Trouble Brewing

The Director likes weak coffee.
I don't have a problem with that; my problem is that he keeps making weak coffee. In the office. So I thought I'd post him a friendly reminder.

Oasis!

Look - we found something green! Today we went on a picnic with some friends to a huge and beautiful oasis just thirty minutes from our dusty desert home.


Most oases in this part of the world are home to some palm trees and a few other plants - this one is full of papaya, mango, and banana plants, along with many others that we couldn't identify. Fruit was falling from the canopy onto our blanket while we were eating - we didn't know what all of it was, but it all tasted great!




Sitting in the shade near the brooks and ponds was absolutely delightful; such a wonderful relief from the heat. This is starting to become a very popular spot for local family outings now that the hot season is getting closer......but let's not think about such things yet, eh?















































Pleasant though it was, we couldn't stay in the lush vegetation too long; we were tempted back into the searing sunlight by the sight of a cliffside ghost village up the valley a little ways - a ruined town begging to be explored. The buildings are made entirely of stones, mud and sticks (which leads us to an important anthropological conclusion: the builders were real stick-in-the-mud kinds of guys). Given the materials, the sheer existence of these places - ruined or not - is phenomenal.

















I feel I should mention something about that thing I'm wearing; it's not a skirt, or a towel. It's a futa - casual clothing of choice in Yemen (yes, for men:) Being casual, it's against the university's dress code, so I usually only wear the thing on weekends. We're not supposed to let our students wear them, either, but sometimes it's best to choose your battles.
























This ghost town was one of the best adventures we've had in a while. So many buildings to explore, and not nearly enough time! We'd love to make it back there again soon.

Until next time, this is Yemeni Cricket, signing off.

Children of Old Sana'a

Bab Al Yemen

Well, we’re back! We flew to Sana’a Wednesday afternoon and immediately made our way to Old Sana’a (Bab Al Yemen – “The Gate of Yemen”) wherein we spent the majority of the weekend. This is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, there being some debate as to whether it’s older than Jerusalem. The streets of Bab Al Yemen form a vast and bustling market, divided regionally according to merchandise. The silver district is particularly beautiful, though Yemen’s present-day silversmiths can’t compare to those of past times. For hundreds of years the Jews were this country’s master artisans, but back in ’49 they all left in the middle of the night. The shops are filled with antiques – guns, swords, lamps, anything you can imagine- antique French rifles are going for $30-$40! It’s an intricate maze and we got turned around a time or two but found some great spots along the way. We also benefited from gaining a volunteer guide named Salim for a couple of hours. It all started when Sean ordered some food, and it kind of snowballed from there.

Yemenis (generally) are very friendly and eager to help you find whatever you’re looking for. After paying for our meal (Allah will reward him for his kindness) he showed us some great sights.



For example, this is a view from the roof of a gallery building, on the top floor of which we were able to buy a beautiful painting from the studio of a local artist. Last time we were in Sana’a Sean bought a Jambia (the ceremonial dagger worn by northern tribesmen - the color of the sheath often signifies which tribe you belong to; depending on their age and previous owners they can cost from $20 to $5,000 US), and this time he had a belt made for it. We also picked up a couple of gorgeous tablecloths, some frankincense, a set of tables from India and many other little treasures! The spice, raisin and date district (no puns please) was also a sight to see - I never knew there were so many types and colours of raisins, and to see spices in that quantity was quite amazing.

One of the highlights of the old city for me was bartering. I wish wehad this custom in Canada because it’s so much fun! In this male dominated society Sean usually takes the lead in our day-to-day transactions, but this was my time to shine. The shopkeepers usually increase prices by at least a third for foreigners, and sometimes even for Yemenis because bartering is expected. I was able to get the price down by that much every time, and even by half or more on occasion (Sean isn’t bad at it, but the vendors always know when he’s going to fold. Hee hee!).

We also found a Blockbuster (of sorts) which was opened by a guy who lived in America for a couple of years, and was apparently inspired. We weren’t surprised that our membership cards didn’t help us here;) It’s literally impossible to purchase legitimate electronic media in this country – CD’s, DVD’s, computer software – they just don’t exist in their original form, not even in the larger computer stores.

To sum up, we love long weekends, and Sana’a is a great place to spend them.

~Yemeni Cricket, the better half;)

Woman at the Well

Here's Ruth at the well (no relation to Jhn 4). It's a little ways back in the desert behind our village. It's dry but not filled in, so we get the impression that during the wet season (haha) it's still used. Drop a stone and you'll also learn that it's very deep. What we'd really like to learn is how old it is; we'll let you know if we find out.




Also, we're in an airport right now (but probably not by the time you read this). We instituted a long weekend at the college and we're heading to Sanaa for three or four days. Should have some neat pictures to post when we return, but we're not sure if we'll have internet access while we're there, so we may or may not disappear until early next week.

Pax.

You're On

We took something away from you, and now we're giving it back - your ability to post comments on this blog. They'll be filtered through our email, so it may be a little while between when you post a comment and when it actually appears. Go ahead: express yourself:)

By the way, do you ever get an overwhelming urge to mail packages to people in the Middle East? That's an interesting urge, isn't it? Hm.

In totally unrelated news, here's our mailing address.

Nicholas Schofield
P.O. Box 60040
Mukalla, YEMEN

I know what you're thinking... neither of our names is Nicholas Schofield. He's the director of this little college of ours, and it's his box. Mail sent to him goes to whichever staff member recognizes the name on the return address.


And finally, I (Sean) am wondering if any of my students from Fredericton High School are reading this thing - I know of only one so far (hi Joe) and if there are more of you, drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you. seananthonycarroll@gmail.com


Salaam!

Chelonia Mydas

Chelonia mydas: bilaterally symmetrical exotherm of the family cheloniidae, genus chelonia. Average size: 3-4 feet; average weight: 400lbs. Largely herbivorous but exhibiting omnivorous tendencies at various stages of the life cycle…

About two and a half hours from our village is the town of Ra'as Sharmah, home to a sea turtle colony at which we’ve spent the last two weekends, helping baby turtles make it to the ocean (past hundreds of crabs), and watching the adults dig their nests. Though slow and awkward on land, their flippers are still very strong and Sean got a mouthful of sand when he got too close! The mothers come up on land shortly after sundown to settle on a suitable digging spot. Sometimes they dig for a while, hit a batch of eggs and have to move on. They lay up to 200 eggs, and they do this every 2-3 years. There are thousands of turtles using this particular beach (though only a few each night, of course).














Around the same time that the new mothers come up from the sea, the babies that were laid a couple months before emerge from the sand and begin their long journey to the water. Some of the nests are very far up on shore and it is a miracle that even a few of the babies make it past the obstacles! Besides all the crabs there are also birds and wild dogs to contend with.

Here are various shots of the young ones. The overjoyed woman in the upper right is our friend and colleague Priska Corum.








There is a guard house at the entrance of the beach because the turtles are a protected species, but the guards don’t mind if you only eat one. I wonder how you say “endangered” in Arabic…











And this… well, sometimes it’s frightening what Sean comes up with when you leave him alone for any length of time. He finds the weirdest things.


Moving on… when we did sleep (between turtle-related activities) we did so very comfortably in one of the unoccupied nests; the only hitch was an early morning brawl between five of the wild dogs, about fifteen feet from our heads. I guess they were deciding who gets to eat us. Just kidding (don’t worry mom and dad). I have to say though, I have seen few things as surreal as watching Sean chasing that pack down over the sand, turban flying, club swinging, threats ringing through the pre-dawn desert air. Were we really playing in the snow just two months ago??


Then came sunrise and the end of our adventures. I never would have thought that I’d get the chance to watch mommy turtles digging nests, to save some baby turtles, and snooze in a comfy hammock made of sand. What a beautiful way to start the day. Thanks be to Him for His wonderful creation!

Mmmm...

This, by the way, is an example of the kind of thing we eat now and then. It's called Fetta (for short) and it's made of bananas, unleavened bread, milk, and sugar all mashed up together and served warm. Ruth hates it. Sean could eat it every day. Yemeni Cricket stands divided.

Home Sweet Home

Presenting the long-awaited photos of our day-to-day lives. We apologize in advance for the lack of excitement in this post.


The tour begins on our street - our building is the last one visible on the right. Entering it you'll see a staircase. Look up - look way up. We live at the very top.














Half a flight of stairs above our door is the door to the roof. Here are the views looking out over the back and the front of the building. Note the proximity of the loudspeakers on that mosque tower; the first prayer call is at 5:30a.m.








The apartment itself is fairly standard, with a few twists. The sinks are in the hallways instead of inside rooms. This is to facilitate washing after you've eaten your meal with your hands. And yes, the toilet is in the shower stall.




Here's Sean making toast in the absence of a toaster, and a shot of the shower-toilet in full operation.
















Lots of wooden furniture around, and elaborately carved. Otherwise, the apartment is still quite bare, but we're working on it.







Now to the school: the university building is a little on the spartan/utilitarian side, but I like the open-air hallways and the place is home to some nice plants; an abundance of blossoms makes the quadrangle smell wonderful. Moving on...





This is the stand where we buy most of our fruits and vegetables, and it's a fairly typical example. Some are freestanding and others, like this one, are stuck to the sides of other buildings.







And let's not forget the guy across the street who keeps offering to be our servant. Maybe he's not happy as a shopkeeper. We purchase some dry goods here, as well as our drinking water. There is a large tank in the corner that is refilled by a truck, and from that tank we fill two five-gallon jugs whenever we need to.





Lastly, some neighbours. This town keeps its goats locked up, which is unique; they're free-range in most places (which begs the question, how do the people keep track of their goats?).




Naturally there are many things that have not been included here. Something else you want to see? We take requests - drop us a line. For now, salaam.