Skype.

So, I'm thinking of getting Skype. It's a nifty little program to call people. Does anyone have it? Any thoughts? I've heard from people around here that it is nice, though the connection can be bad.

computer randomness

difficulties involved in hard drive formating in the yemen:

I have my music, hamdulillah! but i'm going to open this document, a nice excel spreadsheet, yeah? and all of a sudden I realized -- no, no you're not going to open that because your microsoft for mac cd is in the states.

Along with that, my iLife is gone as well (granted the only thing I used from iLife was iPhoto, which is kind of important as I still take pictures. Maybe I'll go down and see if they have iLife 08 at some point.

So, that's probably pretty boring. and now you have a slice of my life. boring, yo. it's like life in the states but instead of being able to understand everything everyone says, I can't. oh. and i'm unemployed. but so is everyone else.

i hate stupid people.

in particular, two non-yemeni students at the institute. so dumb.

In other news, the embassy sent several representatives to the institute to talk to the American students. It mostly was about how the Embassy can help, when you should notify the embassy of a status change (marraige, going from student to worker, ect), travel restrictions for embassy employees, ect. I've definitely sat through less interesting meetings and on top of all this, I actually got on the warden's email list. Which is exciting! Or something...

that's about all that's going on with me. Happy Weekend!

SO!

So, [I have no idea why but EVERYTHING I write starts with "So," every group email I have sent since being in the Yemen has begun with this phrase (and most of the other paragraphs as well). It is only because I know I have academics reading my emails that I go back and change it. Which doesn't really explain the quality of the rest of the email, because it's BAD iedon, but I do make the initial effort. -- follow through has always been a personal weakness, though]

But anyway. I have my music back on my computer now, which is fanfreakintastic. I'm currently listening to that (it has been over a month without it) playing snood and throughout that writing this. So this writing will probably be a bit scattered.

Have I mentioned recently how much I love high church? (hint: itsa lot!) Seriously. I haven't gone to mass in three weeks. I considered going today, but then I remembered how much I dislike mass here. I mean the priest is a nice enough guy, I guess but I don't get anything out of his homilies, the liturgy just makes me miss St. Stephen's and it's about 45 minutes away by debab. And I'm not 100% sure I can get there by myself. I should try at some point, though.

felt up.

I missed the chance to slap the shit out of a man today. I was walking down the street when this guy passes me and totally feels up my ass. So, I yell at him in arabic and then my arabic runs out, so I go off in English at him. This guy comes around the corner and I think he yells at the guy, I really hope so. But I left because I was on the way to meet some friends. but next time, I'm totally slapping the shit out of the guy.

simply put:

MY COMPUTER WORKS! ALHAMDULILLA! ALLELUIA!

conversation with the german catholic

"have you read any merton?"
"oh, that's right, you're reading that catholic book. you should convert to catholicism"
"but I don't want to convert to catholicism"
"but you should"
"no, i don't want to. anyway, i go to mass more than you"
"yeah, but we're in diaspora."
"whatever"

anyway, i'm surrounded by catholics.

tourist faux pas

dear tourists,
please don't be an idiot. You are coming to Yemen, remember that when you are packing. I'm not saying that you have to cover yourself from head to toe in black (hell, I don't even do that) but use some kind of common sense!

example 1) I know that nearly-no sleeve bright white top with super-tight neon pink crop pants is a fine "conservative" look in the States, maybe even in Europe, but look at the women around you. If more women than men stare at you, (everyone is staring at you, even this American female tourist is staring) maybe you should reconsider your wardrobe choices.

example 2) Oh, you've decided to cover your head! How very polite of you. However, look to example 1. Are you dressed just like her, but with a headscarf? I know, I know, you're trying to be culturally sensitive, but honestly, you're just being an ass.

example 2b) Headscarf, check. loose, long sleeved shirts and pants and/or skirts check. awesome. However, if your neck is visible because gap between the scarf and shirt, why bother with the scarf? It is ridiculous and pointless, at least in this society.

oh. You're making me want to go down to bab alyemen for some more inspiration. But that will suffice for now.

more computer update!

So, my amazing computer fix! wasn't so amazing. In that it didn't work. I'm still hopeful, I just have to track the right disk down. or get an amazing sister to send me hers. But imma talk to some people and see what they say.

note to my flatmates

a) please wash your dishes in a timely manner. sometimes i like eating at three because i'm too lazy to eat before then, and it's not really a motivator to actaully cook when i have to clean all of your dishes as well. or wash your dinner dishes before going out for the evening. or ... just wash your fucking dishes.

2) please please clean your hair out of the shower drain. eww.

3) who used my razor?! gross. at least have the decency to clean the hair out! double eww.

nabi is prophet.

Rogia: Why don't you love Muhammad?
dana: uh...
R: I love Jesus. Why don't you love Muhammad?
dana: Muhammad was a good person.
R: He was a nabi.
d: mmm..
R: Nabi!
d: Fii islam, Muhammad nabi.
R: tamaam.

computer update.

i have hope
that my computer
will start
while i am
still in yemen.
so excited.
insha'allah
(crosses self)
b'ezrat hashem
hamdulillah
ALLELUIA!
(updates to follow)

Haraz Mountains

I went to Manakha this past weekend (which is still Thursday and Friday). My pictures turned out kinda bad so I might post some later, but it was nice to get away. We went hiking in the mountains for around 4-5 hours both days.

I really don't have anything interesting to say about that.

facebook photos.

If you're interested in pictures, I have some new ones up on facebook. I have come to realize that facebook is so much faster and easier for me than flickr, though probably much more difficult for ya'll. sorry. kind of.

dana is...

wondering if chips (the american ones, not the british ones) count as a meal. Seriously, my eating habits are very bad here. Very bad. But I still have managed to loose about 4 kilos. KILOS! I'm not really sure how that happened.

And while all of my friends are reading the newest harry potter book, I'm not. but then I realize that I would still have to read book six -- which I have only not read out of mere stubbornness. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! 4realz.

Also a matter of stubbornness, I haven't bought that niqaab yet. I forgot how things go here, with every store in sight closing at 1 or so for lunch. and I'm not about to go back an hour later when it's SO FAR away. so far. and the debabs make me want to throw up. no. it's not just the debabs, it's the starting, sudden stopping, possibly riding backwards combined with this nasty diesel and non-diesel gas guzzling car exhaust.

Have I mentioned lately that I seriously hate this place? Because I do. Sometimes I don't hate it, sometimes it's okay. But I don't think I will ever love Yemen. It sucks -- sorry mom, I'm still staying.

And MASS! I'm not really sure why I'm still going. I think I was going because I met a German guy and we went together, but now, he's leaving. I wonder how the nuns would feel if I completely stopped going to mass, but still prayed with them on Wednesdays. because they are amazing, but I just don't get anything out of the priest's homily and I don't take communion. and I'm kind of like "What's the point" at this point.

niqaab.

I went out to Haddah today to this store that I had been to before that had some very nice scarves to check out their niqaab. I found a style that I really liked, but did not buy it then because they did not have the exact color for the little designer tag in the corner, so insha'allah, I will return on Sunday because they are supposed to be getting more in then.

You're probably thinking a couple of things including
a)why do you want to buy a niqaab?
b)um, niqaab style?

so, I want to buy one because they are so pervasive throughout this society that to come home without one would be some kind of cultural oversight. Just like I fully intend to buy a Saleh poster along with a Saddam poster.

and there is totally such a thing as niqaab style. I was sitting on a bus with Ed on the way home from Shibam, and this woman climbs in with two of her children and he was like "I think this is a nice middle class family. look at how well-behaved the children are" and I was like, "no. they're poor. Check out her veil, you can tell she doesn't have money." which is really judgmental and not something I would normally do/think, but Yemen screws with your mind.

The one I'm looking at is ... I'm not really sure how to explain it if you don't know what's going on with the niqaab, so insha'allah, I will post a picture later.

Tourist City.

I went to the Russian Club last night. That is what you think it is. It was a good time. A lot of people from the institute went as well, but that's about it. The drinks were really bad, but it was nice to get out and it wasn't really expensive though I don't plan on going back very soon. There were four connecting words in that last sentence. I should probably go back and change it, but I'm not going to.

hi.

i'm alive, slightly sunburned from my most recent trip to Shibam/Kawkabam/Thula but doing okay. Might be coming down with a cold, but I think I'll survive. Especially since the pharmacy has no difficulties handing out prescription medication with no prescription. :) I think I'll be Googling anything this guy gives me.

wedding update.

So, suck of all sucks, my computer won't start. I have no idea what the problem is, but something about my electronic devices + yemen = disaster.

I ended up ordering a dress for the wedding. I hope it fits well and is not hideous. Acutally, I don't really care if I think it's aweful as long as the Yemenis don't think it's horrible. I'm looking forward to it. Apparently it's like an all day thing where they get the bride all prettied up for her husband and there will probably be gat chewing and shisha smoking and all that jazz. It's an all girl party as well, so the girls are going to be all slutted up. seriously, you should see these dresses. in-sane.

wedding.

So, I got invited to this yemeni wedding. Problem is it's on Thursday and I have NOTHING appropriate to wear. So, I asked my teacher to take me shopping. I was kind of thinking the tailor route, but she took me to these really nice dress shops. But I'm not about to drop 150USD on something i'm only going to wear once and that I probably think is hideous anyway. So, I'm working on another plan now.