Ali Abdullah Saleh Back in Sanaa (2)

So far, fighting is continuing in different parts of the city between different parties. Later today, the President is expected to give a speech to the public on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of Revolution Day (26 September). What he is going to say may well be important for the future of the conflict.

For your information, Yemen has two Revolution Days: one of the north (against the imamate) and one of the south (against the British invasion). The date of the latter is 14th October 1963, while the former, which should be celebrated tomorrow, started one year earlier, on 26th September 1962.

Ali Abdullah Saleh Back in Sanaa

We just heard the news that the President has returned to Yemen this morning. What a surprise! When we heard shooting from all sides, we knew something had happened - although it could just as well have been the beginning of a war in yet another part of the city.

Saleh has come back in the middle of a big mess - with many parts of Sana'a blocked (Zubeiry Street and environments) and fighting continuing. Let's hope, inshallah, that he will be able to find a solution!

Fasting the Six Days of Shawwal

Ramadhan is over, and so is Eid al-fitr. Work and schools have started again. Still, some Muslims choose to continue fasting for six more days any time during this month of Shawwal, which is the lunar month after Ramadhan.

The Prophet (PBUH) siad: "He who fasts Ramadhan, then follows it with six days of fasting from Shawwal, it wil be (in terms of reward) as if he has fasted the whole year." (Muslim)

According to most scholars, these six days can be fasted either consecutively or separately. However, some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadhan.

The voluntary fast of Shawwal may only be done after making up any missed days of Ramadhan due to, for example, illness, monthly period, or travels. This is explained as first paying off a debt, which is compulsory, while fasting the six days of Shawwal is not.

A Beggar

If you give beggars, who are mainly found at junctions, money, there's a big chance that they buy qat with it. That's why I decided to buy some packets of tea to hand out instead.
An old man asked me for 'sadaqah', and I gave him a packet of tea. He looked at it with interest. "What is this?"
"Tea" I said, "so that you can drink tea."
He looked at me. "Where can I drink tea?"
It occurred to me that he might be homeless. "Give it to the cafeteria so that they can make you tea," I suggested.
His face cleared up and he thanked me, still studying the package in his hand.

Een Bedelaar (in het NLs)

Als je bedelaars, die zich voornamelijk op kruispunten bevinden, geld geeft, wordt dit veelal omgezet in qat. Daarom besloot ik een stel pakjes thee te kopen om her en der uit te delen.
Een oude man vroeg me om 'sadaqah' (een aalmoes), en ik gaf hem een pakje thee. Hij keek er geinteresseerd naar. "Wat is dat?"
"Thee" zei ik vrolijk. "Kun je thee drinken."
Hij keek me eens aan. "Waar kan ik thee drinken?"
Hm. Het begon me te dagen dat ik misschien met een dakloze van doen had.
"Geef het aan het cafetaria; dan kunnen ze thee voor je maken" raadde ik hem aan.
Zijn gezicht lichtte op en hij bedankte me hartelijk, nog steeds het pakje in zijn hand bestuderend.

Picture (Old Sana'a Street)

(Photo by Eveline Kuhlman)

English in Yemen

The young generation is very much into learning English. Unfortunately, English education in schools is not of the highest level, which is why the numerous language institutes (which all teach one language, namely English) do good business.

Most of these institutes are small and offer reasonably cheap courses of questionable quality, but the bigger ones offer education of better quality for a considerable sum of money, which can only be afforded by the upper-class.

Many signs are bilingual in Yemen (Allah knows why because there aren't exactly many foreigners here, and the ones who are usually know some Arabic) - street signs, signs on bigger shops and businesses. You do encounter funny English sometimes. For example, at the bank I read a sign at the teller which read: 'the bank is an irresponsible for mistaking'. A petrol station has a huge sign which reads: 'statsion and cleaned'. :)

I personally think this is perfectly all right; Yemen is not an English-speaking country after all. And it gives the rare English speaker something to smile about every now and then!

Picture (Sign)

This is a sign that you can see in many parts of the city these days.

The man in the picture is Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani, head of the Shura Council, who died in Saudi Arabia some ten days ago due to his injuries sustained in the attack on the Presidential mosque in the beginning of June. His body was flown to Sana'a last week where he was buried.

The signs are both in Arabic and English.