Like the movie….
One question I get once in a while is ‘what do you do in the evening’. Answer - not too much. There are social gatherings every now and then, and we go and dine out once in a while… But a lot of time is spent in the apartment. I don’t really watch TV much, but I do read a lot, and and spend a fair amount of time on the computer. Am taking some grad school courses at Naval Postgrad school – learning about space and satellites. Just learning about the sun – amazing how much we still don’t know about it. As far as reading, I was never interested in stories about sailing ships – not my cup of tea. However, on a whim, I ordered ‘Master and Commander’ (book, NOT the movie) and read it while in Ft Jackson and I loved it. It is the first of a series of 20 books (plus an unfinished 21st story) so I ordered the whole set and I just finished the last one. I also squeezed in the Horatio Hornblower series, ‘Six Frigates’, and am now reading a biography of Lord Nelson.
Got a bit of perspective recently. Had a business guest, a retired US Coast Guard guy here to help with the Yemen Coast Guard. As I was driving him from the airport to the hotel, he noted that Yemen was pretty nice. Given that he has spent a lot of time in Africa and Haiti, I see his point. Yemen is third world, indeed, but nothing like places he has been. Though there is poverty here, there is also civilization – people are not starving here (in general).
Typical Yemen mom-n-pop shop – no Wal Mart here. There are stores, small manufacturing shops, auto repair, etc.
One interesting thing is the dependence of propane tanks – like the ones on gas grills. Apparently, there are no gas pipelines here, so everyone has those tanks – though Home Depot would NOT accept any of the tanks here – they are beat up. You see people rolling them down the street rather than carry them… The gas comes from a region of Yemen to the east of Sana’a and apparently the local tribes cut the road so there was a shortage. People set there gas tanks in lines at the filling locations, and there were lines 100 tanks long, waiting for resupply. The government finally opened the road, and supplies have resumed.
Typical Yemen street scene – dude on a crotch rocket (sort of rare) with no helmet; white Toyota has a propane tank in back, truck in right lane full of propane tanks, and the dude standing in the red Toyota – plus the friggin little taxi-bus – those things are like cockroaches!
Closeup of white Toyota with propane tank sitting in the back
Truck full of propane….
I am also asked about the clothes the women wear here – are they forced to dress like that? Answer – no. Though a conservative state, it is also fairly open – there is no Taliban-like body here enforcing rules. Women have a choice – there are no laws to prevent them from dressing Western style, for example. However, they are raised wearing the local clothes, and custom and social norms drive their dress. It is much more liberal then neighboring Saudi Arabia, where women are held to much tighter rules. Women – even western ones – are not allowed to drive there. Here, however, women can work, drive, etc.
Speaking of driving… am used to it – not quite crazy as a local – but much more comfortable. Indeed, bigger issue is idiots on the road – not the craziness. Did get a bit cocky and on two consecutive days, I scraped my car (once on a stationary car trying to squeeze through a gap, and once on a concrete barrier). But, had a great drive home on Thursday – gorgeous sunny day, had the sunroof and driver window open, driving down the ‘Silah’ (parkway / culvert), cranking some Kings of Leon and Green Day… first time I have ever really opened the window for any length of time (beggars usually too annoying – they tap the window as it is – don’t want them sticking hands in car… but no beggars on the Silah!)
Driving in the ‘Silah’ – a US-funded drainage culvert that runs through the heart of Sana’a – and it doubles as a parkway
Finally, am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My relief should be reporting to Ft. Jackson today, and if all goes well (i.e. he does not get disqualified medically or get snagged for The ‘Stan) I should be home for good in eight weeks. Inshallah!
The ‘donut of despair’ is getting mighty green! 322 down, 54 to go!
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