’m now listening to James Brown’s “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag”. If you haven’t heard this soulful Christmas compilation, I suggest you give it an ear. Ever since I heard it for the first time 10 years ago, I don’t let the holiday season go by without listening to it several times. I especially like the track entitled “Let’s Make This Christmas Mean Something This Year”. Another great one is, “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto!”.

I worked today at the University and Amideast, and tomorrow I will as well. That’s one of the tradeoffs of being here and experiencing another place and culture. At least technology makes it easier to bear….I used Skype to call home and wish my family and friends a Feliz Navidad. That was nice! Wish I was there for this day to enjoy the time and tasty tamales with them all!

I want to wish you Joy and Happiness during these Holidays!

While I was here at the computer starting to really miss home, I checked my email and found an early gift from one of my students, Ala Azazi. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I like the idea of it being in many tongues...here it is:

"Merry Christmas"
But not only in English......

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees

Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees

African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats

Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden

Arabic: Milad Majid

Argentine: Feliz Navidad

Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand

Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun

Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal

Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!

Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha

Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce

Brazilian: Feliz Natal

Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat

Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo

Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!

Chile: Feliz Navidad

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun

Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito

Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo

Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth

Corsican: Pace e salute

Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La RooCree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi

Croatian: Sretan Bozic

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Danish: Glædelig Jul

Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast

English: Merry Christmas

Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon

Estonian: Ruumsaid juuluphi

Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal

Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!

Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad

Finnish: Hyvaa joulua

Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar

French: Joyeux Noel

Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!

Galician: Bo Nada

Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

German: Froehliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova

Hindi: Shub Naya Baras

Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol

Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal

Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Lao: souksan van Christmas

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!

Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!

Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto

Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus

Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu

Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar

Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik

Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb

Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa

Maori: Meri Kirihimete

Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh

Navajo: Merry Keshmish

Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul

Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado

Papiamento: Bon Pasco

Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu

Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!

Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Portuguese:Feliz Natal

Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha

Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua

Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn

Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!

Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou

Serbian: Hristos se rodi

Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce

Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh

Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina

Serbian: Hristos se rodi.

Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa

Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok

Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År

Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon

Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal

Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!

Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas

Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym

Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho

Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh

Welsh: Nadolig Llawen

Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic

Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

A Visit to Wadi Dahr

The historic Dar al-Hajar is an iconic symbol of Yemen and it's architecture. You can find it prominently displayed on the 500 Yemeni Rial note.

Last month while I was in Sanaa, I took a day trip to Wadi Dahr, a small fertile valley with fruit orchards and qat fields. In Wadi Dahr there is the impressive Dar al-Hajar which Imam Yahia had built in the 1930s as a summer palace. I really enjoyed this excursion and it has been one of the tourist highlights here in Yemen. I posted pics for you to see, click here.

I also youtubed two clips from that weekend:

Bab al-Yemen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qvKOa4ExsA

Jambiyya Dancers at Dar al-Hajar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxU81DfrJYw

Wild Wedding Parade!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Somebody got married! I have no idea who, but I had a blast jumping on the caravan in Khormaksar. After wedding receptions, the party typically takes it to the streets a la SPURS FANS of '99, '03 & '05! ('cept on a much smaller scale) (inshallah 2007 is our year again!)
I had to hang on for my life, but it was a blast tagging along and partaking in the merriment. We drove all over the city honking horns, chanting among other things-Usher's signature solid gold hit, "Yeah", with nothing but drums.
The driving was insane as the motley crue followed the wedding couple on their victory march: I was on a truck full of drummers and chanters and on either side of us at different times there were busloads of veiled women ululating. One guy made a makeshift flamethrower with a big aerosol can & his lighter, another couple of guys did daredevil motorcycle maneuvers while going downhill and avoiding another car that kept trying to knock them over. Here is a video of the chaos that ensued when all of the cars stopped in a tunnel. I might make this a regular Thursday night gig when there's nothing else to do.

My 1st session at Amideast Aden ends...

Well the first session at Amideast Aden came to an end and I learned so much and adapted without any major problems. I really enjoy the company of the Yemeni students whether we’re playing ping-pong, which is big here, or just joking around. My students have also taught me a lot through in-class discussions.

Recently, they did presentations in class. It’s amazing that they can do this. The average Yemeni has very little opportunity to practice English. I couldn’t do the same in Arabic, at least not very coherently. (Inshallah, towards the end of the year I will be able to do that.) (note: Inshallah=Ojala=God willing= Hopefully)
and here's what some of them talked about:

Taquia did her presentation on the social problems incurred by the ubiquitous (dontcha just love that word) use of Qat in Yemen. Various photographs of Yemeni men chewing big wads of qat we’re projected on the screen as she described how this custom uses up time, money and precious water. It’s incredible to see how pervasive this habit is. From the afternoon through the evening, sales abuzz in the qat markets like this one in the Cheikh Othman area of Aden:Wherever one is, there are always chipmunk-cheeked men or the green mashed-up remains of qat on the ground. I’m constantly being invited to chew it, but honestly, it doesn’t seem that interesting to me. Especially considering that it is usually done in an enclosed room with men chain smoking. A lot of Yemeni do chew and a lot of them don’t. I have met several local men and women who do not chew. Some have never chewed and don’t plan to.

Faten talked about polio. Polio, after being eradicated in Yemen, has resurfaced unfortunately. She described the history of polio in Yemen and how it can be addressed, primarily through vaccinations and better hygiene. Afterwards, she gave me her visual aid: a poster in Arabic promoting polio vaccinations. I’ll put it up on my wall and work on my reading skills.

Mariem did an interesting talk on strange wedding customs of the world. One that stands out is an old tradition from India in which a bride is put up into a tree. The man that desires to wed her must go up the tree and bring her down. Her family, meanwhile, stands in his way to beat him. If he can get past them and successfully accomplish this task, she will be his wife. If only it were this easy today!

Marwa spoke of her time in the USA. Last summer she spent 6 weeks there, taking classes and visiting Washington, DC, Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California.
She had all kinds of experiences and really enjoyed her time there. She hopes to go to school in America someday. I really hope she does. (How funny that we were both in DC this past summer!)

Khaled made a Powerpoint presentation on the upcoming Muslim celebration: Aid al Adha. It marks the time when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son to God, when a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead.

Speaking of Aid al Adha… It’s coming up and we get a break from Dec. 28-Jan 5. I’m going solo on a trip through Yemen. Who knows where exactly I’ll be for the New Year. Whatever I do, I’m getting photos and stories just for you! ;)

Every weekend, these young men climb aboard the back of a truck and jam out in honor of whoever is getting married. While waiting for the wedding procession to begin, they dedicate this chant to me!

“Gutra Gutra iseel il wad”...

An old Mauritanian proverb which translates to “Drop by drop the valley fills with water.” This is a useful mantra to have when one is in an especially mysterious place like Yemen. Here are some crabs I saw at the beach last night:

To see more of my photos of Yemen click on the "My Photo Albums from Yemen" link to the right. Enjoy!

Since arriving, I have rediscovered a childlike sense of wonder and laughter, which I will admit to you, is the state of consciousness exciting to experience as an adultThe key for me to access that state I've found lies in subjecting my 5 senses to a foreign land. So here I go, stumbling my way through culture shocks, giggling at funny signage, trying strange foods, and making funny gestures to catch public transportation. Easily entertained by everyday people and scenes in Aden, I laugh incessantly.

Ana Mudaris Loga Inglisiya - "I'm an English Teacher"

I work for two institutions in Aden. At the University of Aden in Khormaksar, I teach Speaking II to 4 groups of sophomores.. Classes last 2 hours and I have a total of 189 students there. I am the only native speaker of English in the department and they are very happy to have me on board. I am humbled by the hospitality I have received and student enthusiasm to learn from me. Even students that are not in any of my classes, have gone out of their way to welcome me and chat between classes.

Because we only meet once a week for 2 hours, it is imperative that everybody get a chance to speak. Much of the class period is devoted to pair work and small group discussions. I learn so much from their discussions about them, their family, their community and Yemen. Occasionally, I will share cultural notes and anecdotes about San Antonio and other places I have visited in my life. To alot of people here, my appearance seems Yemeni, Arab or Asian (Pakistan/Indian). I have an opportunity to share with them some of my Mexican roots. There really isnt much of a Latino presence here, but one of my students did mention that her doctor is from Cuba. Maybe I'll get to meet him someday. Ojala...

I also teach an intermediate course to 13 students at Amideast Aden five days a week for six week sessions. Due to the intensive nature of this class, I have gotten to know a fair amount about these Yemenis. They are also quite nice and really want to develop English proficiency. One of them, visited the US last year as part of a cultural exchange program. She visited San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, DC and hopes to return to study there for a longer period.

There are several educational grants available for Yemenis such as: the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship Grants, the Middle Eastern Partnership Initiative's Business and Legal Grants for Young Middle Eastern Women, and YES Scholarships for high school study in the USA. I encourage all of my students to look into the possibility of studying in the US or in another English speaking country. I hope one winds up in my hometown, San Antonio, Texas.

I am also a team leader for the ACCESS microscholarship program here in Aden. Under the aegis of this program, promising English learners who demonstrate need receive tuition to continue their studies of English. Part of the program includes service learning through community volunteer work. Having worked in the Peace Corps in Africa, and having coordinated volunteer activities for visiting Central American teachers in San Antonio, I am glad to participate in fulfilling and enriching activities with the students here in Aden. The ACCESS program in the past, has organized beach clean-ups and visits to the orphanages and senior citizen homes.

The majority of my students are women. All wear abayas (robes that cover the arms and leg) and a scarf to cover the head. At the university, most are also veiled so I can only see their eyes. Before arriving, I wondered how it would be to teach a foreign language to veiled women. It is challenging I admit, but I have found that many are quite talkative and expressive in practicing English. At the beginning it was very different, but now, I am more used to it. In general, most women in Yemen do not allow their picture to be taken, so that is only males appear in these photos.

Having so many students has introduced me to many Arab names new to me. Some of them have interesting translations:

Ladies names:

Abeer: floral scent/perfume. Umniya: Wish/Dream. Gamila: Beautiful. (in Mauritania it's pronounced "Jamila")

Men's names:

Mahdood: Lucky.

Aden Mall!

I go to the stores and see aisles of products…some familiar, most not. Some with funny names, and most all with Arabic script. I make it a literacy game to read more and more in Arabic, but the absence of short vowels leaves me mispronouncing words. You’ll be delighted to know that in Aden there is a mall and the Yemeni answer to the Wal-Mart: LuLu. Quite a thrill, I must say, to peruse through that store and see what surprises you come across. See the pictures!

top left: Lamb Brains,

top right:
colorful edible fish

left: fashion

right: name brand

The plane had plenty of room and the flight was a short 35-40 minutes. I truly enjoyed seeing the terrain from up above. Around and after Sanaa, mountains and valleys abound, some reminiscent of Grand Canyon vistas. Upon closer inspection, I found verdant lines that followed the contours of the formations. Those are the carefully managed terrace plots of qat and coffee that Yemenis have been cultivating for centuries. Qat, aside from being a favorite way for Scrabble-lovers to use up the letter “q”, produces a leaf that many in Yemen chew as part of their cultural traditions. Qat is actually banned in many countries due to an active ingredient that causes narcotic effects. Coffee, historically, has been important for trade. In centuries past, many Arabica beans cultivated here were sent to Paris and London and worldwide. The term Mocha comes from the port city where much coffee was shipped abroad, al-Mukha.
The mountains continued and I did not grow tired of gawking at them, spotting villages that would be worthy of a visit in the near future.

The dramatic terrain then gave way to sand and we begin our descent upon Aden. Aden is along the coast. The region is referred to as the Tihama, and Aden is considered to be one of the hottest places on the planet. Fortunately, right now during fall/winter, the heat is very mild. No worries though, as I recall the heat in the Sahara. I’d rather deal with extreme heat than extreme cold.

Note: the pictures here are from Telegraph Bay in Aden. It's a place where local Yemeni's go to relax on the weekend: they swim, play soccer, walk along the beach, and some chew qat and take in the majestic views.

10/29/2006 8:15am..

Good thing Whitney, the other ELF (English Language Fellow) from Tennesee, woke me up or I would have slept all day long. All marveled at the fact that I made it without escort and that I was walking around participating in the scheduled activities which included HIV health screening, administrative paperwork at Amideast Sanaa, and orientation at the US Embassy.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Sanaa made it all the more surreal with the dreamy feel of jetlag. Street life was thriving as we careened to and fro in the pleasant cool temperatures typical of the capital city that lies nestled among mountainous terrain. Lady luck smiled again, at least half a smile, when I received a message from the airport that one of my bags had been found. By getting the backpack I had to check in at Heathrow, I recuperated some important documents and my cell phone, which may not be compatible with the networks here. The other 3 bags are believed to still be enjoying Heathrow. Meanwhile, I’m still wearing the same clothes I left home in. I now have an urgent reason to buy the local male garb which I was planning to do at some point anyways. There are different names and patterns for the fabric that is folded around the legs, much like a kilt, but instead of having pleats, it is rather folded in a certain style that I think indicates tribal or regional ties.

Traffic seems frenetic compared to US roads. This may be attributed to fewer traffic lights and more pedestrians that cross wherever and whenever possible. Incredibly enough, I didn’t see one fender-bender, and I’ll wager that the rate of serious accidents in Sanaa is equal to or less than what one sees in Austin, for example. This is merely my impression.

Old Sanaa may well be over 3000 years old, and the elaborate details one sees on walls and windows do in fact transport one to a forgotten architectural splendor worthy of 1001 Arabian Nights. Remnants of ramparts hearken back to the time when the frankincense and myrrh trade came through here. The Bab-al-Yemen is impressive as you can see. Your intrepid narrator plans to meander in wonder through those old streets and absorb that unique ambiance.

10/29/2006 6:30:31 AM Good Morning Sanaa! Can you believe I made it? After all that’s transpired in the last day and a half (see below), I’m in my new country! Alhumdillilah! (Thanks be to Allah!). The travails I encountered along the way leave me smiling and laughing at as I experienced a roller coaster ride of ups and downs on this transcontinental trip. It all began with the usual pre-departure stress, leaving for a good 10-months can cause some anxiety. Anyways, it’s par for the course, I say, and began by deciding to pay $150 for an extra piece of luggage. After passing through an orange alert screening before gaining admittance to the “heavenly” gates, I decided to eat my last tacos de San Antonio for awhile since there would be no food on the 11:52am flight to Washington Dulles. At Las Palapas, I ordered 3: a chilaquiles, a chorizo con huevo and a bean and cheese. Mmm…delicious! Shortly after getting to my departure gate, they announced that the tires on our plane had landed with low pressure and been damaged. Unfortunately, San Antonio’s airport did not have the specific llantas on stock for replacement. So, they decided to fetch some (from St. Louis, of all places.) This would mean our flight would not be leaving until 3:30 or 4:00pm. This would foil my original itinerary which had me arriving at Dulles at 4 and then boarding another for Frankfurt at 5. Another passenger headed for Frankfurt told me that there was another that would leave Dulles at 9:30. Unfortunately, that flight would arrive in Germany at 11:45am, 15 minutes too late to catch the subsequent and final flight of my elongated travel schedule to Sanaa. As sometimes happens in life and travels, I had to come up with plan B. The agent said that he could reroute me to Chicago and then send me to London and then finally to Sanaa, arriving at 4:20am Sunday morning. Setting foot in the UK, albeit for a couple of hours, wasn’t bad for a plan B. I advised Georgetown about the situation and informed them of my new itinerary so people would know where I was at. The flight to Chicago was already being delayed a couple of hours due to bad visibility at O’Hare. Nonetheless, they wanted us to be aboard at 2pm and be ready for takeoff. Finally at 3:45pm we took off. I arrived in Chi-town with a couple of hours to spare before I headed to Heathrow. I grabbed a Cheezeborger at the world famous Billy Goat restaurant. Cheezeborger Cheezeborger was made famous by Aykroyd and Belushi on Saturday Night Live back in the 70s. Then I found a t.v. to see some of the World Series action. Met a guy who claimed to have won a black face Rolex from Michael Jordan on a bet they made on the 18th hole. Aboard the plane, sitting next to me was a nice Pakistani lady, returning to Islamabad. And so we jumped the puddle. I had been told by the San Antonio agent that I should claim my luggage in London, but when I went to the carousel, my bags weren’t there. Another airline agent, said that if they were ticketed for Sanaa, then they go automatically. She was from Bahia, Brazil and was kind enough to give me some indications about where to leave my luggage and how to get to London from the airport. The tube is nice. I think the trains or at least the space seems kind of small, though all of the seats are lined along the walls and have armrests. It’s pretty clean and the riders are from all over the world. I heard Japanese, French, and Russian within 15 minutes. Took awhile to get to Piccadilly Circus, but it was worth it. Kind of like Times Square and the Champs-Elysees, there was plenty to look at- stately architecture, double-decker buses, theatres, sculpture art, those quintessential red telephone booths, and of course people people people. Took some shots and then found a pub. Grabbed a pint of John Courage and while mentioning that I was from Texas to the bartender, a young lady with bright red dyed hair said she was from Texas too! Turns out Jessica was from San Antonio and was spending a couple of months in Paris, England and Ireland with others from the Alamo City. I joined them and we marveled at the serendipity of running into fellow San Antonians so far away. I took it as a good omen signifying that no matter where I wind up I will be among neighbors. We wished each other well and then I continued my walking tour. During my brief 2 hours there, I found Londoners to be quite polite and felt comfortable there. Hmm, would be nice to return with more time. I got back to Heathrow, picked up my carry-on (guitar) and laptop backpack. At the check-in I looked at those in line at Yemenia Airways. They were my first glimpse of the Yemeni people. Some wore traditional dress and most spoke Arabic. There was a also a family that spoke Arabic and mixed it with French too. I learned they were from the country with the wonderful name of Djibouti. Djibouti is but a short boat ride from Aden and I hope to visit for a long weekend and pratiquer le francais a l’africain, bien sur! \ At the counter, the airline agent said that the ticket had not been reissued correctly because it said it was only good on the airline I flew on from Chicago to London. Ergo, he needed approval from the Yemenia representative who 30 minutes to departure time was on the plane itself and could not be reached by phone. I would have to wait and see if they would honor my rerouted ticket. Frustration sank in and I thought, all my previous time and effort at getting there was for not, I will have to spend the night here and still arrive a day late, missing some of the orientation that had been planned by the host institutions. With 15 minutes to go, lady luck smiled upon me. Another agent had finally spoken with the Yemenia rep and I was approved to board the plane! Then I had to deal with the security measures of Heathrow Airport. I was to be limited to one carry-on item and nothing else and It had to be of certain dimensions. Yes, certain dimensions that neither my guitar nor laptop backpack would meet. I asked for a plastic bag and stuffed the laptop, a printer, some software CDs and some wires in there. That was to be my carry-on. I sat on the plane next to a nice lady from Britain that works for CARE International. Her work, she said, has taken her to many off-the-beaten-path places, but Yemen, she discovered on her first visit, retained a magical otherworldly allure. She spoke admiringly of the ancient architecture built in and amidst mountains that resembled certain majestic panoramas from the Lord of the Rings movies. After hours of trying to sleep, we finally made our descent into Sanaa International Airport and I caught my first glimpses of Yemen. I could see orange fluorescent street lights from afar and then the plane landed. We walked down stairs and onto the tarmac and the night was crisp clear and cool. I could see mountains in the distance, and some tall trees near the airport. We boarded a bus which took us to the arrivals room to go through customs. I thought I’d forgotten my cell phone, so I asked an official to go and see if it was still in my seat. After awhile, he returned, but had not found anything. There was 2 people still going through customs and I would be the last. I approached the luggage carousel and it reminded me of Nouakchott, with porters and workers scurrying around to help the passengers for Yemenia flight 938 from Heathrow. I was the last and spotted my guitar right away. Unfortunately, that was all I found. I looked up and down and all around, but alas nothing. So I was down to a guitar, my laptop and a printer. I guess those were the more important things I had brought. Too tired to truly be angered, I was more excited about just being there. Since accepting the invitation from Georgetown University, I have read much about this place and here I at last I had made it. Tired, without much of my luggage, but alive and kicking. Upon exiting, I said to myself “Home sweet home for the next 10 months” and smiled as I took in the morning sky with a mosque's silhouette in concert with a comforting prayer call. Immediately, I asked a guard if I could capture this Kodak moment on my digicam. He said it was fine, but the other guard, who I inadvertently captured on the images, was not in agreement. He politely commanded me to “Delete!” I did, and then retook this shot minus him. To get a taxi I would need cash, local currency. I changed a $100 USD for $19,300 YR. YR= Yemeni Rial. Most of the bills were the big, bright green and beautiful 1000 YR denomination. The 15-20 minute ride showed empty streets at 5:35am. I took in the scene which resembled some parts of Nouackchott. Finally checked into my hotel, the fancy Taj Sheba and crashed for awhile. The saga of flying there from San Antonio had proved to be quite grueling and I still don’t have my luggage. At least some time to rest. Alhumdillilah.

Que horas son mi corazon?


I still recall the first time I heard about Yemen from John Brogan, one of my Peace Corps trainers in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (RIM). After working as a Peace Corps volunteer in the RIM, John went to work in Yemen and after that returned to the RIM to train our group in late 2000. Fluent in Arabic, Brogan had seen many moons in these two lands and mentioned that he saw interesting parallels between some of the rural areas of Yemen and those of the RIM. During my time in Mauritania, I do recall actually meeting a Yemeni man in Nouadhibou. As is the norm there, he asked me where I was from and I told him and then he mentioned to me that he was from Yemen. He also made it a point to show me his jambiya or dagger. I learned that Yemeni men carry daggers like this as part of their traditional dress.

Now it is 2006, and I sit in Ruta Maya Cafe in downtown San Antonio, listening to Jarabe de Palo's bluesy romantic ballad "La Flaca", while I intermittently sip a "Romantika" tea. On Friday I will embark on a journey to Yemen. After 20 hours on various planes and more hours waiting at various airports en route, I am due to arrive in Sanaa late Saturday night. So this is it. After reading books and travelogues on my home for the next 10 months and talking with several people who have lived there, I'm thrilled, to say the least.
Since receiving an invitation to work there, I have met with several people who know Yemen and read various books, blogs about that country. Yemen comes highly recommended as the "undiscovered pearl" of the Arabian peninsula. And I do love oysters!