Random Snapshots in Aden...

I found this on the side of an old blue truck. You may recognize this from the flag of Saudi Arabia. It is the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith (written in a special script):
لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله
la ilaha illa llahu muhammadun rasulu llah
"There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of God"

An old friend from Mauritania grows wild here...Calotropis Procera. There's actually some useful latex fibers produced by this shrifty shrub. But watch out for the milky substance that oozes out of the leaves. It is reputed to blind one permanently should it come into contact with the eyes.

So riding on a minivan from the university to my place, I noticed this steering column sans the epidermis. It caught my attention immediately. It seems to be like a "How Things Work" Encyclopedic diagram brought to life.

Fellow English Language Fellow Whitney and Amideast Academic Coordinator Nafisa enjoy a moment of laughter. Whitney wears the abaya now because it makes life easier, in the sense that she gets less attention out in public than she would otherwise. Nafisa laughs and jokes a l'Africain quoi...after all she grew up in Kenya and still speaks Swahili fluently. Nafisa has good memories of San Antonio when she attended the TESOL 2005 conference on the Riverwalk. :)

I whipped up some guacamole last week and it wound up being a hit with the Amideast staff. It didnt last long in the teachers lounge and several of them asked for the recipe. And that wasn't even MOLCAJETE guacamole!!!

Wonderful News

CONGRATULATIONS NUHA!!!!

Today, I received some wonderful news from Nuha Gamal, one of my university students. She has been awarded one year of undergraduate study in the USA! I am so elated that one of my students won this prestigious award. I feel a special honor with her success because I informed her of the opportunity and wrote a letter on her behalf.
Ultimately, her superior academic accomplishments and language abilities have earned her this life-changing opportunity. She is an exemplary student that seeks to excel in English and I'm very proud for her, her family and her community.
And so, as my year in Yemen draws to an end and I prepare for a return to America, Nuha is at the beginning of an incredible journey where she will leave Yemen for a year and head to America this fall. Mabrook Nuha! (Congratulations!)

Dramatis Personae

I want to present some colorful characters I've met here in Yemen. They have spiced up my journey in their own unique ways and merit mention...

This is Wusfi. (Pronounced [wuss-Fee]) Since he was one of the guards at Amideast, he was one of the 1st people I met and that I saw pretty much everyday. Within a week of being here, I wanted to buy a bicycle and Wusfi offered to help me find one in Cheikh Othman. He is a robust man with a big enough belly, and, as is often befitting of those physical attributes, jovial to the bone. Wusfi is a funny guy and loves to joke with everyone. He enjoys qat and studying for exams while chewing qat. He believes it helps him concentrate and memorize. As a result of this desire to chew and learn, his teeth are often stained from this sacrifice. The color, however, goes well with the occasional henna-dyed highlights he has done on his hair. One funny incident occurred, when a student left him the keys to his automobile, in case it needed to be moved. Wusfi had to move it, but in that process, he mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal and wrecked into a wall. It frightened some people, but luckily there were no casualites. Afterwards, everybody worked rather efficiently as a team to repair the wall that had been damaged.

This is Teacher Louis:
Louis is from Montreal, Canada and had lived here a year before I arrived. As he was the savvy veteran, he always had good advice and interesting anecdotes. Plus, having worked abroad considerably, he possessed a worldly vision. Louis actually converted to Islam and was and remains quite beloved by the students who knew him. He is a very nice man and had also lived in Mexico before. He also is one heck of a ping-pong player to boot.

This is Mahfood at the Sheraton Hotel Beach at Elephant Bay, Aden. Can you guess why they call it "Elephant" Bay? Take a good look at the picture.

Originally from Aden, Mahfood left about 15 years ago and didnt come back until this year. During his time away, he studied and/or worked in Russia and Estonia. He is now a Professor at a Techonology School in LA. This year when his mother was very ill, he returned here to spend some time with the family. He was here for about 5/6 months and we became buddies. He used to work out at the Sheraton Hotel gym, and I'd tag along with my guitar and hang out on the beach. Mahfood is quite a talented singer and often would do a set of popular songs in English at the nearby Aden Hotel. This usually included some Bob Marley, "Bailamos" by Enrique Iglesias, and "Don't Go Changing" by Billy Joel. He is rumored to be learning Spanish and taking Tango lessons in Argentina.

noshing on sealife

Jogging along the corniche, basking in the Arabian heat and humidity listening to Fatboy Slim, the Rolling Stones, Donovan, Juanes etc on my iPod I spotted a family in the harbor collecting clams at low tide. Somehow out of place this seemed amidst the buzz of morning traffic and the rising heat of the volcanic crucible called Aden.

But Yemeni seafood is one treasure I'll definitely miss when I leave here. The other day I went again to the market bought some fish (derak=kingfish) and ran home to make sashimi a la Shohei. Not quite Niki's Tokyo Inn on Hildebrand and San Pedro in SA, but hey raw fish is raw fish and it was good enough for me. Domo arigato to my sashimi sensei Shohei the shutterbug from Tokyo I met in Mukalla.

Then the other day, I opted for a crab boil...I bought 1/2 a kilo o' crabs for $2 and googled for a recipe. It's quite easy. All you gotta do is boil some water with plenty of salt, throw in some chili powder, coriander, pepper or whatever spices you like and then toss in the crabs with shell and all. 10 minutes later your mouth is teleported to the docks of B-more as you voracioiusly crack these crustaceans into oblivion. They went rather well with a garlic butter dipping sauce I conjured up. ummm yummy.

and today...i'm doing ceviche....the fish was alive at 4am, caught at 5am, brought into Aden's fish market at 7...I bought it at 7:30, at 7:45 it was deboned and filleted. By 8:30 it was sittin in my fridge marinating in the ascorbic acidity of freshly squeezed lime juice. 6 hours from now, my mouth will teleport to veracruz and prompt me to belt out some son jarocho.

I'm also gonna make a crab dip. For seafood lovers and seafood cooks, aden is another playground. I wonder what I can do with clams...some kind of pasta clam dish comes to mind....linguini...hm, i gotta go google now. peace out

A Typical Day in the Life of Teacher Miguel

These days, I get up at sunrise, 6am, and rush over to my computer and listen to WOAI's live broadcast of the Spurs games. After a win, I'll call home and enjoy the victories over the phone with Mom & Dad, Patty, Orly or anybody else not afraid to answer the phone when they see 77777777 on the caller ID. lol While doing all of that, I check my emails, look over papers, schedules, etc.

Usually, I head to The University of Aden around 7:30. I check in with the English Department because, sometimes they have news for me. The secretary, Shaharazade, helps me out with any administrative tasks. Often, she generously shares Yemeni coffee, tea and sweets with everybody. Her coffee is different from what you might expect. It's a kind of cereal drink with some grains in it. It's hearty and kind of special and there's another name for it, but I forget it. Since, it is only made in homes, it's hard for foreigners to come by, so I treasure it when it shows up at the office.

The professors there are quite nice and we have a good time talking about funny things that happen around campus or about life in general. One Professor's name is Negah, which means "Success". What a great name, no? About half of the professors are female and half male, most being Yemeni. There is one from India, Dr. Baskar who is teaching a Research class.

Some days I have 4 hours of classes there, sometimes 2, and sometimes none, depending on the day of the week. On one or two days, I'll have my Arabic class there at the Language Institute. We have one more week of classes, then it's exam time there.

In the afternoon, I head home to Amideast and have a bite to eat. Amideast now has a pretty cool place called The Palm Cafe. They offer all kinds of food and drink, so if my fridge is running empty, no problem. I dont teach until 6-8pm, so I might go to the beach or the mall and study some Arabic/play guitar, grade papers, prepare lessons etc.
Yesterday, I started a new weekly extracurricular Game hour with my advanced students at Amideast. I introduced them to Scrabble and Boggle. They really took a liking to it. We all wanted to just continue playing, but class had to start at 6pm.
At 6:30pm, we take a 10-minute break for Maghreb prayer time. On site, there are men's and women's prayer rooms, and an ablution area. They get crowded at that time. After class ends at 8pm, again they fill up with students and staff gathering to pray. One guy will lead the men in the prayer, it's nice to hear.

I like to go out into the city at 8pm. I'll catch a minivan to either Crater, Aden Mall or Maala and grab some food or just get lost, maybe buy some funky things. Last night I went to Maala and bought a colorful magnetic Arabic alphabet- that'll fit nicely on the fridge- and some spoons (made in Japan) that have palm trees, swords and an Arabic inscription that says, "Welcome".

Then, I usually return home and strum the guitar some.

Typical day in Aden filled with cheap thrills.

:)

ال لاردن air jordan!

Yours truly atop the citadel in downtown AMMAN.

CHECK OUT MY JORDAN PHOTO ALBUM ON PICASA.

fresh off my spring 2o07 tour in Jordan...got a couple of remarks to make about the Hashemite Kingdom...it rocks! - literally...plenty of rocks to go round...rocks at Wadi Rum- the fabled place where majestic desert cinematography was captured for the story of Lawrence of Arabia. and Petra..a petrified city that was in fact carved into stone mountains and cliffsides 2000 years ago.

Well, here's the rundown...1st off...Royal Jordanian Airlines rocks! Great airline, staff, TV menu and it felt regal enough. Arrived in Jordan at 7am and grabbed a bus headed for Amman. Amman is a big city and I enjoyed a day there. Went to the Citadel and the Jordan Archeological Museum. Dead Sea Scrolls my friends, Dead Sea Scrolls, and how about an Ummayid Mosque and some gargantuan classic columns oozing history.

Met up with another ELF...actually a Senior English Language Fellow, who is now completing his 2nd and final year of work. Mr. David Roderick is a gentleman and carries a good humor befitting of an Oregonian...Eugene, that is. Oregon is definitely a place in America that i need to visit soon.

David treated me to lunch at the culinary arts department restaurant at his university campus. Oh how I love culinary arts and again, I feel the need to devote some learning time in the future to haute cuisine.

In the p.m. I went to SAFEWAY. Safeway Amman beats Safeway DC by a mile. Had some fun just perusing around...sushi dept., cheese selection etc. mmmmmm Picked up some H2O & snax for an excursion to Wadi Rum. I went along with some Americans working on various development projects in Jordan. Interesting to meet others from different fields. Along the way, there was a commmotion... a wedding caravan on a major highway. lol

In Wadi Rum, I met up with Kathleen Keiser, a friend of a friend, who I actually had met in NYC last summer when she hosted a rooftop party in August. That was the weekend I went to Brooklyn to see Manu Chao! what a great weekend that was! - Anyways, Kathleen was gracious enough to invite me to accompany her colleagues and friends on a trip to Wadi Rum. We were to hike Ad-Daali, reputed to be the highest point in Jordan...from the peak we'd be rewarded with eagle eye views of Saudi & Israel. Gnarly huh?!

We checked into camp with our guides. Drank tea...ate food in a tent, and then naturally, sat down by the campfire and made...SMORES. God bless Amber! She was gifted with the foresight to plan that delight. :)

Next day...the mountain was ours...of course, with the help of local tribal guides. Without them, we'd 've needed maps and gps and alot more time. lol

So great workout, nice hike, but terrible visibility. hmmm, u can plan all u want, but if mother nature has other plans, then the weather can affect your time. By the way, 4 days outta 7 in Jordan I enjoyed precipitation.

Next day...PETRA. Phantasmagorical. That's all I gotta say. Beyond description and belief...this lost Nabatean city bewilders one and all with it's majestic setting and workmanship. Easily spent a whole day hiking and checking out the ruins. Not bored at all my friends...not bored at all. wondrous wondrous, supercalifragilisticexpialadocious! If u go get the 3 day ticket...it's worth it.

Spent the next morning checking more of it out with Emmanuelle from Bordeaux. She was independent traveler that also wanted to go to the Dana Nature Preserve. We split a taxi there for 13 JD (Jordanian Dinar ; 1JD=$1.40) and got to check out Showbak...a Crusader castle, along the way.

In Dana, we hiked around for a couple of days. It's a great nature lovers place. Set amidst mountains, there is flora and fauna to delight eco-tourists. There's a cool funky backpacker place to stay..."The Tower Hotel". Hamza the manager is very friendly and informative. The food is definitely worth it there too.

Next day, I set out alone for the Dead Sea...hitching rides here and there. For the most part it was easy as pie. The Dead Sea is a trip. I guess I can say I came back from the Dead now. All u do is float...rub mud all over your body and get a tan. This was the perfect recipe after 5 days of hiking.

Then I went back to Amman and went over to David and Nola's place . (Nola is his wife) So good to take it easy then. It was nice comparing notes about Jordan and Yemen and America, Turkey, Oregon, really all kinds of things. They're good people. I am indebted to their hospitality and their words of wisdom.

On the last day, I followed Edward's advice. (Edward is the Director of Amideast Aden and knows the Peninsula quite well). He had suggested several places including a place called Jerash. There I found a great site of Roman ruins. Again, we were blessed with rain. :) That pm I topped off my weeklong sojourn with a visit to the 5-story Mecca mall. Starbucks!

Jordan is a wonderful country with so much history and there is alot I didnt see. Much of it relates to biblical times...John the Baptist, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed etc. I found it interesting that there were a fair number of Arab Christians. There are also a good number of Palestinians and I heard Israel on the radio. There are quite a few French tourists that go there, and really just a lot of tourists compared to Yemen at least. My Arabic was functional and useful there, which was encouraging. Though, it seems my visit to Jordan has somehow teleported my mind into another realm and I'm still adjusting to life back in the wild wild place called Yemen. Gotta love it! esp. b-cuz I'm heading home so soon. Maybe it's all the Spurs mania that brings on a wave of nostalgia coupled with the upcoming end of the school year. Put your orders in for souvenirs now. ;)

for more info on Jordan checkout wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan

Items of Nutritional Interest for Homo Sapiens

How about Yemeni food? What’s it like?

(To read about it, read below. To see some photos of food: CLICK HERE! )

Well there are all kinds of things available and they’re cheap: 50cents - $5. There is a fair amount of standard Middle Eastern fare available…lamb stew, grilled lamb, lamb shwarma, grilled chicken, hummus, kufta etc...

and then there's the signature Yemeni dishes:

Saltah: a stew made of ground beef or goat/lamb meat, potatoes, okra, assorted veggies and spices. One noticeable spice is this fenugreek, which is fenugreeky. That is to say it’s a bit freaky and you gotta get used to it. I’m not a big fan, but on the other hand, I’m not ready to ban the substance. Nevertheless, there is something to be said about a bubbling hot pot of saltah laid before you. Let it cool a bit or you’ll scorch your digits.

Marrak: a lamb &/or veggie broth/soup that is served at lunch with meals.

Zoorbiyan: Stewed lamb and potatoes laid on a bed of biryani rice. Simple, classic and nourishing. The rice may have an occasional clove or cardamom or cinnamon, so bewares. If you can get some Kobsah ( a spicy pickled lime sauce) it’s pretty good.

Sahowek: This is a nonchallenging version of salsa, that Yemenis adore. I don’t mind it, but it tastes like they forgot to put chiles in it. Kind of refreshing complement to the main hot dishes. Sometimes they blend in a dryish salty cheese and that's good too.

Fool: That's right fool! Refried Beans Beans Beans, the musical fruit! (though these may not be pintos…sometimes they are white or mauve or taupe or Vandyke brown, but rare to find something pinto-esque)

Fasoolia: The musical fruit mixed with hot peppahs, onions, spices etc. You can ask for eggs to be mixed in to this or fool. Both to be sopped up with a giant tortilla (hobz)

Hobz: Giant oven baked tortilla. NICE.

Broast: Yemeni Fried Chicken. It does the job. Served with a white garlic lime sauce.

Chips: aka Fries. Don’t you just love fried things? They serve em with hot sauce - not ketchup or mayo.

Beverages: Aseer Leem (lemonade) : they like to grind up the rind seed and all in the blender with lotsa sugar. Its good.
Aseer Manga: Mango nectar
Chai: By far the most popular…tea- comes in red (akhmarr) or milk (haleeb). Either brewed or sprinkled with a mix of cardamom and other special secret ingredients. Nice.
Qawha: Yemeni-version coffee. Made with the husk of the bean and maybe some other seeds added giving it a oatmealish quality. Not bad. Not great, but not bad.
Global soft drinks: Canada Dry, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Red Bull. Non-alcoholic beers are somewhat popular too: Becks and Moussy (Apple flavor!).

Those are the standard everydays here in Aden…but occasionally you’ll find something different out there. I like this one place that invented a sandwich called “Megnoona” (which means crazy lady). Basically a panini with tomato, boiled egg and “Vache que rit (Laughing Cow)” cheese.

Of course, since this is the economic capital of Yemen, we do have some international fare available. Lulu Hypermarket offers Indian and Chinese foods to go. There are a couple of Chinese restaurants: Ching Sing in Malla and The Pink Pearl at the Sheraton. There are a couple of Indian restaurants too: The Himalaya (Maala) and Reemi (Crater).
Maala also boasts a Lebanese Bakery: Le Chateau. I like their chocolate croissants and baklava.

Then there’s also Pizza Hut! And a burger facsimile in the mall. :P isn’t life wunderbar!

Okay, I’m not mentioning everything of course, but more or less you get the picture…and if you click on the Picasa link, you’ll get the pictures. I made an album devoted to food here in Yemen. Bon Appetit for your eyes!

Yemeni-style Day Trippin'

I've been visiting different places here and I just uploaded some photos of Jibla on Picasa (click on link to the right to see them). It's a small town with a lot of history. From 1086-1138, Queen Arwa ruled the Sulayhi state. During her reign she moved the capital there and built a palace with 365 rooms- one for every night! Because of her knowledge, wisdom, support of the arts and also for spending the budget on the good of her people, she is still revered today. Her tomb is still in the Mosque of Queen Arwa today.

Jibla is a wonderful town nestled in the mountains near Ibb. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there which included the palace a home and a walk through the market.


It's very nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and retreat for a weekend into the mountains or just to get out of town and see something different. Last weekend, I went to a place further north called Hammam Ali. There are hot spring bath houses there and it felt good to relax there awhile. The mountains are majestic and peaceful. I'll post some pix of that place and other trips soon too...Hudayda, Zabid, Beit al Faqih, Abyan, Zingibar, Ibb, Hammam Damt, Ad-Dala', Dhamar.

Kashidas, Futas, and Abayas!

This is everday male attire in Aden and in many parts of Yemen too. I don the garb from time to time and pass for a yemeni, sans probleme. Its fun to go incognito into the markets. It consists of a "Kashida" which is a big colored scarf used like a turban. They come in all kinds of colors and designs and are worn in all kinds of ways. It comes in handy as protection from the sun, as a handkerchief, or as a seat when tied together as a buttress for squatting comfortably on the ground.There a couple of different male "skirts". This one is called a "Futa" and is popular in the south. Sandals are the normal footgear.

So where do the wallet and keys go?

Under the fold near the waist, there is a special belt with a pouch for carrying money, keys etc. I actually use a fanny pack that I bought for $1 at a thrift store off of SW Military Drive in San Antonio. In general, I find the local dress comfortable and very convenient to wear when I go to the beach. I have my swimsuit on underneath and all I gotta do is take off the Futa et voila! Then I use the Futa as a beach towel. :)

So what do the women wear ?

Well, they wear "Abayas" which is a black frock that covers the whole body and the head and most women also cover their face as this lady does.

non-sequitir: I'm delighted that Joey Crawford is history! Finally, justice!

Muchísimas Gracias al Don Q. y a Sancho Panza

Saludos desde Yemen amigos! Como están todos? Pues sigo aquí esperándoles, pero no creo que vienen. Ja ja ja. Pues si si, que me traigan unas chelitas bien heladitas. :)

Bueno la razon por la cual les escribo hoy, es para explicar algunas cosas aquí que tienen más que ver con el mundo hispanoparlante. Mi experiencia aquí en este pais del medio oriente, ha sido hasta la fecha muy interesante. Claro hay cosas obvias que distinguen el mundo hispano del mundo arabe..pero a la vez hay tantas cosas similar. Tal vez te preguntas, ¿Qué diablos serán esas cosas? Pues acuerda bien la historia de España…desde el año 711 hasta 1170 a.d. la peninsula iberica fue dominada por musulmanes. Por eso aun existen muchos restos de la cultura árabe…por ejemplo, la giralda en Sevilla, el palacio del Alhambra en Granada y pues vocabulario semejante entre el arabe y el castellano. Descubrí, últimamente, que “acequia” es otra palabra en común- suena similar y significa lo mismo en arabe.

Hay que reconocer esto, y muchas veces se nota en los apellidos tipicos de hispanos. Conozco tantos que se apellidan ‘Medina’. Y pues Medina es el nombre de una ciudad sagrada para los musulmanes en Arabia Saudita. Medina también, en muchos pueblos arabes, por ejemplo en Marruecos, significa la parte vieja de la ciudad, donde muchas veces se encuentra un mercado. Otros apellidos que tienen algo que ver con el mundo arabe…Marroquin, Alcazar, etc.

Además de esto, a veces me siento que hay algo en común entre la cultura árabe y la cultura latina. Digo esto pensando en experiencias que he tenido asi caminando o bromeando con la gente en Cairo y México. Puedo decir que cuando camino en un souk (mercado árabe) parece en muchos sentidos a un mercado latino o los tianguis de Chilangolandia. Ademas, a veces me sorprenda como algunas personas yemeníes aquí parecen a parientes o amigos míos latinos. Tal vez te has confundido una vez en tu vida, comenzando una conversación en cristiano (el español) con un árabe. Así me han dicho algunos yemeníes que así les paso cuando estuvieron por un ano allá en el USA. Y yo siempre me paso por arabe, de un tipo u otro.

No lo niego- hay que admitir que hay grandes diferencias. Acuérdense que les había dicho, que extrañaba a la cultura latina. Pues, por suerte hace como 2 semanas conocí a varios cubanos que trabajan aquí como médicos y enfermeras. Como estamos muy lejos de Latinoamérica, pues le da un toque especial al conocer hermanos latinos. Este fin de semana me invitaron a festejar y pues lo pasamos bien chévere! Como buenos cubanos son muy alegres y talentuosos para gozar. Esa noche, lleve mi guitarra y cantamos hasta que ya no sentía mis deditos y ya no podían mas aguantar. Con gusto nos cantamos, y algunos recitaron versos, y nos bromeamos mucho, muriendo de risa. Aqui les mando una foto!

Como ellos son un equipo de cómo 20 y pico, siempre así pasan los fines de semana, pero para mi, ya parecía un siglo que habia ido asi de bohemio y bailarín de chachachá, salsa, merengue etc. Pues, nos seguiremos aqui luchando como Quixotes y Sancho Panzas contra los molinos malditos! hasta las chanclas mis cuates!

Beach Clean up.

At the end of each Amideast session, I lead a group of 40 scholarship students on an activity to promote civic awareness and responsible citizenship. Last Thursday, along with 3 other groups of 40, we cleaned up a beach along the causeway between Khormaksar and the mainland, Cheikh Othman. This area is actually a protected bird preserve, but suffers from pollution because many of those who drive along there, merely jettison their plastic bags and bottles out the window. There was all kinds of consumer trash: plastic..plastic bags, potato chip bags, bottles, plastic pipes, plastic cups, broken glass bottles and tires too. It was very dirty and stinky, as you can imagine. A TV crew showed up and filmed us, but nobody told me that we came out on TV, so I dont think we made the final cut. It was a workout picking up so much trash in the hot Arabian sun. It wasnt that bad, but it was dehydrating. Afterwards, we debriefed the activity and reflected on the experience over sandwiches and soda back at Amideast. These kinds of volunteer activities are great for promoting awareness. I noticed that the students were impacted by the "unusual" nature of this activity and wanted to share it with their community and perhaps create more clean-ups on a regular basis involving their schools.

As Margaret Mead once said, "Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

انا أسمي ميغيل كنشس

انا أسمي ميغيل كنشس‘ وَ انا مدرس في كُلية التربية عدن. انا من تكسَاس من مدينة سان انتونيو.
دائماًً أقرأ العربية

Check it out! I am learning to type Arabic too now. It’s fun and there are a couple of fonts that are really cool looking. I can handwrite this as well, but not as beautiful as this.

So, I am really enjoying my study of Arabic these days. I have found a teacher, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Saleh, Dean of the Language Institute at the University of Aden. Originally from the Yaffa region of Yemen, Dr. Ahmed is an accomplished scholar who did years of study in Moscow. Of course, he is an expert in fooshal (classic) Arabic, Yemeni dialect, Russian and English as well.

We meet 6 hours a week and look over several lessons. I am noticing that I can go pretty quickly through the lessons because of my previous experiences with Arabic. At San Antonio College, I took a class with Father John Al-Nahal from Lebanon. A pastor at St.George Maronite Church, he taught our class the Huruf, or Arabic alphabet which has 28 letters. This helps and then of course my informal studies of the Hassaniya dialect while I was working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mauritania also help…though there is considerable difference between it and Adeni Arabic or Classical Arabic. Even basic words like Yes and No are very different:

Yes & No:
Yemen: Nam & La
Mauritania: Ehay & Abday

Funny enough, I occasionally discover Arabic words that are more or less identical in Spanish:

Arabic: 1.zaytun 2. inshAllah 3. thor 4. fulana
Spanish: 1. aceituna 2. ojála 3. toro 4. fulana
English: 1. olive 2. Godwilling 3. bull 4. Ms. So & So


These words sound very similar and mean the same things in each language. It’s always a delight to discover the connections that bridge languages and cultures.
The challenge, though, in learning Arabic, is the richness of it’s lexicon or vocabulary. From different people here in Yemen I have heard 2 things about “camel”….one is that there are 17 different words in Arabic that mean camel. Another person told me that there is an old poem that lists 70 different words for camel. I’m not sure which is true, but I am impressed by the lexical luxury of such a language. (how do you like that alliteration?)

Needless to say, it is not easy to learn this language, but I count my blessings. Arabic has an alphabet that has 28 letters that are very graphophonemic in nature. That means the letters represent a sound each time they appear, which makes it easier to read for someone used to a similar kind of alphabet. Though the direction is the opposite of the English alphabet, that is it goes from right to left. I still recall when I first began learning the Huruf in Mauritania how fun it was to try and read signage. It felt like a game where I was “breaking the code”. I like doing that kind of stuff, like cryptoquips, igpay atinlay etc.

Yemen’s a good place to learn Arabic, so that’s what I try and do. Though, they have their own omnia or dialect of Arabic, everyone speaks one language. This makes learning that one language easier. In Mauritania, the various languages kept me on my toes and I used mostly the lingua franca there, French. I picked up some basic language in Hassaniya, and some in Pulaar as well. I even learned some words in Bambaara and Wolof.
Yemeni’s all speak Arabic.
As I’ve mentioned before, learning their language helps me bond with students and understand the challenges they face learning English. I think it’s an opportunity for me to grow and develop a skill that can be useful for connecting with people in the Aden community and the Arab-speaking populace in general. Plus, it’s fun!

Perhaps you’re wondering what in the wide wide world of sports the Arabic script above says. Well here’s the translation:

My name is Miguel Conchas and I’m a teacher at the College of Education in Aden. I’m from San Antonio, Texas. I always read Arabic.

No I don’t always read Arabic, but it was nice to write it.

If you'd like to learn more about Arabic, here's a link to a site that gives a free course online:

http://www.madinaharabic.com/Index.htm

I highly recommend studying a foreign language for the rest of your life. Any language will do: Romance languages, Khmer, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese or Nahuatl. It raises your consciousness and may even be useful to you sometime in the future. Furthermore, it’s more than just words: it’s people, its culture, & it’s alive.

blogosphere & EL learning

As you can tell, I have really enjoyed blogging about my experiences here in Yemen. It's been a great way to share the experiences and adventures as they happen here. Family and friends have been able to read regularly about life for me here in Yemen. Since I saw this positive international phenomenon happening, I recalled a session on using blogs had piqued my interest at the 2005 TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) convention in San Antonio. So, about 4 weeks ago, I decided to experiment with blogging and English Language learning. First, I set up a blog for this semester's Writing II class at The University of Aden,

http://writing2aden.blogspot.com

It's very practical as a bulletin board. I can post news for my students and upload handouts or announcements for activities, scholarships et al. I'm planning on having them work in groups to produce collaborative writings which I will then post to the blog.

At Amideast, I mentioned the blog idea to staff and then along with Teacher Lindsay Martin-McCormick developed one,

http://amideastaden.blogspot.com

This blog shows student writings from various classes at Amideast. Several writings are already posted and it's interesting to see what they choose to write about. If you want to hear what Yemeni students have to say, check it out. Eventually, we could easily take some of these postings and make a simple newsletter as a hard copy for those busy students who cant find the time to surf.

Both blogs also have links to useful sites related to English Language Learning and English sites aimed at Yemenis. If any of you have any comments or suggestions about these blogs (including mine), please email me.

in the infamous words of mr. jon bon jovi

"oooooh we're 1/2-way there...oooooooo- OH! LIVING ON A PRAYER!" That's right folks, hard to believe, but I'm at the 1/2 way mark already. 4 months down and 4 months to go. The glass is half full and half empty too. What can I say? It's been intense, interesting and the pace is picking up too, because I'll be conducting teacher trainings at Amideast using the Shaping Teaching course materials that I picked up in Cairo. I'm excited.

So another semester has begun at Aden University’s College of Education in Khormaksar. I’m now teaching Writing 2 and I feel comfortable now that I have a semester under my belt there. Also contributing to my comfort zone, is the fact that I’m teaching the same students as last semester. More of them know me at the university and really like me. So much so that, I feel like a rock star at times. I roll up on my Chinese-manufactured giant “Rocky”-brandname, full-suspension bicycle listening to Cha-Cha-Cha classics like “El Bodeguero”. I think I’m the only westerner still on campus and I’m also the only one riding around on a bicycle. So, my presence is well-known and I take my fame in stride.

It’s kind of fun actually. Everybody wants to talk to me, buy me a lemonade or a tea. It’s an exotic allure I carry because well, in the words of Butterfly from the Digable Planets, “I’m cool like dat, I’m cool like dat and I’m cool like dat.” I’m friendly and personable and I enjoy talking to whoever is there; from the guys that work in the cafeteria to the administration in the English department. Most of the time, I enjoy shooting the breeze with the students. Naturally, they have a lot of questions about English, America, and things like whether I’m of Arab descent. I have a lot of questions for them, about their culture and Arabic. Some have traveled to other Arab countries and it’s interesting to hear their perspectives.

I sometimes take my Arabic textbook to the University and it’s a lot of fun reversing roles with my students. They are really supportive of me trying to learn their language. Some like, Mahal and Doody, have a very nice teaching style. They coach my reading nicely and enunciate words very well for me.

Sometimes the students and I share music with MP3 players or play games like UNO. Yesterday, I took my guitar and did a little impromptu jam session there. I like taking my guitar to the beach to the boardwalks too. People here don’t see a lot of guitars and they are curious when they see me. The kids gather round and ask me to sing. Here are some songs I play for the students: “Know your Rights” by the Clash (some students thought it was very funny), “La Boa” by Sonora Santanera, “Rudi, A Message to You.” (Selecter or the Specials- I cant remember right now.) They also like the classic guitar instrumentals like Les Jeux Interdits and Malagueña. Flamenco rasgueo appeals to them too. I explained a little about the guitar and let them try it out. The Yemenis really seemed to enjoy strumming to a rhythm. It was a lot of fun singing, taking turns and it was a good informal intercultural exchange. Some guys laughed from afar or as they walked by, but most are curious enough to stop and listen. One guy came up with his own lyrics in English and wanted to rap while I played. So we did and that was nice.

I also played some Shakira songs, the Wanderer by Dion (the girls liked that one). Colours by Donovan (the guys liked that one), Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones – (I think they did not like it, but I really had fun performing it- I need that one on Karaoke.) I also sang “Never Been To Spain” by Three Dog Night and “La Cucaracha” but I inserted Arabic names here and there to spice it up and get their attention. They REALLY liked that a lot. One guy recorded me performing “La Boa” on his telephone. (A Star is Born!) I think they never see this kind of stuff- a person playing and singing with guitar. I marvel at that, and I think the same would be true in America if somebody pulled out an “oud”, a Middle Eastern stringed instrument, and started singing Arabic songs in an open area at a University campus. I like taking my guitar and playing for the students and I like even taking it to the boardwalks along the beaches here where families and kids are. They are curious and come and listen and ask me to sing. They have no idea what I’m singing about but they smile a lot. Kind of like what I do when I hear an oud player or hear them sing songs. lol

Speaking of guitar styles like flamenco and cha-cha-cha… I’ve been kind of missing Hispanic culture…mi cultura, mi lengua todo ese jale. Within the expat community, there is a varied bunch, German, French, American, English, New Zealand etc, pero desafortunadamente no hay hispanoparlantes. Anyways, to get my fix, I usually email/chat con los amigos or visit the internet or listen to musica en mi ipod, pero last night I finally met some people que hablan espanish- and very well. I was sitting at a café having some juice when I overheard a Yemeni yell at another “Ven Aqui!”

I half-jokingly yelled out, “ No me digas que alguien aqui habla español!?” and they actually responded in Spanish, diciendo, “De donde eres?” Al enterar que habían topado con un mexicano- tal vez el único en Yemen, se pusieron todos muy alegres!” How did they become so well-versed in Spanish…well it goes back to the days when South Yemen was Communist and had strong ties with Russia and Cuba. Fifteen to 20 years ago, these particular Yemenis had studied or worked and learned español in Cuba. Instantly we became friends exchanging numbers and vowing to get together soon for some good times. One of them, Adel, is crazy for Juan Gabriel, y empezó a cantar “Querida”. Ay ay ay, Juana La Loca.

Yemen is an interesting place as you can tell, and I’m making the most of my time here in Aden working, studying al arabiyya and making friends. I want to savor the last 4 months, working with the people of this country. If I can encourage them in their efforts for education, or share with them my thoughts, then in July when I board a plane heading to San Antonio, I know I will have succeeded. I know already I will return home with new information and experiences forever to be carried in my head and my heart. Como dice Julieta Venegas en su canción, Oleada, …y todo lo que ya vivi lo sigo cargando ….lo llevo muy dentro de mi nunca lo he olvidado….lo siento tan cerca de aquí- lo llevo muy dentro de mi

Que sean felices!

The Aden Wetlands Protected Area

Last week I went with 2 of my students to visit the Aden Wetlands Protected Area (click the name for photos). They are both applying to be high school exchange students next year in America. It would be cool if we somehow meet up there. Anyways, Maged, Mueataz and I visited this wonderful place. They take treated wastewater from a certain village (suburb) of Aden and then it is channeled to land near the coast. This is an area that is not as rocky as the city. The result is you have a nice area that is green, lush, fertile. Birds love it and we saw plenty of interesting species. Mueataz arranged for the visit with a friend who works there, Fares. Fares is actually a former Amideast student,and he is a local volunteer that is trying to promote the site for local awareness. The site has been funded by the United Nations Development Program and uses sustainable techniques and appropriate technologies. For example, there is a nursery made of mud brick walls and a palm leaf roof. There are alot of palms that grow there, specifically a species they called Hadash which they use to make vinegar, Khal. That vinegar is then turned around and sold locally. The palm trunks are used to make furniture..chairs, stools, and tables. All of the structures are made of natural materials..they even have a swingset made of tree trunks and rope.
Beyond the palm tree area, there is a wide green space where cows graze and birds find food. Mueataz and Fares had arranged a camel ride for me through this part. It was fun. My camel tried to go renegade so I had to have a guide too. At one point I got off, took pictures and when I remounted the camel started to rise and I simply fell on the ground.- Thanks to my catlike reflexes and jedi training, I was able to avoid any catastrophes. lol
So, it's a wonderful place that I had no idea existed here. Hopefully, more students and Yemenis will come to appreciate the eco-friendly ideas and practices used here.
Check out the photos on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/TeacherMiguel

A Night in Old Cairo.

Rather than tell you about the wonderful touristy things I did there, (which you can see if you click here), I’d like to tell you about a night in Cairo that I will always treasure.
I accompanied my fellow English Language Fellow, Whitney Mirts, to the Coptic Quarter, but we arrived too late to see anything. The souvenir shops were still open so we did some shopping. I bought a nice cross with mother-of-pearl handiwork. We spotted a craftsman, etching Arabic writings into stone. Whitney ordered one saying “Ahlan wa salan” (Welcome) to be made on a beige marble-like stone with a polished finish. It cost 120 Egyptian pounds. (roughly $24 USD).

She had to return to the Hotel Flamenco in Zamalek to catch a shared taxi ride to the airport. Since I was staying a couple of more days, I stuck around old Cairo and looked for some street food, which is one of my favorite things to do when traveling. I passed a guy selling macaroni and sauce, and thought about that, but I spotted an Egyptian BBQ going on a little further and I was in the mood for something like that. I ordered some grilled chicken and sat down. I had hummus, fresh pitas, some salad and the chicken and it was only 8 or 9 pounds. (~$1.80 USD).

Old Cairo was alive with people going to and fro, some on donkey or horse carts and there was a great neighborhood feel to the way people say hello and hang out. Now, I really felt like I was in Cairo. I had some tea after that and then walked up to Masgid Amr Ibn el-As, the oldest mosque in Cairo. Kids were playing soccer, and the prayer call had gone out recently. I walked around and snapped photos. I saw large ablution rooms there for both sexes and a special section for women to pray too. I sat on the steps just outside the mosque and listened to the beautiful prayers as the imam led everybody in worship. Somebody even invited me to join. That was nice.

After that, I continued strolling on the main boulevard and tried out some garbanzos and then some baked sweet potato. Some men invited me to drink tea, which I accepted and then I went on with my walk. I came to a dirt road and decided to go down it into a neighborhood and I am so glad I did. It was darker than the main boulevard, but there were people here and there and occasionally a shop or two was open. I came to an intersection and saw lights in two directions and asked a man drinking tea outside of his shop which one he would recommend I check out. He told me that the one to the left, which appeared more colorful, was a wedding- though we were facing the back of it- and the one straight ahead was really nothing much. He encouraged me to go the wedding which appealed to me. (I must confess I’m a bit of a party crasher.) There is something great about a place like Cairo though, where I don’t need to know a single person or have an invitation to go to a wedding. Remembering the wild Yemeni wedding celebration (see Wild Wedding post) that I partook in spontaneously, I thought “Let’s see how they party in old Cairo.”

When I made it over to the front side of the setup, I found a great havela (party) alla Kairo in full effect. The wedding was basically a wild block party in the street. Men socialized around gurgling sheesha pipes, while children frolicked playing soccer, dancing, and play fighting. In contrast to the Yemeni wedding, both sexes were present. There was a great stage setup with a colorful inflated arc in the back ground. In the foreground, an ornate metal bench where the aroos (groom) and aroosa (bride) would be seated upon arrival. There was a makeshift aisle set up in the middle of the dirt street going right up to the stage. The path was aligned with sticks in the dirt that had balloons on the top end and there was a colorful mat there to serve as the royal red carpet. Chairs were chaotically left anywhere for anyone to grab and sit or dance with, depending on their inclination. The DJ played the latest Egyptian party songs. I recognized one that the taxi driver from my first night in Cairo had played for us, “Hamra Uta” which translates to “Red Tomatoes”. I love it. All in all, the wedding party had a carnival-like feel to it, yet it reminded me of DJ parties/celebrations I’ve seen in Mexican towns.
It was great watching people arrive and get ready while the music played. Some sang along as their favorite song came on, and many were inspired to do belly dance arabesques as their friends and family clapped egging them on. One guy danced with a cane and made a mini-spectacle,but this went on all over the scene. I met a couple of brothers that were waiting as well for the party to begin. Gamal and Mohammed were gracious and tried to explain the wedding to me and insisted I smoke cigarettes with them. Then I heard cars honking and I knew this was it! The cars pulled up, all eyes and smiles were upon them as the newlyweds came out and greeted their families. The bride went up to her female relatives and they all gushed around her wishing her well. Fireworks went off and the aforementioned decorative aisle quickly disappeared once the couple made it on stage.
I really wanted to take more video and pictures, but my darn battery died! (What a time for that to happen! I really need to just buy a spare soon.) Nevertheless, I loved watching the festive event. Just when I was ready to see what happened next, Gamal and Mohammed said it was time to go. Confused, I pleaded with them to let me stay and watch, but they insisted and said there was another wedding to go to that would be better. I really wanted to stay, but I didn’t want to refuse their hospitality, so I went along and followed their instincts.
Back into the calm of the neighborhood, I walked with them and noticed poor conditions everywhere. At one point, we passed a bulldozer hard at work. Mind you, it’s now around 8pm and this seems a bit incongruous given the fact that it’s also Friday night. A couple of more minutes and we arrived at wedding number 2. It did not disappoint. Here I saw a similar scene to the first, but bigger and already at a later stage in the raucous joy. I noticed the space was wider and that the oldest mosque in Cairo was beyond the back wall of the area. Again a DJ played hypnotic Arabic music to get the crowd moving, but this one was doubling as an emcee and occasionally performed songs and dances. Wearing a Ferrari red sweater, he was a trip to watch in his own right. Men, a few shirtless, brandished large machetes as they followed the sinuous rhythms. Women were on stage with the newlyweds and dancing too. People were all over: men smoking water pipes; women congratulating the bride; and others hanging out of windows smiling and sitting on ladders watching the excitement. Occasionally there were fireworks or a makeshift flamethrower (aerosol can and lighter) and sometimes a car, taxi or bus needed to drive through, so we’d move our chairs out of the way. Some danced on their chairs, some were lifted on their chairs and cheered and others simply danced with their chairs on their head or held aloft.
Not everybody was happy, though. At one point I saw some kind of ruckus coming from the back of the stage and there was pushing and shoving and strained faces. The wedding party self-policed it and the unhappy guest was escorted away. I was relieved to see that it never escalated more than that. That dampened the mood for about 10 nanoseconds and then the party went on, as DJ Ferrari stood on a chair near the amps and belted out an emotional number and a throng of fans clapped along and did more machete brandishing. After that, there was no way I could not love Cairo. Gamal made sure I got a taxi with a reasonable price back to my hotel. Then it was off to a hip scene along the banks of the Nile with another fellow. We went to Absolute, a trendy place right out of any city, where people dress smart and the food is cutesy gourmet (sushi, calamari et al), and the drinks are priced for the well-heeled. The difference there was that Egyptian flair around…the DJ emphasized Arab pop dance, and garnished it with some Shakira, a dash of hip-hop and then gave it a taste of Miami with some reggaeton y merengue.
How fascinating I thought to be one minute in Old Cairo experiencing something so down home and neighborhoody- an only-in-Cairo type of thing and then a couple of hours later, dancing the night away with trendy cosmopolites. What can I say, I was mabsoot! (happy).

Conferences in Cairo

The Yemen group strategizes outreach for the Shaping the Way We Teach training course.

From January 19-26, I participated in 2 English teaching conferences in Cairo: the Shaping & Sharing the Way Forward Conference held at the Flamenco Hotel in Zamalek and the 12th Skills Conference at the American University of Cairo.

Ashraf and Mohammed, two English teachers from Egypt.

The Shaping & Sharing the Way Forward Conference, organized by the US Office of English Language Programs, was a great opportunity for me to learn about a dynamic online course that was offered to teachers in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. In Cairo, it all came together as those who had taken the course presented key modules on the following: Critical & Creative Thinking, Alternative Assessment, Young Learners, Contextualizing Language, Integrating Skills, Pairwork/Groupwork, Managing Large Classes, Peer Observations and Learning Strategies. Having examined these components at UTSA and while working at ACCD, I found it interesting to revisit them in the context of places like Jordan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Egypt, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and hearing about their plights, their trials and tribulations as well as their successes, accomplishments, and joys. I really liked meeting and hearing people from different lands. Participants included teachers as well as other English Language Fellows from countries in Central Asia and the Near East and North Africa. It was good to reconnect with the ELFs who I hadn't seen since Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, DC. We bonded by sharing ideas, stories and visiting some of Cairo during our free time.

The American University in Cairo

The American University in Cairo’s School of Continuing Education held its 12th Skills Conference at it’s campus near Tahrir Square. The theme was Critical Learning: Implications for Students, Teachers and Educational Systems. Whitney Mirts and I, (the English Language Fellows of Yemen), presented a talk entitled, “Using Literature to Promote Critical Reading and Critical Thinking” to an audience of English language students, teachers and a few English Language Fellows. Participants read “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, discussed it in small groups and examined it critically. After that, they did a jigsaw/matrix activity and learned how that can also promote meaningful exchange and critical thinking.

Miguel at the American University in Cairo

Mismat…means “NAIL”

I learned that word the hard way as you can tell from my last blog. I realized as I pouted in pain that what I felt in my foot was merely the tip of an iceberg compared to the crucifixion.

On the way home a day early, the taxi drivers put me in a car with a couple of Somali’s and a Japanese man who I befriended. Shohei, had lived in New Zealand and spoke English well. I could barely muster a couple of words from the 2 semesters I took at San Antonio College with Sensei Kawabe: “Anata wa nihon-jin desu ka?” (Are you Japanese)…Watashi wa Amerika-jin desu. Miguel desu ne. (I am American. I’m Miguel.)

Shohei is a commercial photographer and decided to make Yemen his first destination in the Middle East after reading that people were nice here. Traveling alone, he had seen a good amount of the country in a couple of weeks and was continuing on to Aden, Hodeida and then back to Sanaa.

I invited him to stay with me in Aden. I enjoyed helping him out with what I could, though my injury kept me from showing him the hospitality I would have liked to. He took an interest in the seafood, so we went to the fish market near Seera Castle in Crater. We marveled at the new fish market (which btw, I hadn’t been to before), and picked out a nice big kingfish for 700 rials (US $3.50). This fish could have fed 3 or 4 people, and we feasted like kings at the mokhbaza- Yemeni restaurant. The mokhbaza-style preparation, means lowering the split fish into a pit oven where it is left to cook until the whole outer edge is charred pitch black. In my broken Arabic, I attempted to order the chefs to take it easy and not to burn it, but we still received a charred fish. Anyways, it’s pretty good when you dust off the burnt part. They serve it with a fresh oven-baked hobz bread which resembles a giant tortilla and a salsita that is mild and refreshing. Mokhbaza’s are open air and cat’s make a living off the many leftovers.

Over dinner, Shohei expressed interest in making sashimi. Sashimi is raw fish prepared Japanese style. It is made without rice- that would be sushi. So the next day we went back there and bought another big Kingfish and had it filleted. We took it home and Shohei showed me the way to prepare it while I captured it on video and digipics. Basically you get the fresh kingfish and remove any other bones, then you sear the surface (he asked if I had or could get a small blowtorch! Lol). This kills any malevolent microbes etc. He told me also that all of the condiments have a purpose…to counteract any bacteria that may be in the fish. I never knew that, but it makes perfect sense. I kinda just always cared about the taste and the sadistic pleasure of feeling my nostrils enflamed by wasabi.

That reminds me of my first sushi experience….While attending NYU, I worked at La Maison Francaise and my suprervisor, Madame Nina Burnelle invited me to join her for sushi at a nearby Japanese eatery. Following her suggestion I ordered the “sampler” lunch special…miso soup, some sushi, tempura and some green tea. I ate the first sushi and could not really stomach the coldness nor the texture. Hard to swallow I remember. Well, I tried to maintain my composure and show her that I was open to new culinary experiences so I kept on eating. I noticed there was a small daub of avocado, so I said to myself, “Oh that’s cute, some aguacate. That’ll make this taste better I’m sure.” So with wobbly chopsticks in hand I struggled to grab the last of my sushi, pick up the avocado, and get it over with. As I chewed expecting the familiar pleasant flavor of the alligator pear, I instead felt extreme heat and pain emanating from my mouth and rapidly permeating my olfactory. Miguel meet WASABI! I coughed and choked gasping for air, and tears rolled down my face due to this grave error. Meanwhile, my supervisor, cried too- but from laughter. Unforgettable, it traumatized me for years and kept me away from the beauty and exquisiteness of sushi and sashimi. Years later, however, after making friends with Japanese students in college, I tried and tried again an again, until I developed the palate for ikura, unagi, hamachi, etc. oh how i love unagi!
And look at me now, gearing up to make sashimi in Aden, Yemen. Why not?!?

CLICK HERE to related pictures of the sashimi fest.

Eid Mubarak and Happy New Year!

Hello friends and visitors! I know it’s been some time, but I’m very happy to deliver you my first post of 2007. I ended 2006 and inaugurated 2007 on the road in the Hadramout region in the eastern part of Yemen. I had a great trip and have posted 75 photos. I actually took 700 plus video, so that’s the abridged album, entitled Eid-al-Adha Trip to the Hadhramout, that you will find as usual with my Yahoo! Photos.

So let me run it down for you…

Day 1 I left Aden on Thursday, December 29th. I bought a spot on the passenger side of an old Toyota LandCruiser bound for the coastal city of Al-Mukalla. We left at about 3:30pm and arrived at our destination just after midnight. The route began following the coast, but shortly after Abyan we headed into the higher elevations inland of Shebwa region. This is apparently an area that is risky for foreigners to go through, so there are several police checkpoints. Going to Hadramout, they assumed I was Yemeni and just waved our car through. I understand that when Westerners usually go through this area, they must do so with an armed escort, either a Kalishnokov-bearing policeman or a truck with a mounted machine gun and 3 or 4 men.

Mukalla looked beautiful even at night. The city is laid out before the Arabian Sea and much of the ocean drive is majestic with either rock formations or as one proceeds, old buildings and mosques. There wasn’t much going on when I got to my hotel. Some guys were gathered outside drinking tea, chewing qat and watching WWF. (Yes –Rick Flair, Sean Michaels and whoever else is wrestling these days have a thriving fan base in Yemen.)

Bright and early the next day I grabbed another taxi, this time headed to the heart of the Wadi Hadramout…Sayun. As we sped along, the desert scenery evoked memories of the Sahara. Camels, rocky plateaus, Arabic scripts painted on mountains, and the Phoenix Dactylifera (date palm tree) contributed to my nostalgia. (At this time I’d like to give a shout out to my fellow Adraris – past and present).

Well, as much as it reminded me of Mauritania, it also surprised me. The architecture is much different in the small towns. Women are the shepherds in this land. They don black garb that covers their whole body and face. Many also wear a pointed straw hat that bears some resemblance to a witch hat. I found myself incredibly stupefied by the architecture. There were many fortresslike tall buildings made of mud, and sentry posts strategically placed atop the surrounding mountains that envelop the wadi (valley). Wadi Hadramout is said to be the longest wadi in the Middle East and it did not disappoint. Whizzing by town after town of mud-brick structures, the car made it’s way past the majestic Manhattan of the desert, Shibam and on to nearby Sayun. I wanted to lodge there since it’s the biggest city in the vicinity of the places I wanted to see. Sayun has been the Wadi Hadramout capital since the 15th century and has the impressive Sultan’s Palace that all Yemenis know from the 500 rial note. It is now a museum that exhibits photos by Freya Stark, an intrepid British lady who traveled in Yemen back in the 1930s, as well as artifacts from the ancient times up to the sultan’s heyday.
While in Sayun, I also made day trips to Shibam and Tarim. Shibam is in a word, Magical! The whole city is encircled by a wall and entering through the official door (Bab), feels like a time warp- though the sight of air conditioners, electrical wires and plumbing amidst the mud-brick edifices keeps it up with the times.

Tarim was fascinating too. I just wandered around the dusty roads appreciating the architecture. I noticed there in Tarim and in other parts of the Hadrawmout, occasionally one sees some people that seem Asian. I spoke with a couple on the taxi rides and found out that many are from Indonesia. Several of them maintain their cultural language in addition to Arabic.

I returned to Mukalla and enjoyed another night of Eid-al-Adha celebrations. It goes on for 3-5 days depending on what city you are in. Apparently, al-Mukalla does it right with 5 days of festivities. Most people enjoy the time with their family and friends so it kind of resembles Christmas. (In Sayun, the children receive money and then head out to the center of town to buy toys and candies. ) Since this was New Year’s Eve, I went out and had some shrimp in Al-Mukalla, and then walked on the boardwalk taking in the ocean breeze. New Year’s is not really celebrated in Yemen, aside from some fancy schmancy hotels where foreign tourists go, so nothing to report with respect to that.

The next day I went to the nearby village of Ghayl Bawazir. Khaled Yehia, one of my students invited me to visit him there, so I thought, “Why not?” After checking into a hotel, he came by and then gave me the grand tour including a stop at an interesting old school that is now a local museum. Inside one finds tools, implements, money, and newspapers of yesteryear. After that we went to his home to eat Kebsah for lunch. It was my authentic Yemeni Eid meal and consists of rice, mutton, and a special pickled lime sauce that is used sparingly. I liked it.

After lunch, we watched some Van Damme movies. Khaled’s a big fan of Jean-Claude. Khaled showed me more of the town including date palmeries, a sheikh’s tomb, some gardens, an abandoned sultan’s palace, a soccer game in town, and we played some PlayStation soccer too. I still cant seem to win.

The next day, He and his friend Ahmed took me to some nearby pools. It was really cool. One of them reminded me of the “cenotes” one sees in the Yucatan. Of course they were not as large as some of those, but as I was in the desert, it felt like heaven! The water was crystalline clean, and a local chap was enjoying it with a snorkel mask.

That afternoon I said goodbye and went on to the next town, Ash-Shihr. I hired a car to take me there for 700 rials (approx. $3.50) and my driver was the jovial and very informative Abdullah. He explained a lot of the scenery and then showed me around Ash-Shihr. We went and bought some tuna and then took it to a restaurant to have lunch prepared. It was simple and delicious. Moments like this I enjoyed on my trip. Being alone, yet being with the Yemenis, allowed me to try more Arabic and make more friends.

At the call for prayer, Abdullah headed for the mosque and I went to the beach for a walk. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to say goodbye due to the following: I strolled along snapping photos and really not worrying about being anywhere or doing anything. I climbed up on a jetty and looked between the crevices for signs of sea life. After 15 minutes of that, I decided to head back to town and look for another old bab (doorway to the city) that still stands today. I jumped from the jetty on to the pavement and felt sharp pain in my right foot. I hadn’t noticed that several nails were just standing straight up out of the cement. Each of them had about 2 ½ inches and the head of the nail. (not the point). This particular nail went through my sandal and into my foot, but did not go through my foot and it didn’t seem to make it to the bone. I felt great pain, and could not walk. Luckily, a man on a bicycle witnessed the whole accident and went to get me a taxi. I went to the hospital where I was treated and bandaged.

For the next 2 days I limped about. It was a downer because I had wanted to go snorkeling or diving the next day in Al-Mukalla. Don’t worry, I’m doing fine now after some medical attention and prophylaxis. Details coming soon! Click here to enjoy the picks!