Child Labor

Every now and then you read an article on child labor in certain countries, and how the western world condemns this phenomenon. However, the west may not always understand life in other countries and should know that not everybody wants the same life as they are living.

The west stresses the importance of education. But let me ask you: what is education? Not the whole population needs a bachelor's degree. The society also needs handworkers, bakers, shopkeepers, mechanics, farmers, etc. etc. So, yes, it is very useful for every child to attend school for a certain number of years, until the child can read, write, multiply and divide, and has gotten some general knowledge. But if this child happens to have the chance to learn a profession (in his father's shop, for example, or his uncle's restaurant, on his father's farm, or in his brother's qamariah workshop), there is absolutely nothing wrong with accepting that opportunity! It will give the child even a better future than his former classmates at school.

You're asking 'how?' Well, it's simple. Whoever finishes high school has a certificate but little actual knowledge. Where could this graduate find a job? Well, in his father's shop, for example, or his uncle's restaurant, on his father's farm, or in his brother's qamariah workshop. But by this time, he is much older than the 'drop-out' who started learning years ago, which makes it more difficult for him.

As far as 'child labor' in Yemen is concerned, the vast majority of kids who spend their time working do so with a family member (father, uncle, brother) who owns the business they work in. They are not being exploited by rich factory-owners or something like that. Moreover, working and practical learning makes the child more mature and responsible. Didn't you have a weekend-job when you were young?

Recipe (Fettah)

Fettah is the name of any dish that consists of flat bread in small pieces. Here are three varieties:
  Fettah bil-halib: Ingredients: flat bread and milk. How to make it: Tear the flat bread in small pieces and put them in a stone maqleh if you have one. Otherwise, any pot or pan will do. Pour the milk over the bread and heat it up well. In the process, the milk should be soaked up by the bread so that it's not too liquid. Eat either with a spoon or your fingers. Personally, I like to add some sugar and apple, but this is not the Yemeni way!
  Fettah bil-moz: I haven't tried this one myself but I have been told the following: Ingredients: flat bread, bananas, and ghee. How to make it: Tear the flat bread in small pieces and put them in a stone maqleh or other pot. Mash the bananas into the bread, add some ghee and heat up.
  Fettah bil-maraq: Ingredients: flat bread and chickenstock or beefstock, preferably not Maggi but the stock you get when cooking meat in water (see recipe 'meat Yemeni style' elsewhere on this blog). How to make it: Tear up the flat bread in small pieces, add some ghee (half a spoonful or so), and pour the stock over it.  That's all!

Motorcycles

Sana'a has many motorcycles. They are a quick means of travelling since traffic jams can be avoided on a motorcycle. But most importantly, they are used as taxis. You can see a passenger on a motorcycle sitting behind the owner of the vehicle with a sack of flour, a gas cylinder, or a goat. Or without anything, simply in a hurry to get somewhere. Lots of people earn their living with a motorcycle, which is obviously much cheaper to buy than a car. But now the government has come up with an idea to restrict the income of some of these people: '...it has directed banning motorcycles with unregistered plates in all Yemeni governorates, and seize vehicles violating Yemen’s traffic law. In an online statement, the ministry confirmed the need to organize daily security and traffic campaigns to arrest the violators.' we can read in an article published by al-Arabiya. Since registering your motorcycle is most probably time-consuming and expensive (all paperwork in this country is), not everybody will be able to do this. An economic analyst in the same article said: “From a security perspective, this plan might be important, but under the pretext of security measures, it will leave tens of thousands of citizens without their only revenue source. Indeed, the political crisis and its disastrous economic repercussions have already forced citizens to buy motorcycles and use them as taxis in order to provide for their daily bread.”

Recipe (Susi)

T

his dish is very easy to make. You need flat bread, three eggs, milk, and salt and pepper. Put some pieces of bread on top of each other. Mix the eggs with milk so that the mixture is neither too 'eggy' nor too 'milky', and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the bread (the bread has to be completely covered) and put it in the oven until the mixture is hardened. This works best in a stone cooking pot called a 'maqleh', which keeps the food hot for a while after taking it out of the oven.

Recipe (Bint as-Sahn)

Literally translated, the name of this dish means 'daughter of the plate', and it is mostly prepared on Fridays and special occasions.
 You need: white flour, three eggs, ghee, salt, sugar, yeast, honey, and some black seeds.
 1. Cup your hands together to scoop the white flour three times. This should be enough for a small bint as-sahn to try it out. Next time, you could use more. Put the flour in a bowl together with two-and-a half eggs, a pinch of salt, a couple of heaped tablespoons of sugar, and a little yeast.
2. With luke-warm water, knead this with your hand into an elastic dough which is neither too watery nor too tough.
3. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave for an hour, or until risen.
4. Then make six (or more or less, it doesn't matter that much) little balls (put some flour on your hands while doing this).
5. Put some melted ghee on your baking tray to prevent the dish from sticking. Take the first ball and with your hands and/or a roller, make it into a round piece of dough, an thin as possible. Put it on your baking tray, and pour some melted ghee over it. Repeat with all the other balls.
6. Spread the remaining egg on top and sprinkle some black seeds over it.
7. Put in the oven until ready (this may take approx. 20 minutes).
8. Serve either warm or cold with lots of honey on top.

Eid al Adha

It's nearly Eid al Adha. Everywhere you go you see lots and lots of sheep for sale - at markets, butchers, pick-up trucks... Because it's sunneh to slaughter a sheep on Eid and distribute part of its meat among neighbors, the poor, and friends. Street vendors at junctions sel big, sharp knives for this purpose. Eid is not only meat, though! It's also the early morning Eid prayer, coming together with family and friends, and remembering Allah. And the last day before Eid, the Day of Arafah, Moslims who are not on pilgrimage are encouraged to fast so that sins of the past and coming year may be forgiven. Businesses are already closing down. People are preparing for (at least!) a week off work.

Street Vendors

Once in a while it's nice to walk through the Old City's suqs. Unfortunately, the 'baladieh' (municipality) had chased away all the street vendors when we were there. Since the streets are usually full of them-selling clothes, plastic slippers, garlic, socks, kitchen utensils, and whatever else you may need-without them, the suqs are empty. I found a few street vendors with their wheelbarrows in a narrow alleyway, where they had found shelter. "What happened to the suq?" I asked. "The baladieh" was the answer. "Just today?" "No, every day" the man sighed. Why do they do this? They cut off the rizq (sustenance) from these people, take the life out of the Old City, and the customers aren't happy either because they sell cheap stuff that's different from what you find in the shops. It's a consolation that things like these are usually temporary, so in a few weeks' time, the street vendors will probably be back. Inshallah.

Niqab (in het NLs)

Vrouwen in Jemen zijn van top tot teen bedekt. Op het platteland dient vaak één lange lap stof voor het bedekken van zowel haar als gezicht (behalve de ogen) en kunnen de vrouwen in lange jurken naar buiten. In de Oude Stad van Sanaa hullen vooral de oudere vrouwen zich in een meterslange lap gekleurde stof. Ook het gezicht wordt hiermee door sommigen bedekt zodat zij de wereld zien in een mengsel van rood, blauw, en wit. De meeste vrouwen in de stad dragen echter een lange, wijde, zwarte jas op straat, een kortere of langere hoofdbedekking, en een aparte gezichtssluier die de ogen open laat. Al kiezen sommigen ervoor om ook hun ogen te bedekken met een dunne, half-doorzichtige zwarte sluier. Strakke zwarte handschoenen zijn ook een optie, al is het niet aanstootgevend om met blote handen rond te lopen. ----- Het doel van dit alles is om elke verleiding uit te sluiten, want wat voor verleidelijks is era an een in zwart gehuld persoon waar je niets van ziet? Fout, zo blijkt als je beter kijkt. Want zie je niet die met kohl opgemaakte ogen? Die zwarte jas met versierde mouwen die nét even te strak zit? Die opvallende ringen om de vingers? Een deel van de nieuwe generatie springt losjes om met de verhullingen, die zo hun oorspronkelijke doel volledig missen. Maar wie inderdaad vroom door het leven wil, kan dit doen zonder op te vallen. ----- Hoewel een gesluierde vrouw in Europa beangstigend kan lijken, gaat dat hier uiteraard niet op. Al zitten er wel enige nadelen aan. Zo herken je vrouwen erg moeilijk, tenzij het is aan hun bril, handtas, of uitzonderlijke postuur. Les geven aan gesluierde meisjes brengt de moeilijkheid met zich mee dat je nooit precies weet wie er aan het woord is. Maar heb je er wel eens aan gedacht dat het ook heerlijk rustgevend kan zijn om een gezichtssluier te dragen? Je bent lekker anoniem en niemand kan van je gezicht aflezen als je verveeld, kwaad, of verbaasd bent. Voor een buitenlandse spelt mee dat je er plots veel lokaler uitziet, wat van pas kan komen bij, bijvoorbeeld, wegversperringen. ----- Of de gezichtssluier, in welke vorm dan ook, nu een Islamitisch voorschrift is of niet, daar is niet iedereen het over eens. Volgens sommige Moslims is het verplicht, terwijl het volgens anderen het meer cultureel is. Een klein percentage Jemenitische vrouwen, voornamelijk jongeren, draagt hem niet, maar bedekt alleen het haar. Er zijn werkplekken waar vrouwelijke employees hun gezicht niet eens mógen bedekken, zoals sommige banken en privé-onderwijsinstellingen. Buiten op straat dragen diezelfde employees echter wél hun sluier. Een Nederlandse moslima die in Jemen kwam wonen was daarentegen byzonder blij eindelijk zonder vervelende opmerkingen gewoon met bedekt gezicht over straat te kunnen. ----- Kortom, de gezichtssluier is een fenomeen waar men zowel hier als in het westen nog niet helemaal uit is.

Picture (Car 2)

Another nicely packed pick-up, isn't it?

Sights Around Sanaa (Dar al Hajar)

Built upon an enormous rock, Dar al Hajar (the Rock Palace) in Wadi Dhahr is one of the sights in Yemen. It consists of five floors with lots of bigger and smaller staircases all ending up at the same place but giving you a feeling of desorientation, lots of rooms with superb views of the green wadi, and some balconies, of which one has a very, very deep well – unfortunately it's dry now. The 'dar' was one of Imam Yahya's. It was built in the 1930s as his summer residence. The best time to visit is on a Friday morning when you are likely to encounter groups of men involved in the bara', a sort of traditional dance accompanied by drums, outside.

In the picture on the right you can see a 'fridge' of which there are a few in the palace. The wind would cool water through little holes in the wall.

Eid Mubarak!

Leven Tussen Twee Culturen (in het NLs)

"Als twee mensen uit verschillende culturen met elkaar trouwen neemt ieder een hoop culturele baggage mee" zegt Um Abdul-Rahman, een 29-jarige Nederlandse die acht jaar geleden trouwde met een Jemeniet. "Beide partners moeten zich daarom open opstellen en zich aanpassen aan elkaar." Um Abdul-Rahman ('Um' betekent 'moeder van') was stewardess toen ze zich tien jaar geleden tot de Islam bekeerde. Ze verliet haar werk voor haar nieuwe godsdienst en begon een HBO-opleiding. Twee jaar later ontmoette ze haar huidige man. Helaas mag hij steeds maar enkele maanden op een visum in Nederland verblijven, zodat Um Abdul-Rahman de helft van de tijd gedwongen als alleenstaande moeder doorbrengt met haar twee zoontjes van zes en zeven. "Dat is best zwaar" zegt ze. "Je bouwt samen iets op gedurende enkele maanden, en dan moet je weer afscheid nemen. Zonder dat je weet wanneer je elkaar weer zult zien. Bovendien mist mijn man een hoop van de ontwikkeling van zijn kinderen."
 Deze Ramadhan, de vasten-maand, brengt de familie door in Jemen bij Um Abdul-Rahman's schoonfamilie. "Ik word altijd zeer hartelijk ontvangen en geniet van mijn verblijf, maar of ik hier zou willen wonen? Dat weet ik niet." "De vrouwen zitten vnl. thuis terwijl ik er graag op uit ga en dingen wil zien en doen. In Nederland pak ik dan gewoon mijn auto, maar hier is de sociale controle groter en kan dat niet zomaar. Ik ben een ondernemende vrouw, heb altijd gewerkt en gestudeerd, dus dat is dan altijd weer even wennen." De kinderen daarentegen hebben in Jemen juist meer vrijheid dan in hun moederland. Ze kunnen vrijelijk de straat op en met buurtkinderen spelen. De oudste zou hier het liefst blijven. "Ik ben Jemeniet" verkondigt hij. "Wat ik goed vind in Jemen is dat kinderen al snel betrokken worden bij het volwassen leven. Ze helpen op het land, in de keuken, gaan naar de winkel, de moskee. Daar krijgen ze een zelfverzekerd gevoel van. Ook worden kinderen meer zichzelf gelaten. Drukke kinderen krijgen geen 'ADHD-stempel' opgedrukt maar gaan gewoon lekker voetballen om hun energie kwijt te kunnen." Um Abdul-Rahman ondervindt enige uitdaging waar het gaat om het Islamitisch opvoeden van haar kinderen in Nederland. "Je hoort bijvoorbeeld de oproep tot gebed niet dus moet moeite doen de kinderen voor het gebed te interesseren. Hier gaat iedereen naar de moskee en is bidden normaal waardoor het voor de kinderen ook iets vanzelfsprekends is."
 Zelf is Um Abdul-Rahman, met een Nederlandse moeder en Arubaanse vader, ook opgegroeid tussen twee culturen en kent dus de moeilijkheden die haar kinderen daarvan ondervinden. "Mijn ouders probeerden mij echt een Nederlandse opvoeding te geven. Mijn vader praatte bijvoorbeeld nooit Papiaments met mij. Zelf doe ik het een beetje anders. Mijn man praat Arabisch met onze jongens (al kent hij goed Nederlands), en ze gaan naar een multi-culturele school waar ze zich zichzelf kunnen voelen. Maar ik laat het aan henzelf over waar ze zich later willen vestigen."
 Zij bezoekt Jemen elke twee jaar en elke keer dat ze naar Jemen komt krijgt ze een kleine cultuurshock. Wanneer ze dan weer in Nederland komt, is die cultuurshock nog sterker. "Wat het eerste opvalt is de kleding van vrouwen in Nederland" zegt ze lachend. "Toen ik net Moslim was bedekte ik mijn gezicht. Maar mensen staren je aan, schelden je uit, je wordt niet serieus genomen. Nu draag ik een hoofddoek en een lange zwarte jas. Mensen kijken nog steeds, je wordt nog steeds bestempeld als buitenlander, maar je wordt in ieder geval niet lastig gevallen. Al wordt je bij sollicitaties wel vaak afgewezen met deze kleding." In Jemen bedekt zij haar gezicht wel weer. "Hier is het cultureel, de niqab is bijna een mode-item. Hier val je juist op als je 'm niet draagt" legt ze uit. "Al heb ik mijn hele leven in Nederland gewoond, ik voel mijzelf Moslim en wereldburger. Ik zie mijzelf niet oud worden in Nederland maar hoop een plek te vinden met rust in mijn hart. Dat kan in Jemen zijn, maar ook ergens anders."

Ramadhan: Encourage Your Children to Fast, too!

An inspiring article about the subject of fasting children: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=articles&id=140538

Ramadhan: the Miswak

Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said: "The miswak cleans the mouth and pleases the Lord". The miswak is a natural toothbrush that needs no toothpaste. It comes from the Arak tree, and contains a natural substance that kills bacteria. Most people here only use the miswak when they're fasting in Ramadhan, but it should really be used all the time.

Ramadhan (kids)

To encourage your kids to fast, too, this coloring page is very nice. Each day they have fasted, they can color a picture: http://www.kidsweb.de/weihnacht/weihnacht_2004/basteln/mandala_w/adventskalender_mandala/ramadan_kalender_mandala.pdf

Ramadhan

I believe they've done it again: declaring the month of Ramadhan one day early without sighting the crescent. Two years ago this was also the case. It is sunneh to finish the month of Sha'aban (the month before Ramadhan) and make it 30 days if you cannot see the crescent (because it's not there yet or because of clouds). But these days they seem to depend on calendars instead of their own eyes, which is a pity. Anyway, Ramadhan Karim! Also see: http://www.makkahcalendar.org/en/why-ramadan-2012-ramadan-1433-on-20-July-2012-21-july-2012.php

Ramadhan?

How time flies! A whole year has passed already... Will tomorrow be the first day of Ramadhan? It's what most people expect here. This year the days will be quite long (fajr is approx. at 4:15 a.m. and maghrib at 6:45 p.m.), but in other parts of the world days are much longer than this. May Allah give us strength and forgive us our sins. Amin.

Forwarded Message

I got this message and decided to forward it to you all. I do not know this organization, but if they do what they state they do, it may be very helpful for both Muslims and non-Muslims. Conveying Islamic Message Society C . I . M . S For Free Islamic Books We send free Islamic books in more than 100 Language for free with no charge at all all over the world ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assalaamualaykum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu, Please take full advantage of this opportunity ! A brief note about C.I.M.S Conveying Islamic Message Society ( C.I.M.S) is a large Islamic Organization, established in 1974 and located in Alexandria, Egypt. C.I.M.S try to help Non-Muslims to understand the clear meaning of Islam and its beautiful message as well as clarifying misconceptions about Islam by sending free Islamic books to any one all over the world. C.I.M.S will support new Muslims with books in their own language. C.I.M.S is also sending books regularly to many Islamic organizations and callers so they can distribute Islamic books in their local area. We send these books for free (with no costs at all) hoping only Allah's reward , just send us the books you need with your address to our free orders E-mail address that is : mohamed.taha@islamic-message.net We hope that the books will reach you within one Month or two at least Insha'Allah. Conveying Islamic Message Society (CIMS) P.O. Box 834 – Alexandria – Egypt We’ll be very happy if you tell your friends about our society and what it does and that it can send to any one of them free Islamic books in his/her language . Also, we’ll be very happy if you send us the addresses of your friends or your relatives who need Islamic books, so that we can send the free Islamic books to them , also. And remember after all that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 1-" None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself ". It was related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. 2-" Whoever guides someone to virtue will be rewarded equivalent to him who practices that good action " (Muslim ). 3-" If anyone calls others to follow right guidance , his reward will be equivalent to those who follow him ( in righteousness ) without their reward being diminished in any respect ....... " --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Picture (Car)

This is how people often travel from city to city - packing up their things on the roof of the vehicle that is usually shared by several passengers.

The New Generation

Things in Sana'a have certainly changed over the past 15 years or so. A new generation has grown up, and unfortunately, this is not always for the better. I don't know how it has happened. Well, I guess it's the influence of TV and Internet, and a lack of Islamic education on the parents' part. Because a big part of this new generation behaves westernized and un-Islamically. The boys walk around in far too tight, old-looking jeans, with tight T-shirts, caps, sunglasses, etc. The females have changed their baltos (the long, black garments worn outside) into decorative dresses. They are still black and long, but too tight, and full of embroidery which catches the attention. This is the opposite of the aim of the balto, which is to cover oneself, and this is what is prescribed in Islam. Some 'modern' parents let their young girls walk around without proper (head)covering, even if they have reached the age to do so. Some 'modern' parents let their daughters go out by themselves to public places, like parks and restaurants, where they are stared at by young males. This was all not-done in the past. Yemen has always been one of the more traditional Islamic countries. May Allah protect us and keep it that way.

End-of-Year Exams

It's time for the end-of-year exams! This week some schools have already started, while others will start tomorrow. First the little ones, then the older ones, etc. And then... it's summer vacation again. What do Yemenis usually do in the summer vacation? Well, nothing special. Some might travel to their village for a little while, some may send their children to a Quran or English language program, but most kids simply have all the time to play and help their parents at home or at work. Also, Ramadhan is in the middle of summer these years - a time for fasting and not for having fun, which comes on Eid, after the month of Ramadhan.

Picture (Mosque at Sunset)

Modern Browser

Blogger doesn't work with the old browser anymore, and finding a modern browser is not always easy here. This is the reason why I haven't been able to update my blog for a while. Anyway, things are more or less the same here - not better, not worse.

Common Sarcasm

"There's electricity these days, isn't there?" someone remarks. "Yeah," replies another. "I guess they've made a mistake last Friday. They attacked an oil pipe line instead of the electricity lines. Don't worry, it'll go off soon." Common sarcasm these days among the Yemenis who still see little change in their everyday lives. The best we can do is smile!

Not Everyone is Happy with the Changes...

From the Internet: SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen's deposed leader says the Arab Spring revolts that swept the region last year brought "destruction" to the nations in which they took place. Ali Abdullah Saleh say Yemen's own yearlong revolt cost billions of dollars in lost revenues. Saleh also criticized what he said was "biased" implementation of the power-transfer deal that saw him step down in February, and said it could ignite a new crisis. This was an apparent response to new President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi's moves to purge the security forces of the ex-leader's loyalists. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A group of officials and religious figures in the northern provinces of Yemen have expressed opposition to foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs. ----------------------------------------------------- Supporters of Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh shout slogans as they demonstrate outside the Cabinet building to demand an investigation into the assassination attempt on Saleh last year, in Sanaa April 24, 2012. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Food Insecurity (in het NLs)

Ene Catherine (sorry, ben haar achternaam even kwijt), een human rights woordvoerder van de VN, verklaarde afgelopen weekend dat de toegenomen food insecurity in Jemen niet veroorzaakt wordt door de opstand maar een humanitaire oorzaak heeft. Hiermee slaat zij de plank volledig mis. De gewone burger heeft het meest te lijden door de enorme prijsstijgingen die een direct gevolg zijn van de opstand. Sommigen zijn hun baan kwijtgeraakt of hebben minder werk (dagloners). Het WFP stelt dat zo'n 5 miljoen Jemenieten acute voedselhulp nodig hebben, in plaats van 3 miljoen een jaar geleden. Een logische conclusie is dus dat dit door de opstand komt. Hoe dan ook, de cijfers lijken een beetje hoog geschat. Een vijfde van de bevolking zou niet genoeg te eten hebben. Hierbij wordt vergeten dat Jemenieten altijd al gewend zijn om eenvoudig te leven. Ook wonen families vaak bij elkaar zodat kosten worden gedeeld, en mensen helpen elkaar ook met leningen e.d. Dus hoewel rondkomen voor een groot aantal mensen moeiljker is geworden, komt er voor zover we kunnen zien niemand om van de honger. I.p.v. de situatie 'humanitair' te noemen, zou de VN er goed aan doen de overgangsregering te manen basisbehoeften in prijs te verlagen zodat noodhulp minder urgent wordt.

Garbage

The garbage collectors are on strike.

Streets are littered with garbage. In the suq, people try to jump over the piles in the middle of the street. But today, men from the army were cleaning up the streets from garbage in the city center. Maybe that's the solution: everyone should keep his own street clean!

Rain!

Mashallah, it rains these days! We had a whole day of continuous rain last week, which is quite unusual because rain usually comes down in the late afternoon and/or

early evening. Yesterday, heavy rain lasted for hours. It's a blessing to see the city without dust.

The photo I found on the Internet. It looks like the 'sayleh' in the Old City. It is used as a street in dry seasons and as a river in rainy seasons.

The Price of Diesel

Now I hear that, although the price of petrol has slightly gone down, the price of diesel has been doubled!

Nobody sees the logic. Diesel is, among other things, necessary for water pumps in the countryside. Without, crops cannot be watered if rain is insufficient. So it seems more reasonable to help the Yemenis - the farmers and consumers alike - by lowering the prices instead of inflicting more hardship on them.

The Price of Petrol

Could it be true? They say that the price of petrol has gone down from 3500 RY to 2500 RY per 20 liters. Still far more expensive than it was before the 'azmeh' (it used to be 1500 RY), but well, it's better than nothing, eh!

The gas stations that were working were extremely crowded yesterday; maybe the people wanted to fill up their tanks before something happens and the price goes up again - you never know in this country!

National Dialogue

Where is the promised national dialogue that, according to the Yemeni interim government, has to solve all the country's problems?

A spokesman for the GPC is reported to have said that there won't be a dialogue as long as there are protesters in the sit-in. And the JMP first wants the military to be reformed. The comittee that is supposed to work on that is still too busy trying to take away barricades from the streets, though.

They've also raised the question who, if anyone, would be able to replace Ali Abdullah Saleh's family members that hold the most important posts in the military. This, apart from the question if all these people actually have to be replaced or not. Wrong decisions could lead to a complete collapse of the army as a national institution, with more negative effects.

Therefore, it will all take time, and stating that Yemen's 'azmeh' is over is, so far, too optimistic.

April Fool's Day

Alhamdulillah, Islam has forbidden to deceive people by telling them made-up stories as if they were true, even if the purpose is simply to joke. And so Fool's Day that is held on the first of April is also haram for Muslims.

Just recall how you once believed a story that wasn't true. Then, when you found out you were laughed at, you felt bad, stupid, silly, sad. It seems that the purpose of April 1 is not to make others laugh, but to laugh yourself. Quite selfish, if you think about it.

Islam forbids the people to hurt each other's feelings, just as it forbids people to lie.

This doesn't mean that you cannot make others laugh - on the contrary. But not with lies and made-up stories that others may believe to be true.

Picture (Truck 2)

How about this one? Nice, isn't it?

The Prayer for Rain

On Thursday, President Abdu-Rabo Mansour Hadi told all the Yemenis to pray the prayer for rain (which is advised in Islam in case rain doesn't come for a long time) the next day after the Friday prayer. Since we've seen very little rain for well over a year (I can't even remember the last time it rained... I think it was in the beginning of Ramadhan), this was a good initiative.

And indeed, Allah hears His slaves. Just before maghrib yesterday, it started to rain. SubhanAllah! It was just enough to clear the air of all the dust.

Dust!

Sana'a is again covered with dust. SubhanAllah, this time we can hardly see anything. Schools have an official holiday due to it.
Someone said this dust is actually beneficial because it kills small flying insects. Don't know if this is true or not, but a fact is that most people don't quite enjoy it and stay inside or cover their faces when they have to go out. Inshallah it'll rain soon.

Cheese Sandwiches

Some common sandwiches with cheese here are these:

- cheese and jam

- cheese and (real natural) honey

- cheese and tuna. For this sandwich, mix two triangles of cheese with a small can of tuna.

Easy and tasty!

Tea

I heard a funny story about how tea was unknown in the north of Yemen until quite recently.

A man, I guess he's in his forties, told me that his father once went to Mecca for Hajj. It is the custom to buy some presents for the people back home, and while looking for presents, he came across a strange black beverage, tea!, of which he bought some. But before giving it to his family or friends, he had to try it out himself, he thought. So he did, and couldn't sleep for three nights.

Back home, he served tea to his curious visitors. The next day they were all back asking what on earth he had given them to drink because none of them had slept! His father simply laughed.

According to the narrator, this story only took place some 25 years ago. Maybe the tea in those days was stronger than it is now, or maybe it was because they weren't used to it. Whatever the case, these days, as everywhere, tea is a common drink in Yemen, with sugar and either with or without milk.

Picture (Truck)

Trucks and pick-ups are sometimes nicely piled up with merchandise or other stuff to move. Although this one is certainly not one of the highest ones piled up, I thought it looked nice (note: the truck is moving bread-ovens).

New President

Well then, Abdu-Rabo Mansour Hadi is finally the new president! He got over 6,600,000 votes, which is approximately 50% of the people who were eligible to vote. THat's not a bad score. But it's still only half the people, so I'm not sure what that means...

Hadi has two years to prove himself. Let's see if he'll be able to solve all the problems in the country.

Funny note: a day before the electons, the electricity suddenly worked again. But soon afterwards, it went off as usual. Even a journslist at some press conference asked what the electricity had to do with the elections, but he didn't get an answer :)

Tomorrow's Elections

No official polls have been held about tomorrow's elections here - perhaps not to enrage any of pro or contra groups. But in my own environment, I see that most people won't vote. Only a few older men, who really believe that voting is their duty, will go, and of course the GPC and Islah members. I haven't met a single woman, young or old, who said she was going to vote. And the youth that is not linked to any political party will certainly not go.
There is not really a point in going anyway. The current vice-president, Abdu-Rabo Mansour Hadi, is the only candidate and will become the president whatever happens - he doesn't even need a minimum number of votes. "So why bother ourselves?" most people, quite rightly, ask.

Fruit

It's a habit in Yemen, like in so many other countries, to eat some fruit after lunch. That this is not good for the body, I read again in a forwarded message I recently got, which said:

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting them and just popping them into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat.

It means not eating fruits after your meals!
Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach.

If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so.
In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil....
So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals! You have heard people complaining — every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, etc — actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Interesting. Anyway, fruit tastes better when you eat it before a meal!

President's Picture (2)

“President Ali Abdullah Saleh has ordered all authorities and institutions” public and private, across the country, “to take down his pictures from public squares, streets, buildings and offices and raise those of Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi,” Saba News agency reported.

But, honestly, that will take some getting used to, and I think it'll take some time!

President's Picture

A couple of days ago, the Thawra newspaper went out without the daily picture of Ali Abdullah Saleh. This enraged some of his supporters.

Today, I read the following article (AP):

Gunmen publish Yemen president's photo
Updated: 14:18, Monday February 6, 2012

A state-run Yemeni newspaper's office is being occupied by armed men who kicked out the paper's editors and journalists in order to reinstate the outgoing president's picture on the front page.

Al-Thawra newspaper board member Mohamed Shabita says President Ali Abdullah Saleh's loyalists took over the newspaper's offices in the capital of Sanaa and brought in their own journalists. They published his picture on Sunday.

Hundreds of armed men loyal to Saleh also surrounded another state-run newspaper's offices in the southern city Taiz last week, demanding the president's picture be restored. The editors of the el-Gomhoreya paper gave in.

After months of street protests demanding his ouster, Saleh is set to transfer powers to his deputy later this month. Saleh is in New York for medical treatment.

Dust Clouds

Strange dust clouds have gathered over Sana'a and some other governorates, too, like Dhamar and Marib, according to the radio.
It doesn't look any different from a foggy day, but the dust may affect you, especially people who have asthma. These people are advised to stay indoors. It seems that many people thankfully accept this advice because schools were closed and streets were less crowded than usual!
It is expected that the dusty weather will last for another 48 hours.

Discounts!

The capital's traffic police announces discounts: any traffic ticket for only 1000 RY for the duration of one month.

A joke? No, really!

Weekend (2)

They have decided to postpone the new Fri/Sat. weekend, which was supposed to be introduced in February. The reason is not clear. Some say that the effects of the change have to be studied first, while others say institutions have to 'get ready'. Likely is that there is some opposition to the change.
It is interesting to note that mainly banks are mentioned to profit from the new weekend, but banks work six days a week anyway, so in fact there won't be any benefit for them. the same applies to private businesses.
It seems that the new interim government wants change just for the sake of change - they'd better busy themselves with more important matters.

Yemen News Update

So President Ali Abdullah Saleh has traveled to the U.S. Officially for 'medical reasons'. However, some time ago he assured a group of reporters that he was fine. Therefore, it seems more logical that the real reason is to be out of sight for the coming presidential elections, on February 21. Saleh has announced that he'll be back as the head of his political party, the GPC. Stories that he or his son are looking for a place to live in Oman are all rumors and, so far, not based on any facts.
Saleh left the country after the parliament had passed the immunity law, which gives the outgoing president full immunity.Anyone who worked under him during his 33-year-long rule has 'political immunity'. This means that they cannot be prosecuted for anything they did while carrying out official duties. The only exception is terrorism. Without this law, the GCC agreement could not be carried out since it was part of it.
The Yemeni parliament also passed a law that made the current vice-president Abdu-Rabo Mansour Hadi the only candidate for presidency, for both the GPC and opposition. It is expected that the number of voters will be low since there won't be much to choose!

Onderwijs (in het NLs)

Eigenlijk zijn scholen een vreemde instelling. Vreemd, omdat ze universeel geaccepteerd zijn tot een extent dat je in sommige landen zelfs als crimineel bestempeld wordt als je je eraan onttrekt, en in het gevang kan belanden!

Toegegeven, er zijn nuttige kanten aan de eerste schooljaren. Het kind leert lezen, schrijven, en rekenen. Inderdaad vaardigheden die onontbeerlijk zijn voor eenieder. Naarmate de jaren verstrijken, komen er echter meer en meer vakken en lessen tevoorschijn waar een gemiddeld mens zeer weinig baat bij heeft. Algemene ontwikkeling is prima, maar al die feitjes en definities die je in je hoofd moet stampen! Al die rare formules waar alleen expert wat mee kan! En aan het eind van je middelbare school-opleiding kun je nog geen fiets- of autoband verwisselen. Dat mis ik dus in educatie: een practische kant. Vaardigheden die je in je dagelijks leven kunt toepassen.

Bedenk eens hoeveel jaren, maanden, dagen, uren je op school hebt doorgebracht. Hoeveel van de boeken die je daar moest doorwerken zijn nu werkelijk van nut geweest in je verdere leven? Ik meen dat dat vooral de basis is: lezen, schrijven, en rekenen. En een vreemde taal wellicht. Maar dat laatste is in dit land ook niet echt van toepassing omdat Engelse lessen van zeer laag nivo zijn.

Ik droom van een school met meer efficientie. Met, voor de hogere klassen, praktijklessen waarin de kinderen werkelijk iets wordt bijgebracht. Keuze uit, ik noem maar wat, eenvoudige reparaties in huis, typelessen, werken met cement, kleding naaien, weven, of pottenbakken. Maar ook: discussies, meningen vormen, en een solide Islamitische ondergrond verwerven.

Daar nogal wat kinderen school verlaten voordat de middelbare opleiding is afgerond, zou deze groep toch een kans hebben iets met de verworven kennis te doen. Degenen die een universitaire opleiding nastreven, zouden dan door kunnen gaan met een theoretischere opleiding.

Ik vrees echter dat het bij een droom zal blijven...

Qat (2)

Qat is on its way to being prohibited in the Netherlands, I heard, 'because 10% of the chewers displays signs of addiction'. This could well be true, but I think that the real reason is that qat is strange for westerners. Because, let's be honest, alcolhol, cigarettes, and hash - all legal drugs in Holland - have a much higher addiction rate. So now they're going to implement a law for a very small group of people, namely mainly Somali qat chewers. When will the other drugs be prohibited, too?

Qat (in het NLs) (2)

Ik vernam dat qat verboden gaat worden in NL omdat '10% van de gebruikers verschijnselen van verslaving vertoont'. Welnu, dat kan best waar zijn. Maar ik denk dat de echte reden eerder ligt in het feit dat qat 'vreemd' is voor de westerling. Want wees eerlijk, alcohol, cigaretten, en hasj, allemaal legale drugs in NL, hebben een veel hoger verslavings-percentage. Dus nu een wet die gericht is op een zeer kleine doelgroep: vnl. Somalische qat-kauwers in NL. Tja, wanneer zal de rest ook verboden worden?

Weekend

I heard that starting from Februari the weekend will be moved from Thu and Fri to Fri and Sat. This, to 'keep up with the rest of the world'.

If this is true, this is a real pity. Saturday is not an Islamic holiday, after all. And 'the rest of the world' doesn't bother keeping up with us either.

But if it's so important to work on Thursdays, then why not go back to the 6-day workweek, as we had until pretty recently? Shorter workdays, but one extra day.