Welcome to Yemen
Just a quick update to say that I am flying to Socotra Island (you’ve never heard of it so look it up!) from Sanaa this morning. Yemen is fantastic because the Yemeni are so warm, friendly and hospitable. I’ll write more about my first two days, but I can tell you now that both days included being invited by total strangers to lunch – the first time sitting down in a souq alley to join some shopkeepers and the second time into someone’s home. Have you ever been walking down the street and a complete stranger walks up to you and tells you that they are headed for lunch and asks if you would like to join them? Although most of our impressions of the Middle East are skewed with images of fanatics, I have been prepared for almost two years to accept whatever these famously hospitable people offer and I did not hesitate to say yes to both offers. And both experiences are highlights of this whole adventure. Next time you are watching CNN and the like and they are showing you some crazy scene in the Middle East, please remember that you are seeing a small minority of people and don’t judge the whole people based on what CNN considers to be news-worthy clips. I wish all of the “civilized world” could be as civil and gracious and friendly as my first two days of experiences in Yemen. I’m in Yemen… Think about what comes to your mind first and then ask yourself why you have a negative opinion when you likely have never had an experience with a single person from Yemen and your only knowledge of the country has been spoon fed to you via the boob tube. What the Yemeni say to me when greeting… “Hello… What is your name… Where are you from… Ah, America/California!!!… Welcome to Yemen… Americans are good… George Bush is bad…” (although most people don’t bring up Bush).
Tags: Mideast, yemen
vagabondrick
I sure am glad that you didn’t let the rumor of oksama scare you out of visiting Yemen – what a delightful place. Enjoy it all, love Kathy