Author archive
12 November 2008
Marie had this idea that we could go to the beach near Zabid. It isn’t the most common thing to do in Zabid but what the heck! We’ve both been here before so why not do something different. I checked with the guesthouse whether it would be OK for Marie (being female) to swim at […]
11 November 2008
After several false starts, Marie and I finally left Sana’a today bound for Zabid via Hudayda in a pigou (Peugeot) shared taxi. Zabid is reputedly the hottest place on earth. I have awful memories of my last visit in mid-summer … it was so hot and the power was off … no air-con then. And […]
8 November 2008
Even though this is my fourth (arguably fifth) stay in Yemen, daily activities still put a smile on my face. Like buying bread or sipping of cuppa tea. Its just seems better in Yemen. Or sometimes just different: People here seem cooperative rather than competitive … eg. restaurants will sometimes get you something from next […]
7 November 2008
Above: Big lunch at Adnan’s. Adnan, my former teacher and Marie’s teacher, invited us for lunch with his family today. It was a lovely meal. Marie is helping fund the education of the oldest boy who now goes to a private school instead of a government school. We got our travel permit yesterday for our […]
6 November 2008
Just before bed time we heard a chorus of cars tooting their horns … they came closer and closer and then we saw a convoy coming up our street. Some cars were decorated. Aaahh … a wedding we thought. Perhaps in the rural areas, there would be firing of the AK47s but firearms are not […]
5 November 2008
Some people don’t think much of Yemeni food but I beg to differ. There are very basic meals with just beans but there’s… Posted by Alex Chan on Thursday, November 8, 2007
5 November 2008
Civil war Last trip I bought souvenirs from Yemen (for the first time) fearing that I’d never be back. Now I fear (perhaps unfounded) that global events and the civil war in Saada may worsen… and the country would not be safe for any foreigner. So I thought I’d go shooting with my camera. Trust […]
3 November 2008
Above: Our two helpers … one big wheelbarrow and one small one. One young man and child labour. We moved into our new home today. With the paid help of a boy and a young man and their wheel barrows, we moved Marie’s stuff over from Kristina’s flat … plus our wheely travelbags in tow. We […]
2 November 2008
Marie had sent her feelers out for possible accommodation. This morning we got a phone call from a Yemeni friend of hers (and her French husband) who had a place available. Instead of settling into the nitty-gritty of the rental issue, we went out for lunch … then went to the house where we settled […]
1 November 2008
Above: Hello Kitty’s birthday! Today, being the first of November, is Hello Kitty’s Birthday. Not that I’m a fan of that Japanese cartoon cat. But I came across a picture of it in Hong Kong saying that it was born in London on 1 November! Why London?!?! It is only my second night back in […]