Yemeni Niqabi

Exchanging and Banking

2009-03-02T21:22:00.002+03:00

As salaamu alaikum

I thought some would be interested in knowing any kind of banking information. In Shihr, we have two ATM's. CAC Bank has an ATM located in front of the bank. The ATM is 24hr. The bank is open after Maghrib,which masha Allah is nice because you will not find the other bank open after Maghrib. The other ATM is in front of Tadahamon bank and this one is 24hr as well. Since we often have problem with power outages here, Tadahamon has a generator that automatically comes on when the electric goes out so you don't have to worry about going all the way down to the ATM and it is out because of electric. However, the machine is some times out of order (not often).

When we first arrived, there was an ATM machine on Barrad Siddah. This machine was inside of a Baqalah and this area is a known hang out spot for men. They don't bother you (atleast I have never been assaulted) but who wants to be around a bunch of gawking men, especially after making a monetary transaction. So, when Tadahamon opened their ATM it was really nice.

This ATM was also a big mushkilla (problem) because it would not have money or be working and this was quite often. You would have to keep checking back... day after day after day. The only alternative was to go to Mukallah (which is 45 minutes away) and maybe you just barely had money to get to the ATM machine.

The other option was to go to Omgy Money Exchange. This is a big money exchange (Sarafah or Masraf) in this area. They have two here in Shihr and a few in Mukallah. Khuraimi is another big masraf. I am sure these two (Omgy and Khuraimi) are big tribes here. Anyways, Omgy used to have a card swipe (ATM) but I don't know how their "system" of closing out books works. I once took money out and it took them almost a year to take the money out of my bank account.

The money exchanges allow you to send and receive money from other people in Yemen. It works like Western Union or Money Gram (they have those too). They exchange foreign bills for you and other than that, I am not really sure what it is they do. Whatever it is, masha Allah tabarak Allah, they must be really successful because for a small village like Shihr they have quite a few money exchanges and they just built a really fabulous (masha Allah) one in the Souk (will post pics insha Allah).

There are a few banks in Shihr - few. They have a Tadahamon, CAC and Yemeni International Bank. However, in Mukallah they have quite a few banks on Shariah Banuk (Bank Street). There are quite a few banks there.

You can open an account for a small fee, with an identification card and with $50 in your account (some may not require, some may require more). You can open a savings account or a current account. Some banks offer interest free banking and interest free loans, some also offer online banking. I think the majority offer ATM cards.

CAC Bank - http://www.cacbank.com.ye/Brancheseng.aspx

Saba Islamic Bank (Bank Islami by the locals in Mukallah)- http://www.sababank.com/

Tadhamon - (Also called bank Islami in Shihr) http://www.tiib.com/eng/

International Bank of Yemen - http://www.ibyemen.com/en/services.php

Arab Bank - http://www.arabbank.com/en/yemen.aspx

These are the main banks here although there are others in Mukallah on Shariah Banuk.

Saba Islami offers private banking for women. Banking for woman is on the second floor with the men banking on the first floor. There is no branch in Shihr. You must go to Mukallah. However, woman can open accounts with (joint) or without (personal) their husband.

Shurma

2009-02-27T10:07:00.006+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Shurma is about one hour away from Shihr going towards Oman. When leaving from Mansurah in Shihr, you travel through maybe 10-15 minutes of Shihr at which point you are driving along the coast. This is the area where I saw the two gigantic turtles on the beach dead. This is the area that you can go to with your family and have more privacy because (excluding Yawmul Jumuah) there is normally no one out there (aside from the occasional fisherman).

Going towards Shurma, there are little villages on the left side of the road (the right side being the coast line). After this, there is again empty land.

The pics I have posted are in an area (secluded again) where, I assume, only certain people know of it. After turning off the main road, we had to drive across empty land for (I guess) about 10-15 minutes until we got to the area we camped out at(camped as in for the day not overnight).

The little hills of sand you see are crab holes.

The area was absolutely beautiful and the pics do the area absolutely no justice. There were huge rocks in the water sort of what you would see on an beautiful tropical island. There were also huge/mini mountains rocks that appeared to have been underwater at one-point-in time. The other smaller rocks were actually underwater at one-point-in time as you could see sea life embedded in the sides of the rocks.

Surprisingly enough, there were dogs on the beach. No, the beach did not have poo other nasty and dirtiness but it was actually very clean. The dogs did not want us there and barked quite a bit at us until they realized we were not leaving. So, what did they do? They climbed up the mountain/huge/humungous rock and left. I have never seen dogs do this, mountain goats and sheeps... yes... but dogs... no. Well, after some time, they returned, barked some more and left again.

The area we were in was shaped like a boomerang. At each end was a mini mountain/cliff and in between was the beach area. At the opposite end of the camp sight there was a mini mountain that had an (can't find the Webster right now afwhan uh?) inlet. It let in the water (LOL) through a hole in the bottom of the mountain. It was like an underpass that allowed you to swim through this cave thing and out into the sea. The water came rushing in this area and would let back out. It was so beautiful.

Also, this area (had I known I would have prepared myself) had crabs. These crabs are not like the crabs in Shihr or Mukallah but these crabs are really slow. You can actually catch them. The crabs in Shihr and Mukallah are white and they are really fast. The crabs in Shurma are a bit slow and laid back. Maybe they were country crabs not used to visitors and the crabs in Shihr and Mukallah are like city crabs who know that any slowness with have them boiling in a pot of Old Bay.

Later in the day as the tide was stronger, the water rushing through this area was more deep and less shallow. If blogger will cooperate, I will post a video of this area. If not, I will post it at a later time. DSL down and that's another story.

All in all the area is very beautiful and if you are ever in the area, do try to visit it. You will not be disappointed.

Healthcare and Education

2009-02-25T01:57:00.003+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

So, getting straight to the point. In making hijrah, there are many things that you must consider. There are also things that are simply imperative and you really need to do some homework to find out what is available in the location you will travel to before going.

What is meant here is that if you have a health condition or someone in your family has a health condition and you need to be in a locale that has very good health care to address your medical issues, you need to make sure you thoroughly examine the area you will be moving to BEFORE going.

It is also my opinion that if you don't have any health issues but you have a family, especially a family that consists of small children, you need to buy some medical books or herbal books and get a little education on basic health care. Those medical books should be specific to men, women and children, i.e. health care books specifically addressing female issues, children issues and male issues.

There are clinics and hospitals in this area. There is Mustashfah al Umm ((Jadeed (new) and Qadeem (old)) here in this local. The old Mustashfah (as far as I know) administers vaccinations for children and for Hajj but I am not sure what else they do there. The new Mustashfah basically handles everything else. This hospital is here; it is here as a last resort.

There are also clinics (Mustausuf) here. There are many clinics here and they normally have a pharmacy connected to it or a few doors away. Medication here (as far as I know) is not a problem to get. I know of someone who takes medication for mental illness and the medication is available here. If a medication is not availabe here or Mukallah, you can ask the pharmacist and it is possible that he can call it down for you from Sana'a as they have larger pharmacies.

For more serious health concerns, people normally travel to Sana'a to Saudi Germany Hospital, Saudi Yemeni Hospital, Yemeni Germany Hospital, and I believe the other one is called the Hospital of Science and Technology, the latter and former being the best and Allahu a'lim. However, do not expect it to be the same as a hospital in America.

The thing is, in seeking medical care here you really need to try and find a qualified doctor which is like finding a needle in a haystack. The male doctors are normally better/more informed/more eduated than the female doctors and we contribute this to their ability to travel abroad. The specialists are also normally male doctors. So, Yemen really needs qualified female doctors.

There are also doctors who practice "medicine" here from abroad. There are a lot of Russian and Indian doctors (not Muslim by the way) and they are not qualified to practice "medicine". In my opinion a doctor here, is equivalent to a nurse "in training" in the States.

I don't know about the state of affairs in other muslim countries or in other areas in Yemen for that matter. I can only speak of this area here and Sana'a.

A suggestion for anyone coming here who is in pretty good health is to purchase basic books on healthcare, medicine and herbs. As we have no control over the decree, you never know if and when you will fall ill and it is better to have some knowledge of basic healthcare and its corresponding medications.

It is not uncommon to go to the clinic and have medication subscribed to you that is for something totally different than what you went for. What can combat this is to take the prescription home look it up on the internet or in your health library and make sure that whatever your condition is the medication is the cure for that condition and not something else.

It is also good to have an understanding of herbs and what types of food that can be eaten to combat varied sicknesses. For an example:

Thyme (yes cooking thyme) can be make into a syrup and used for antiseptic expectorant cough syrup.

Garlic is antifungal, antiseptic, antioxidant and antibiotic and to remove the smell from the mouth you can chew mint leaves or fennel seeds. Garlic syrup relieves bronchitis and lung infections when made into a syrup using honey.

Honey and black seed goes with out saying are excellent for the body.

The list goes on and on. What is important is to have some awareness of these type of things.

A really good book to purchase (yes, it is a tad bit expensive but it is certainly worth it) is Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical Surgical Nursing. Another really good book is The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Natural Remedies and of course Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet.

This is not to deter anyone but to help people make informed decisions. We have to remember hijrah is just that hijrah. I do not mean to belittle it by this statement but many think that when you make hijrah every evil or harm will automatically stop and cease to exists.

Hijrah comes with trials and you will be tested and Allahu a'lim.

Remember Abdullah Gareeb?

2009-01-18T00:32:00.002+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

I know it has been a while. I have had loads going on and been really busy. Barak Allahu feek for the du'a and the concern, alhamdulillah everything is fine.

I wrote earlier about Abdullah Gareeb. Abdullah Gareeb is a mountain on the road from Shihr going towards Sana'a. The scenery in the daytime is very beautiful. At night though, it can be a bit frightening.

I remember my first time traveling to Sana'a. We set out after Maghrib. I saw lights in the sky. I couldn't make sense of it.... i.e. it didn't really register. I did not understand what those lights were. After giving it much thought, I finally asked my husband what they were. He explained to me they were the cars traveling down the mountain. My stomach was in knots.

Later on in the travel, we were on top of Abdullah Gareeb in another area. My husband kept looking out the window. I asked him repeatedly to keep his eyes on the road (nerves... LOL). He kept asking, "What is that? It must be some houses on these mountains." There are villages up in the mountains but this light was very bright, very beautiful and strangely enough seemed to be following us. He kept telling me to look, as I was afraid and didn't want to look. I glanced over and realized the bright light he thought was in a village was the moon and we were above it, LOL.

The mountain is very high. It has many sharp turns and there are no guard rails in quite a few areas. There are a few places along the road where the guard rails (short brick walls) had been knocked out obviously from someone crashing through. The truck drivers also pull over on the side of the road to talk, drink tea, make salat or sleep. This area for "designated parking" is very thin. Again, there are some things in life that you just have to experience in order to really appreciate. Abdullah Gareeb is an experience.

I found these pics online of Abdullah Gareeb because, well, I was always too tense to take them myself. When ever I travel again to Sana'a

So, What's with the Honey?

2008-11-18T13:07:00.007+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

You can not come to Yemen without tasting "The Honey".

What do I find amazing about the honey in Yemen? Well, for starters, I have never come across so many varieties of honey being used for its medicinal properties. I mean, I have only really been exposed to honeys being sold at farmers markets and at the supermarket. Most honeys I have been exposed to are laden with articial sweeteners, i.e. sugar.

Hadramout is know for its Sidr honey. Sidr honey is likened to the best honey you will find in the world. I have read, Sidr honey is harvested twice a year from the high mountains in Hadramout. There are Sidr trees that grown wild on Hadrami mountain tops providing bees with pollen and nectar that the bees use to produce honey.

"The Sidr Honey Difference
Twice a year in summer and winter, the bee-keepers living around the Hadramaut Mountains make the arduous trek up the mountains to harvest the treasured honey. The ideal combination of climate, soil condition, location and wild Sidr trees ensures a prized honey harvest that is highly potent. Consider this – to make one teaspoonful of honey, a bee needs to make about 155 trips to a floral source, each time bringing with it a small quantity of nectar to its hive. Honey bees that visit the Sidr trees tend to die after only three trips, while weaker bees are unable to complete even one trip!

The Sidr trees grow wild in the desert areas of Yemen, without the interference of artificial nutrients, antibiotics or other chemicals. Nurtured only by nature, its organic properties are pure and well preserved. Thus, honey bees that feed on the nectar will enjoy the full benefit of these organic goodness.

Traditional bee-keeping and harvesting methods are a proud heritage of Yemen’s bee-keeping community. No drugs or chemicals are used to control mites or bee diseases, and no machinery is used in the harvest and packaging of honey. The Sidr honey is harvested by hand and then poured – untreated, raw and pure – into containers, thus keeping the vital enzymes alive. No artificial sweetener or preservative is used." (All Natural Sidr Honey)

Take a peak over at this site to get a little more information on Sidr honey. http://allnaturalsidrhoney.com/

Of course, the honey is not cheap but you can buy as much as your money can afford. There are other honeys available here in Yemen as well. I have seen some in Sana'a and I am sure they have more of a variety up there.

There are honeys that are used for consumption and there are honeys that are used for its medicinal properties. I love, love, love the honey that is available here in the souk. I will not buy the hone that is packaged and readily available at the supermarket because in my opinion it is inferior in quality. The honey that I use to cook with is a thick, viscous, sticky bit of happiness. It is very thick. You can, in fact, chew it, although it does pour out of the container with a little coaxing.

Then there is the honey for medicinal purposes. Now, I will tell you what most probably won't, when you come here you will more than likely get parasites. Before you go having negative thoughts, let me repeat that and say, "You will get parasites. You know the same parasites that are present in the States that people are not very aware of. The same parasites that you have to be aware of when handling raw meats, eggs, fruits and veggies." Ok, yeah those parasites.

Ok, I wanted to make that point as I did not want to frighten or deter anyone from coming here and I also wanted to remind people that parasites are present in every country. I will post on that on another post, insha Allah.

But, anyways, they have honey that will help to combat parasites and bacteria. You can also make your own honey concoction from using Number 1 or Number 2 honeys and mixing black seed, garlic and cloves in it. Number 1 and Number 2 honeys are exactly for this bacteria and parasites. Number 2 honey is number 2 because it is not as superior as number 1 but it will still get the job done. I am sure there are other uses for it but whenever you have any stomach issues they always recommend these honeys.

There are honeys to use to clean the colon (or the tract), honey for stomach issues, honey for intimate issues, and for other organs as well. There are a few honey shops here in Shihr and in Mukallah but Sana'a has a lot.

This honey is for stomach issues

This honey is for parasites. You mix one teaspoon with water and drink on an empty stomach. What is in the honey? I don't know but it seems as though it is black seed, cloves and some other type of herbal goodies.

This is the same honey from above but just shows the packaging.

This honey is for the colon. The commercially packaged honeys that I have seen both here and up north carry the Shefaa label.

This is addy honey. I use this for cooking. It is so, so, so good. It is sold by weight. When full, this is a kilo (you can see I had some happy times). You have to squeeze the sides of the jug in order for it to come out because it is so thick.

This is a pic showing the honey after I tipped the jug so you can see how thick it is.

This is Sidr without the fancy labeling. It is also sold by the weight and is very expensive but good to keep on hand when you need it. I wouldn't recommend cooking with it (in large quantities) as a sister shared with me she did and had adverse reactions. It didnt' kill her or make her sick but she had a reaction to it.

This and the bottom Sidr are the same. This is how the Sidr looks. It is thinner than the "addy" honey and its taste is more delicate.

This is the fancy labeling.

Making due....

2008-11-11T18:07:00.002+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Living in foreign (not in ethnicity but in being different than what you are used to) places teaches you many things. One of the things that you will learn is to make due with what you have. What you will find when making a hijrah from a location that is totally different than where you were born and raised is that you won't have access to many things you are accustomed to. It won't kill you, in a lot of cases it is actually better for you but in those cases when you can have a little of what you miss you learn to make due with what you have and you learn to be creative.

You miss the snow. You forget what dirt looks like or should I say soil with earthworms and other critters crawling about. You will probably miss many things. Again, you learn to make due. Don't think I am complaining because I am not…. I mean I can think of a million things I don’t miss. What I am getting to in a round about way is this.... I had a taste for Hamburger Helper (no, I'm not a fool! LOL.) I never ate it in the States, grits either for that matter but I miss grits as well. Well, I decided to try and make my own and it came out really tasty.

So, for those sisters who peak in from time to time from Sana'a or any other locale where you don’t have access to many “American” products and maybe have a craving or want a meal that is relatively cheap and easy to put together... here goes.

Cheesy Taco Hamburger Helper

1lb Ground Meat
1 Onion (diced)
Little oil
2 Roma Tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 Green Pepper (diced)
1tsp Garlic
1C Noodles (maybe elbow but you can be creative)
2C - 2 1/2C Water
Cumin
Coriander
Chili Powder
Salt
1/2C Shredded Cheddar

Put the ground meat, onion, oil in the pan. Brown.
Add remaining ingredients

Turn pan on medium low and cover.
Cook until noodles are done and liquid dries up.
Add milk - you want to just cook until the milk is warmed and makes like a sauce.

The spices you add to your taste. I would say 1tsp cumin, 1tsp coriander and 1/2tsp chili powder (can add more if you like a little kick)

The cheese will melt down and make it hamburger helpery. Make a side salad and enjoy!

Apparently Way Worse Than I Thought

2008-10-26T14:35:00.007+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Subhan Allah, I ventured out to the store the other day and was contemplating. Rather, I was thinking about the storm, looking at the remnants of the old houses that are still here in Shihr and thinking about how Allah destroyed many nations for their transgressions.

The houses I am speaking of were made of mud. What came to mind was: masha Allah the houses here are made of brick (the great majority)and alhamdulillah because the storm came and tore down much of what remained of these mud houses.

It was only after I received an email from a close companion (Allah barak feehaa) who was very concerned about me, did I check to see what actually happened. I thought maybe it was just a few days of strong rain, thunder and lightning (as you see in my earlier posts) but I just found out that this was not the case. There are many areas here, in Hadramout, that have mud houses. Some of these areas are absolutely beautiful. You see them on the tareeq (road) heading up to Sana'a. Subhan Allah, these houses were completely destroyed and people were killed.

We had some flooding here, in Shihr, but nothing major. There is no drainage system/sewer system here or other places; so when it rains, the water simply rises up and floods the surrounding area. In areas like Shibam and Tahrim, it was much worse.

Here is a pic I found from USA Today and an attached article and Allahu a'lim what damaged was really done.

You can copy and paste the link below to read the article.
www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/2008-10-24-storm-yemen_N.htm

Pink Beauty Masha Allah!

2008-10-23T12:53:00.004+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

I finally ventured around to the front of the "Pink House". I love, love, love the architectual design on this house. It is still being worked on and is not complete. The front door and door to the haush still needs to be painted, the windows need to be dropped in, and there are still some other things that need to be done but the house is mumtaaz, masha Allah tabaarakullah!

It also rained again today, which is just wonderful, alhamdulillah for it. This is also the time of year when the weather changes. This is probably considered the winter but it is not winter weather as I know it. However, it will get pretty cold really soon and stay that way for a few months.

An Extra Few Pics

2008-10-22T22:57:00.004+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

I just wanted to add a second post so that I could put up a few extra pics. The pics are local (not too far from my house. Aside from going to the Maddrasah, I have been in the house quite a bit so I have not been able to get too many new pics of anything, so I hope this makes the quiet stalkers (I love you guys… giggling) happy.

This pink house is a new house that is being built. I have always wanted to go around in the front of it just to look at it cause it is pink and masha Allah tabarakullah very jameel. The second floor is still empty but the first floor is not and the owner has moved in already. I have been a little hesitant but insha Allah I will venture around the front to take pics.

This is the back area of the pink house.
This is the taxi stop/trash dumpster. Well, there really are not any taxi stops. They will pick you up from anywhere but this is the trash dumping site. That upside down U shaped metal thingy used to have a metal bucket attached that you put your trash in but it has been missing for quite a while now. Anyways, the trash truck comes by this and others and picks up the garbage. The other metal thing in the back is like a street sign.

This is the opposite side of the street going towards Barra Siddah.
This is the new gas station. The ground was just filled in. Before, the gas tanks were on the ground. They painted them, probably with some type of sealant, and when they dried they dropped them in the ground. The ground is now level and they are still fixing it up. I think there are pumps already set up. This is the only gas station in the area.
I don't know the significance of this building but it is on the road going down to the souk (market place) and makes a round about for the cars. You are likely to find a bunch of goats and sheep hanging out here. They normally seek shelter here from the hot sun.

There is a second floor (so it seems) but the first floor has a pathway that you can walk through. There are a few of these here. The other one is near Barra Sidda and if I am ever over there when there are not loads of people there, I will try to take a pic. The other one is very similar and you will likely find men in front of it selling various things.

Back on Board

2008-10-22T13:44:00.004+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ok, so it has almost been two months since I last posted. I have been busy with Ramadan and right after, the Madrassah and Masjid opening back for classes. So, I am just now having the opportunity to post anything.

Today, it rained, alhamdulillah and it rained like no other time. Hard rain, pouring down, heavy, flood the streets type of rain. Again, it does not rain here that often, so, when it does you really appreciate it in so many ways. The appreciation comes from the added opportunity to make du'a but also the added benefits one receives from the rain.

So, how was Ramadaan here? I can not really describe. It is more or less experienced and not something you can describe. Yes, I do feel like somethings in life are things that you can only really experience and not get the complete understanding or be in awe of it until you have experienced it yourself, like:

Standing on the top floor of the Haram and watching the people walk around the Kabah

Standing on Arafat

Walking through the streets of Medinah

Praying in the Haram in Medinah

Hearing the people making Hajj saying: Labayk allahumah labayk, etc...

Having a du'a answered right away, literally right away

Traveling at night at high speeds on Jabal Abdullah Ghareeb (the mountain on the tareeq to Sana'a from Hadramout)

It is not something easily described and the words that come to mind are Allahu Akbar, alhamdulillah and Subhan Allah. So, it is definitely a wonderful experience and one that I have never experienced back in the States. You yearn for the month to return and miss it like a beloved companion who has come to visit you but you know they must leave for a time before they can come and visit with you again. When the time is near for the return of that blessed month, you are filled with complete glee! Allahu Akbar!

The constant sound of the salat being called to and the sound of people rushing to the night prayer is subhan Allah wonderful. Every night the call for maghrib, isha, tarawih, qiyawmul layl and then fajr again, every single night, is definitely missed. I can't really explain the feeling of seeing the little girls in the masjid standing for tarawih in groves, the extra concern and compassion people have for each other during the month of Ramadan, standing for the tarawih when the electric has gone out and you are in the pitch black darkness but the salah continues anyways. Finally, and most importantly the constant reminder of your personal state, the need of Allah and His Mercy and the opportunity to turn to Him with a devoted heart seeking forgiveness, mercy, assistance and forgiveness again .... sigh... Ramadan is definitely missed.

Ok, and for those who want pics, pics, pics here are few. These are pics of the beach. The particular area of the beach is a 15 - 20 minute ride going toward Oman. The sound of the water coming up on the rocks and the rocks slowly trickling down towards the water is again "an experience" and something I can't really describe but the sound of it was really masha Allah jameel (beautiful). Who doesn't love the beach?

The Sound of Death!!!!

2008-08-24T14:22:00.005+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ok, so I am sitting here doing some things on the computer. My husband is down in the Haush with 2 other brothers slaughtering goats (3 to be exact). For some odd reason, the sound of the goats dying is really bothering me today. Now, I have helped my husband slaughter, skin and butcher before. I have even slaughtered a goat myself but today, for some odd reason, it is unnerving. Maybe it is because I am not there (physically in the presence of the goat) while he is dying. It is a goat right? I know it may be a tad much and it is an animal and it sure does taste good after putting some dates on it an slow cooking it in the tannur but all the same, today, it is unnerving.

If you have ever heard an animal die (by halal means anyway) it is a distinct sound that you don't forget. The larger the goat the louder the sound. I mean it is not a great sound but loud enough that I hear it upstairs and I know exactly what it is. Baby goats die so much faster with very little noise and nerve reaction.

Maybe it is that Ramadan is near and reflection.... well, we will all taste death one day and insha Allah, we will be in a good standing with Allah so that he will be pleased with us, our affairs and grant us His Jannah. Maybe, that sound of death is reminding me of what is to come.... reminding me of what I need to prepare myself for. Na'am! May Allah have mercy on us and give us his Jannah. May he accept our fast this coming and blessed month and may we continue in righteous actions that will be pleasing to Him after we have completed our sawm, Ameen.

Some Things to do BEFORE you Leave

2008-08-20T14:06:00.004+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Prior to leaving the States, there are a few things you may want to consider and a few things you will need to bring. These things make it easier when trying to conduct business here. It is better to think ahead than to have to scramble at the last minute because you didn't think this or that was necessary.

Bank Account. It is good to have a bank account, in good standing, in the States. Even though you may have the intentions never to return to that place, it is sometimes necessary to have a bank account still open and in good standing there. One of the reasons that come to mind (for me anyways) is the need to have access to money or the need for family and friends to be able to send you money when you need it.
Mailing Address. It is necessary to have a mailing address in the States. For some reasons, when conducting business here, you need proof of address (from the States). For example: if you have a child, you will need to supply proof that you are an American citizen. For that matter, if you need anything done (if you lose your passport, let's say) you will need to show proof of who you are.
Identification. This is pretty much a no-brainer but hey I thought I'd remind you. It is good to bring identification such as a passport (LOL - hey your swift... I know you need a passport to get here LOL), birth certificate, social security card, old and satisfied bills (electric, phone, gas) and the like.
Any and all other paperwork you may deem unnecessary but that may come in handy when you need to conduct business.
Nebulizer. I don't know how I forgot this one. If you suffer from Asthma it is good to bring this with you. Now, I don't have asthma and I don't know if this is all you need for asthma but if you suffer from asthma and you plan to come here please bring your asthma kit and everything you need with it plus extra. It is and can be very hot here and I remember a sister called wanting my neighbor one night because her daughter was having an attack and she needed my neighbors nebulizer. PLEASE don't take this lightly. It is hot, hot, hot here.

On a personal level, I think what is important for you to bring are:

Books and lectures in English especially aqeedah, tawheed, purification and the like. These come in handy BEFORE and after you are tested. Remember the duroos here are in Arabic and until you gain fluency you will need reminders to stay focused and in a state of fearing Allah.
Good shoes. Why? Well, when you first get off the boat - figure of speech- you will not be accustomed to many things here and the shoes are not what you may be used to wearing. You may be able to find something suitable but I believe that may not occur until you are broken in and adjusted. When that time comes, it won't really be an issue. In my opinion, clogs are excellent for this terrain that is if you are a clog type of person (Birkenstocks will last for years). It is easier when going to the masjid to slip in and out of your shoes.
Vonage. Again if you are still conducting business in the States or need to keep ties with relatives and friends the vonage is excellent to have here and with the new unlimited DSL service it is even better because you can keep your phone plugged in and receive calls.
Stand Mixer. uhm.... yeah, ok, this is only for those sisters who really like to cook. Of course you can buy bread, pita, and baked goods but nothing is more satisfying then squeezing, twisting, rolling and spinning (haven't learned that yet) fresh dough. Most cake recipes call for creaming butter and sugar and it is difficult to do this with a hand mixer especially if the dough is heavy. If you have kids (however) they can stand and mix for you. LOL
A Skill. I will elaborate on this a bit more in another post but if you are in the position to get a degree, certificate, or any other skill by all means do. It will not only help you but all the other Muslims that live here.

This Just In.....

2008-08-20T12:30:00.004+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ok, I am sorry for being pathetically lazy with this blog. I have just been a little busier than normal and have been unable to post anything. I have plenty of things to add but the time is always a factor. So, ana asif jiddin-I am very sorry - especially to those sisters who have been popping in expecting to find some new posts.

Ok, since the last blog... I am happy to announce we now have unlimited DSL service. That's right, unlimited meaning you can leave your DSL open without worrying about running out of your 120 hours and having to pay 4400YR ($22.00). Oh, yeah the new price is now 3500YR ($17.50)for unlimited... gotta love progression. I would highly recommend anyone coming to try to get Vonage. Sometimes it works really well... other times it's rather crappy. Either way, if you still have family, friends and business back in the States, it is good to have.

This is my Modem (on the bottom purchased here) and Vonage box:

Setting up Shop!!!

2008-07-23T19:21:00.003+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

I have been often asked to give a guesstimate on the prices of different things or how much do I pay for this and that. Normally, this will not help in determining the next person’s expenses as household sizes vary. So, what I have done is to devise a list of necessities one will need when coming here. This is a guesstimate and the prices will vary depending on your budget and preference. Also, these are the basic things needed in order to have a functioning house – some things you may be able to do with out while others you may not. It is your call.

Refrigerator
Stove
Washing Machine

These three things cost about $830 but before you say, “Wow that is quite expensive!” Yeah, it is a little more expensive because it is better quality. In my opinion, you can do without a top of the line refrigerator and stove but please do yourself a favor and spend a little extra on a single tub automatic washing machine, possibly from LG. The dual tubs are a nightmare. I will take pics and post them after, insha Allah.

Linoleum – 2 rolls will cover flooring for a 3 bedroom apartment $100.00

*You can also purchase carpet. Prices vary. What I know as indoor/outdoor carpet is about $10.00 a meter. Each room is about 5 meters. So that is about $50.00 per room. Better quality carpet will cost you about $20.00 - $30.00 a meter and that is about $100.00 - $150.00. Now, if you really need plush carpet under your toes cause you really like the way it feels when your feet sink down into the plush layers than that you will need Turkish carpet – which they do sale on the roll and it is very expensive.

The bedroom and guest floors are normally the only floors needing to be covered but some houses need the sitting room (not the guest room/study room) floors covered as well. The kitchen, bathrooms and sitting room are normally tiled.

Kizanah (Large drinking water tank) $30.00
Refills (Monthly) $2.00
Water Purifier (Optional) $150.00

Maajlis for guest room $150.00 & up

Kitchen Cabinet (charged by the meter w/marble top) $200.00 – 2 Meters
This is really excellent if you like to make pies & dough – LOL

Eating Utensils (plates, cups, spoons, etc) $50.00

Monthly food (couple w/3 small kids) $200.00
Dubbah (Gas tank for cooking) $30.00
It is good to buy two in case you run out of gas in the middle of cooking

Refill $3.00

Bedroom Cabinet (there are no closets) $150 and up

Curtains for 5 rooms $100.00
Curtains here, to me, are expensive. This is on the low end.
If you just need to have something more elaborate, you will definitely
pay more money

Beds – King $75.00
Kids $40.00
These are not Sealy Posturepedic, so, if you have back problems you
may want to bring a memory foam mattress topper or something similar

Sheet Sets $10.00

Cleaning Supplies $30.00

Rent (Average) $100.00
Electric Bill $20.00
Water Bill $10.00

Phone (initial set up) $100.00
Dial-up Internet (normally shuts off around $20-$25)
DSL (monthly and set up – 120 hours) $22.00
Cell Phone (CDMA & GSM) $100.00 & up
If you bring a tri-band or quad band phone, they will work here.
You will just need to purchase a sim card.

House phone and cell phone bills depend on usage. House phone service is charged by the minute, just like a cell phone. Cell phone bills are either prepaid or through a contract. Yemeni Mobile contract is cheap and is used with CDMA phones. They also offer a prepaid service. Sabafone is more expensive and is used with GSM phones. You can also use prepaid MTN or Waha (I think that’s the name). Prepaid cards are sold at local call centers or even in the local stores. The prices for them vary. I know they have 800YR ($4.00), 2000YR ($10.00) but there are others as well (not exactly sure of the prices).

House phones are normally not a monthly bill. It is pay as you go. If you talk on the phone a lot, you will pay your bill a lot. I can go a couple months without paying a house phone bill. I do not think it is normal for sisters to talk on the phone a lot here. Normally when you call a sister, you give salaams, state your business and kalaas.

Oh, I forgot, it does get cold here. Once you've been here in the dead of summer, the cold weather won't seem as cold initally but after getting acclimated you will definitely feel the difference.

With that in mind, you will probably want a hot water tank. You have to make sure, though, your apartment has a hook up for this. Alhamdulillah, I have a hook up in the main bathroom that shares the same wall with the kitchen. So I can wash my dishes now with hot water AND Clorox. That really makes me happy, LOL. The price for hot water tanks are about $100.

The Garden

2008-07-08T12:03:00.004+03:00

Bustan - a garden.

I never knew that Bustan meant garden. I thought garden was hadeeqah or jannah. However, Bustan means garden. Why am I saying this? Well, there is a Hotel in Mukallah called Bustan. There is also a Holiday Inn in Mukallah but we are talking about Bustan right now, LOL.

Bustan is a really nice hotel (with prices to match - as one night is about $100 but cheaper at other times). They have a laundry mat and a boutique, not a shop but a boutique.

Side note: what is the difference between a boutique and a shop. In my opinion a boutique is an experience while a shop is simply a shop or a store. A boutique will offer you air condition, nice displays, outfit ideas, etc... A shop, on the other hand, is simply some where you go and say, "Wow! I like that. I think that would look nice with this." LOL. A shop is where you go just to shop.

Anyways, the main attraction of Bustan is the bakery. It can actually be called a garden because it is like walking into a garden for a pastry lover, LOL. They have cakes, cookies, muffins, pizza, sandwiches, fresh pita, rolls, and best of all baklava. It is the only one of its kind here in the area.

The smell will entice you like a sweet rose or fresh cut summer grass, butterflies are floating around your head while a cool spring breeze caresses your face. Ok - Bustan has cool air condition caressing your face while you are invited to smell fresh breads and pastry which cause you to have thoughts of being alone with said pastries and a cup of chai. LOL - I know that's bad but yeah, I understand the similarity to a garden. This is one of my soliliquies that I thought I'd invite you to.

Ok, I have to admit my pics are kind of crappy but I was so afraid someone would come and grip me up by the collar/khimar and ask me why am I taking pics of their pastries. So, please bare with me.

The cakes look pretty but they are not that great. They are not really sweet or similar to cakes we are accustomed to in the West.

This cookies are very good. I am not a jimmies type of person (ok they are nice on ice cream cones) but these are my favorite. They are butter goodies - I meant cookies with strawberry jam in the middle. Yes, they make you smile.

More cookies. These are prepacked and not sold by the weight. They are nice gifts to give to yourself - I meant to sisters, especially during Ramadaan. Now, just make some Chai and wiggle your toes.

The plastic wrapped trays are the Baklava. I think this is their main seller - as far as sweets.

More Baklava!

I don't know what these things are but I do know they are eye level to little kids. Which means what? Ummi, ummi, ummi, I want.....

More Houses

2008-07-08T11:10:00.006+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Don't know why but I wasn't able to add anymore pics to the last page so I am adding more here. There are really so many beautiful houses here in Shihr. The Yemeni love colors. You will likely see a pink house, purple, orange, green, any color will do. The way they match the colors are really nice. I love pink and my neighbor (who really - is not - as the house has been empty the entire two years I have been here) has finally painted their house. I am sure they will drop windows in next and finish the house off. I will go up on the roof, insha Allah, and take pics.

What they normally do is have a house started and continue to build as they can afford to. So, it is common to see a house unfinished for months or even years until the owner can afford to finish it. Anyways, here are a few more pics. I will try to take more on my way to the Masjid this afternoon, insha Allah.
Ok, this is not a house but a "manhole" if you will. I should say it is more like a "wastehole". This is normally in the back - sometimes the front of your house. I have one in the back of mine and it seems this is where the waste sits. On a good day it smells like rotten eggs. On a bad day, you can taste it. Yes, you heard me right, the smell is so putrid you can taste it. Incense won't even touch it and neither will your best Frankincense and Myrrh (which you know - if you burn it will smoke the whole entire house). BTW, they are both relatively cheap here and it is common to see people chewing it. It is suposed to help with the memory.

This is the quad-unit I live in (the white building). This is a nice angle to show you the field in front of my house. When the wind blows all the sand blows in through the windows. No worries, I accept it.

Next door to my house, there is a house being built. This is an example of a house where the owner has taken over a quite some time to complete. The house is not finished but it has been worked on for over a year now. They will come for a few weeks and then leave. They won't show up for month later.

Next to this house is a gigantic pen. Inside the pen are goats, chickens and a few ducks. I like to go on the roof and watch the goats play. They chase each other and jump around. When the owner comes he picks the babies up and walk around with them; sometimes he brings his granddaughter with him, masha Allah.

The blue door on the far right is the haush. If you have kids and you want them out but you want to monitor them, this is excellent for that. There are patios on the top floor. The bottom floors have shutters the top have glass windows.

The owner only put "one" coat of white paint on the face of the house. You can still see the cement beneath it. But masha Allah, no worries, the apartments are nice and "clean" inside.

Ok, I was wondering why I even took this picture, LOL. However, the building int he middle is a new school they opened by my house. There is another school beside it.

This is the other school. This is an all girls school. I first school is a boys school.

Wonder What Housing Looks Like?

2008-07-08T10:22:00.007+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ok, so you may wonder what housing looks like in Shihr, the set up of houses, the cost of housing and the like. Well, I have a few pics I can share now and insha Allah will have more pics to post at a later time.

Housing in Shihr includes apartments and houses. Apartments can be large multi-units or smaller units consisting of 3 or 4 apartments. You may find two apartments on the lower floor and two on the upper floor, or one apartment on ever floor. Please note: if you are attempting to come here, it is hard to find housing so you may want to consider that in advance. What I would recommend is contacting someone here to see if they could assist you in finding housing.

When we first arrived, we lived in a big house that was split into a duplex (if you will). There was an apartment on the first floor and one on the second. I lived on the first floor. This house was once one house for a large family.It was rough because the house was closely surrounded by housing on three sides. So, there was little to no air circulation. There was a big difference in the temperature from the bottom apartment and the top apartment. As we are only a 5 minute drive from the beach, the top apartment would get the ocean breeze at night.

Side note: One of the many things I love about living here is you can smell the salt from the sea at night. When the weather cools off, you can go on the roof or stick your head out the window and take a big whiff of the sea. I so love this as I really, really, love the beach. Nitmah!

The set up of my apartment was like a mini apartment then an area for guest. In the main area of the house I had two bedrooms, a sallah (sitting room), a bathroom and a kitchen. There was a door that led into the guest area that was separate from the house that had two rooms and a bathroom. This was where the main door was to go outside (through the front) and there were stairs to go down into the basement (yes, there was a basement). The basement was not included with the rent and you had to pay additional monies for this - go figure.
I also had a door in the main part of the house that went out to another door that led outside to the back of the house and also the upstairs apartment.

I now live in a quad-unit. It is a building having 4 apartments. Two apartments upstairs and two downstairs. There is a roof that the locals call a housh but there are also two small housh (don't know the plural or correct pronunciation - sorry - ) downstairs on the side of the two lower apartments.

Where I currently reside, inside of the main area of the house, there are three rooms, a kitchen, bathroom and a nice size sallah. There is a guest room and bathroom in the front of the house. There are balconies/patios on the guest room and the back room (which could be a bedroom but it can also be an eating room). It would be nice to have a patio in the kitchen as you could eat outside without traveling through different rooms of your house with food and drink. So, if you ever get a house built in a Muslim land, shoot for this, OK? Tayyib!

The houses are normally set up where you have atleast one guest one and an extra bathroom. Some houses have two guest rooms but I don't think that is the norm, It is nice though.

After being here for some time the locals encourage you to build as they see it quite odd to pay rent. Of course the rent for the foreigners is a tad bit higher than the Yemeni but this is not always the case. The newer apartments are generally about 20,000YR (a few dollars over $100) or a little more depending on the space.

I saw an apartment that had been empty for some time. Why? The owner wanted over $200 dollars for this apartment which is quite ludicrous for this area. The apartment was humungous though. There was a room and bathroom downstairs off set from the main entrance. Upstairs there was a kitchen, bathroom (I think it may even have had two) upstairs, and like 5 bedrooms. Needless to say, the place is still empty. When I make it back over that way and if I remember, I will take a pic of it and post it (from outside of it of course).

Anyhoo, the houses are made of brick. The only wood (that I know of) are the doors and framing. The front doors are normally made of heavy metal. There are individual door bells downstairs (in my building) that ring a telephone inside of your apartment. They hardly ever work - so you find yourself running down to the front door to answer anyways.

The windows are either made of glass or wood. I prefer glass. I hate the wood (shutters) They don't let in enough sunlight and you have to put screen around the window frame to keep the bugs out. Notice: I didn't say dust cause there is no way to keep the sand from coming in. You just have to submit and realize there is no way to keep it out. Even if you keep the windows closed (glass or wooden) the sand is coming in. This also too depends where you live. There is a big field in the front of my house and next to my house so when the wind blows it carries a lot of sand in.

The look of the outside of houses will definitely fool you. Some houses look rough on the outside but when you go inside, masha Allah tabarakullah, they are beautiful. There are also houses that are beautiful inside and out.
This is a single family home. I don't know the details such as to how many rooms and the like but I was told the rent was about 20,000YR (a little over $100). This house is in an area called Mansoura Jadeed. It is close to Masjid Taqwa but quite a walk.

This is the same house (in the background) but the pic in the foreground shows how they start to build a house. This is the foundation. They build a square ditch and start the foundation below ground level. They then bring a truck to dump rocks and then level it off. After this, they start to build the house.

This is a single family home being built. I like the way they implemented columns and the like to the architecture of the house. I also like that it has two patios/balconies on the left and right sides. That is nice when the electric goes off you can go and sit outside until it comes back on.This house is being built next door. It is a single family home. They haven't put up a fence to go around it yet but I'm sure they will. I will try to remember to post updates so you can see the finished look.

This is the Masjid across the street from my house. If you can see, there are speakers hooked up inside the tower. They point directly into my bedroom window. Alhamdulillah, this is a nitmah. You don't have to set the alarm for Fajr. Even with all the Sufi shenanagins in Shihr, this Masjid (on rare occassion) participates in any.

What should I wear to the Haflah?

2008-06-27T18:58:00.005+03:00

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

When going to parties with sisters, a wedding or just a gathering, you must have something nice to wear. Now, what is nice to you may not necessary be nice to the next person. You must also remember that fashion (as you "used" to know it) is no more. Fashion has taken on an entirely different meaning.

You can get a dress made. I have not had the fortune of finding a really good tailor here in Shihr but I have seen some really nice work (it just doesn't work for me). For an example: I purchased this purple satin with a purple/shimmery silver organza to go over it. The dress was so basic, atleast I thought - but when I tried the dress on I couldn't put my arms down. I felt like I was in a body cast. This comes on the heels of my Eid dress that went terribly wrong and made me look like a Line backer for the Eagles, never mind the missing sequence on the front of the dress that I just can't figure out what happened to it. So, I promised myself - no more tailored made dresses.

Ready made dresses are available and some are actually very beautiful. Ok - they can't hold a candle stick to the ones I have seen in Saudi but beautiful none the less. The ready made dresses can cost you a couple of dollars and I did mention before - you start thinking, spending and acting like a Yemeni after a while and you just can't see yourself spending large sums of money on a dress when the money can go to use in so many other places.

What I have noticed though is that a dress is revamp-able. What does that mean? Well, you can buy or have made three dresses and switch them up a bit. When that gets kind of old, you take the same dress back to the tailor and have him alter it to make it look like a different dress. Now you have three brand new dresses to wear to your next 6-9 parties, weddings or gatherings.

What is very common here in Shihr as well is after Asr, the sisters (who do not attend classes) visit one another. They get their kids all dressed up with big fluffly dresses, socks, and pretty barrettes and they get all dressed up as well, and they go out to visit one another. This seems to be their custom.

I wanted to share a few of the dresses I came across that I thought were quite interesting but you can judge for yourself.

With the right attitude and accessories, I think you can really make a statement with these dresses. Ok, I do think the mauve one (#3), the green and gold one to follow are really cute but the others are interesting and again I think it is about attitude and accessories, LOL.

Electric Bills

2008-04-26T09:52:00.010+03:00

Electric is paid on a monthly basis. The bills are in Arabic using standard numerals (not Arabic). A dictionary will help you to understand your bill. For some reason, you just kind of understand them. They normally list your meter number (which is also on your meter if you live in a multi unit type dwelling), current and previous bill amount, if it was paid, account name and number, and some other things which are not of any use to me.

This is the meter (or 4 to be more exact- the small ones). You don't really have to worry about fire because the houses are made of brick, ie it doesn't look like it would meet strict electrical standards in the West but hey, it suits its purporse. The big one on the right is the main switch to shut off all electricity in the entire building. Each apartment has their own fuse box.

Fuse box in apartment.

*Side note* I know I do this alot: When they come to shut your electricity off - no you won't get a final bill - they come to shut it off. They snatch your fuse box thingy out of your electric meter. Which is a bummer cause if your neighbor did not pay his bill and his meter runs the electricity in the hall way, then you are in the dark - pitch black dark. Did I say it was hot here? You do not want your utilities shut off, not here.

A brother (yes, a brother, masha Allah) comes out to read the meter. The bills are normally paid for the month passing. Since I know that my English is sometimes misunderstood, I will explain.

March's bill is actually electricity usage from February. Sometimes, when you move into a place, if the person before you was kind enough to leave a bill, you will get stuck with the bill, sometimes. Yes, they will expect you to pay, sometimes. I've seen this happen a few times before. Remember, you are American and you are rich even though you are Miskeen. Why? As it was explained to me: for every American dollar you receive 200 Yemen Riyal. Ok but what about the British Pound isn't that worth more than the dollar? I think the French Franc and Euro are worth more than the dollar as well.

Electricity is cheap when compared to America but after being here you won't think like an American anymore. You will want a 700YR or 800YR electric bill like the Yemeni. I know of a few incidences where they will definitely charge you more for electric if they know you are American.

Of course electricity in the summer will be more than other times of the month. Last year, I just caught on that Ramadaan is also a time when everything goes up, including your electricity bill. A bill that will normally be 900 ($4.50)YR in colder months maybe 1300YR ($6.50) in Ramadaan.

Before you get happy and say: "Oh my! The electricity is so cheap." This is normally what is paid for one or two people. Now if you have children running around who love to leave lights on, the fan running when they are not using it, use the refrigerator for air condition (leaving the door open while standing in front of it mentioning how cool it makes them feel), you have to do laundry more than once a week or similar than your electric bill will be more.

A bill in the summer (with the air running all night and sometimes during the day) for two people will run about 3000YR ($15.00) - 4000YR ($20.00) and that is very expensive but it is hot as a tanur here so... what can you do?

I normally don't run my air conditioner all day because I find it makes the heat more unbareable. If you are under the air all day when you come out of the room it makes it seem even more hot. If you just sleep with the air on and tough it out during the day, I find, it is more tolerable. Plus, who wants to be cooped up in a room all day?

*Small print* if you do not run your air during the day you will be required to take a morning, post Asr and post maghrib shower. This is the minimum allotted. The heat here is so intense your calves and the back of your knees sweat. <-- oh so do your knuckles and the front of your knees. If you try to get away with only one shower a day, it will become apparent rather quickly. BTW: powder does not help as it quickly turns into lotion.

Electricity

2008-04-26T09:25:00.004+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Electricity is a wonderful thing to have and have access to... LOL. The electricity here is 220v and appliances carry a 2 pin plug.

Ok. I know there are three outlets here. The one on the left is for your telephone. You use an adapter or change the outlet out to a standard American type outlet (very easy takes about 5-10 minutes). The one in the middle is for cable. Yes, they have cable. You see the shackiest houses (that look like goat pens) with a satellite dish on top. The one on the right is the electrical outlet. The swith on the side enables you to turn the outlet on and off.

When coming from the West it is necessary to have converter plugs to convert from 110v to 220v. If you must, I mean must bring appliances with you, bring them. In my opinion it is better to buy them here or purchase 220v appliances in America. Why? Because you are reliant upon converter plugs (sometimes the fuses burn out). I have a few converter plugs and make constant du'a (there you go - another opportunity to implement the Sunnah) that they don't get damage or anything like this. Fuses, you can buy. Where? I don't know. They do sell fuses here but the ones I have come across do not work. I am not saying you can't find them. You probably could. It just requires a little extra work on your behalf.

You can buy quality appliances here in Yemen. The funny thing is they are American products like: Black and Decker, Panasonic, etc and in America these probably wouldn't be considered quality but here, "It's usooly (us-sully). It's #1!" This is the sales pitch for anything American or French or Italian or .....

Funny thing is they have products here from Korea, China and Japan. I (having said understanding of Asian products) didn't really know there was a difference between them but here they will sell you something from - let's say China- and tell you why it may be #2 as compared to Korea and Japan.

Anyway, the outlets sometimes require an adapter in order to plug anything in (this seems to happen when the plug is kind of old and the pins inside get rusty). You can either change the whole outlet out (which is not hard to do at all) or you can buy the adapters. The adapters (which are probably made in China) are really uhh, uhm cheap, yeah let's say that. They are really cheap and will sometimes give you a few sparks or sometimes a whole lot of sparks.

Don't mind the rust. It happens when you live near the beach. These are the adapters (fused I might add) that you use for the plug up top. Some American appliances don't require converter plugs (like laptops they use both 110v and 220v) and you just plug them in. During the fireworks (see below) this whole thing was orange.

One night (in the blazing hot summer when you need an air conditioner unless you want to sleep in a pool of sweat) I had the air conditioner running. Maa fee mushkilah (no problems uhh?). Well, my air conditioner started surging (the normal noise would go to a high pitch then a low one). This woke me from my sleep. I looked over at the adapter (to which my converter plug was plugged in) and noticed something my half-way-sleeping-mind could not register. When I shook the beans around a few times I realized the mushkilah my adapter had orange sparks shooting out of it (I suppose similar to the way gunfire would look) and my poor converter plug was being electrocuted. I ran over and tried to save its life (remember I said you rely on these things for your American appliances) but it had already melted. Yes, I said melted. The heavy metal pins had melted in the #2 adapter from China. Oh Joy!!!!

Side view of the converter plug. Looks good, ay?

Wrong!!!

Here's another look with the flash. All that green and black stuff that looks like it should not be there is the melted down plug w/missing pin.

This is the converter post eletrocution. The plugs on the right are for 110v switching to 220v and the one on the left is for 220v switching to 110v. This is a step up step down converter. It steps up to 220v and steps down to 110v. I heard they are using 110v in Saudi (some places anyway) now and Allahu A'lim.

Because this is Yemen and masha Allah tabaarak Allah, la hawla wa la quwwata illah billah, the people are masha Allah very crafty (in a good way) and good with their hands. Insha Allah, I will find someone who will be able to fix it so I am not disposing of it.

Missing the Rain

2008-04-13T21:36:00.004+03:00

Living in Pennsylvania you experience all kinds of weather that are kind of to the extremes. You have the spring (with lots of rain, butterflies and flowers), the summer (with thunder storms, summer bugs and hot nights) the fall (with chilly nights and cool breezes) and the winter (with snow and ice, freezing temps and breath you can see). Living in Pennsylvania, you really don't understand the Hadith of making du'a for rain. I mean you can understand it to a degree but you really don't "understand it" until you have lived in an area where it has not rained for months. You start to miss the rain. You understand I mean really understand how Allah controls everything and how the rain is a favor and a mercy from your Lord. Small things that you once took for granted become things you make du'a for.

It has not rained yet, this year. It is April and it has not rained yet. The rain clouds come and you pray for rain. The rain clouds leave and you pray for rain. You really understand making du'a for something others take for granted.

The weather in Shihr? Well, we have a winter season between late October and March. It is not freezing cold but once your body gets acclimated it is cold and may even be freezing cold. The weather is at its coolest at night. In the day time, it feels like a pleasant summer day or a warm spring day. It does not start to get cool until late October and it starts to warm up by late March.

The rest of the year is in the range of hot, hotter, the hottest and I need a cool drink. I do not know, temp wise, what the weather is like but I can say it easily goes pass 105 degrees. 105 straight degrees without the heat/humidity index. It gets very hot. It can be dangerous (with no exaggeration) to walk outside long distances (blocks) between Zhuhr and Asr.

I was told the hot weather of Texas is nothing compared to this heat. I have also read on-line that Aden is the 12th hottest place on the face of the Earth. We are a few hours from Aden. Ironically, people have said it is more hot here than Aden and Allahu A'lim.

The summer months are really hot. We came here in May and the heat tore us down. It drained us (we were sitting in the car not even moving). In June and July, it is worse with August being really unbareable. By, September we were making du'a for relief. However, my second summer here was not as bad as the first and I think it is because you become acclimated to the weather. A cool spring day/night (in Philly) would seem rather cold once acclimated to this weather. You may not be able to bare the extreme cold (like in Abha -in Saudi- where it can feel like Philly in the late Fall early winter). It is just too cold.

Yes, Shihr is normally faced with electrical outages. Depending on where you live, will depend how long they shut the electricity off. Busier areas will experience more outages. Normally the electricity is shut off for an hour but sometimes they can shut it off up to fours. It is really rough to deal during the summer nights. The electricity is normally not shut off during winter months. But again, this is something else you sit and make du'a for. One thing I can tell you that's a mercy in living here, is, there are so many opportunities to practice Qu'ran and Sunnah. You will find yourself (quite often) making du'a and asking Allah for something. Again, small things you may have taken for granted, like something cold to drink, rain, electricity, running water (I'll speak of this in another post) and things like this. You also find many opportunities to practice Sunnan such as giving the neighbors there haqq (in every aspect), giving sadaqah, not wasting food, making du'a for your brother, wanting for your brother what you want for yourself, visiting the sick, and things of this nature.

It was said and Allahu A'lim, that the electricity is shut off because the main generators need to cool down. Either way, my suggestion would be to get a small generator here (if you can afford it) or sleep on the roof if you are able to or just continue to make du'a that they will turn it back on in a short time.

(Generators start at about $75 and go up in price from there).

Duroos

2008-04-13T21:05:00.003+03:00

There are many classes going on now. I guess you can say the classes are divided into three categories: the Madressah, the summer program, after asr program.

The classes in the Madressah are in the morning. There are classes for the girls as well as for adults. The classes are normally from around 8:00 or 8:30 until salat ul zhuhr. Sisters (I don't know what the Madressah is like for the boys and the brothers) can sit for Qu'ran in the morning in the Madressah or after Asr. Qu'ran is normally the first thing taught in the morning. There are other classes that are being taught in the Madressah but I could not really tell you what books are being taught (sorry). I will try to find out. I know that Usool ath Thalaatha is being taught but I'm not really sure what other books.

The Madressah offers classes for girls (small girls). This is like normal schooling. They also teach fiqh, hadeeth, and aqeedah (these are for small girls as well as older girls). They also teach the girls secular knowledge (math, reading and writing) but it is all in Arabic.

The summer program is really nice. The classes are normally after Asr and there are loads of classes during the summer time. I can not tell you all (because I don't remember all) but I can tell you what I remember. They offer: 40 Hadith an Nawawi, Usool ath Thalaatha, Umdah tul Ahkaam, The Prophet's Prayer Described, Medinah Books (Arabic), other books of Hadith and more. Again, I am speaking of the sisters duroos. I am not aware of what goes on for the brothers.

Right now, classes are taught after Asr. These classes are taught during the normal school year- up and until the summer program. The classes that are currently being taught (again that I know about these are not all and the only, just what I know about) are Medinah Book 1, Medinah Book 2, Ajroomeyyah, Ta'beer, Husnul Muslim, Tasfeer of Quran, Sarf, Qu'ran, Tajweed (they are reviewing now), and Qawlul Mufeed. These are the classes that the foreigners (the majority anyway) sit in.

There are also classes being taught by the Sheik's wife and her students. I don't know what books they are going through, as I am not on this level with my Arabic yet.

There are a lot of classes, masha Allah being taught. There are classes for Foreigners and I say this not to make division (between Foreigners and Yemeni)but because most of us are obviously not on the level of the Yemeni in Arabi and can not sit in the duroos with the Yemeni. However, there are a few sisters that have excelled (masha Allah and may Allah increase them and all of us) in the lugah and they are able to sit in the duroos on a higher level.

The classes after Asr are normally from about 4:00 until Maghrib with some taking place after Maghrib.

There are classes, every day, being taught. In the morning, afternoon and in the evening for men and women.

There are classes for the children in the Madressah and there are classes for the boys after Asr. I hear the boys (small boys) reciting Hadith when I am walking to my classes after Asr. They also have Qu'ran after Asr for boys as well but again, I do not know the schedule for the boys or the men. This is only what I am aware of for classes.

Mega Market

2008-04-12T14:11:00.007+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Food shopping here can be a doozey. It is a lot different than what I am used to. What am I used to? I am used to food shopping in one place (Shoprite or Pathmark) for all my needs - except for bulk items which I would buy from BJ's.
Alhamdulillah, since moving here, we now have a "supermarket". You can get quite a bit of the majority of the things that you would need. When I first arrived, there was no "supermarket". There were only the wholesale places, fruit stands and the fruit souk and small stores. Food shopping would normally mean going to just about 4-5 different stores to get the months worth of food. This is still quite odd to the Yemeni as they are used to shopping everyday and not for the entire month.

The "supermarket" here is not as big as "Mega" but it gets the job done most of the time. Why do I keep putting supermarket and "Mega" in parenthesis? Because it really is not a supermarket but an oversized corner store and Mega is really not a Mega market or a supermarket in that case but Mega is bigger than the supermarket and small than a "normal" sized supermarket.

One of the product aisles in Al Aos Mega

Another food aisle

Al Aos Mega Market is in Mukallah. They have a lot of American products or things you can not find in the supermarket here in Shihr. They have appliances, dishware, cleaning supplies, toiletries, cosmetics, baby items, food and stationary. The prices are high and it is really not wise or economical to do your shop here. What can be recommended is buying the necessities that you just can't live without like frozen veggies (brocoli, corn, brussel sprouts, spinach and shrimp <--- I know this is not a veggy), Oreos, Doritos, Olive oil, and certain spices and then buying everything else in Shihr.

The Family Market (supermarket) has more of what is available locally all in one spot. They also have other things like cereal (which is 800YR - $4.00) a box if not more, cleaning supplies, cosmetics and plenty of snacks. I mean plenty of snacks. Snacks, snacks and more snacks. They have an entire section in the supermarket just for snacks. Did I say they had snacks? This is normally the most crowded area of the supermarket and you will normally see a sea of hijab.

A Few Snacks

These are fake Tang products

A bit blurrry but.... yes Oreos are here

Really and extra organic eggs

These are hoagie rolls or baguettes.

Not as good as Amoroso but pretty good.

Snacks in a dukaan (store).

Yes, all of these snacks are from the same dukaan.

These are mostly drinks stocked on shelves. They have 7-up, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mousy, Miranda, Coca Cola and a few other drinks that are available in the States. However, they are not exactly the same. They seem more sweet and not as strong; the acidity level (in the sodas) just really do not seem to give off that really strong burn your chest and esophagus up effect.

Drinks Galore

Water is also available. Plenty!!! They have bottled water and water in a bag. Water in a bag? Water in a bag is exactly that. Stores normally carry both, though water in a bag is cheaper. They take a ziplock (but lesser quality) bag and fill it with water. So, it is normal to see people walking down the street sucking water from a small hole made in the corner of a bag or even ice cream. The price for bottled water is about 30YR ($.15) and bag water is about 10YR or 5Yr ($.05 or $.02).

The Bus in Mukallah!

2008-04-08T19:46:00.009+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Well, we have busses in Shihr. They are not busses like you think of in America (Philadelphia's SEPTA, or Greyhound) no, these busses are passenger vans that have the doors open (Alhamdulillah so you can breathe cause it is hot as a tannur down here), they have about four rows of seats and take you from one locale to another.

A ride in this taxi (van) will cost you 25YR.

A ride in this taxi (car) will cost you 200YR.

The price used to be 20YR (about $.10) but the price has gone up to 25YR. From Shihr to Mukallah, if you hop in a taxi with other people it will cost you 200YR ($1.00). The same to come back home. The ride is about 45 minutes.

If you want "Sayyarah Caamal" (the whole taxi to yourself), you will definitely pay more. Why would you want the whole taxi? Well, maybe you and a few sisters would like to go shopping and keep a driver with you. You can all split the bill. You can keep the driver for 2 hours but they normally get antsy around an hour and want to leave, especially near Zhuhr time.

The price for "Sayyarah Caamal" is 1800YR to get to Mukallah another 2000YR to get home and 500YR for the 2 hour rental of the car in Mukallah.
What I forgot to mention was that the price is 1800YR because you are paying for each seat (200YR per). They normally squeeze 2 people up front with the driver, 4 people in the middle row and 3 people in the back. Normally, the sisters sit in the back row. So, there are 9 seats at 200YR a peice totalling your 1800YR for "Sayyarah Caamal". Sayyarah Caamal offers the luxury of not choking on cigarette smoke, watching a qat fest, or being squashed up against the window when it is almost 150 degrees.

Speaking of prices, the prices of a lot of things have gone up. The price of eggs used to be about 450YR ($2.25) for a flat (about 2 1/2 dozen) now they are 600YR ($3.00). The dubbahs (gas tank to cook with same as the ones used for gas bbq grills in the states) used to be 450YR now they are 600YR. Pita bread used to be 10YR ($.05) but now they are 15YR ($.07) a peice. I know this does not seem like a lot, especially when paying more than this in the States but once you've been here for a minute you start to think less like an America (in terms of money and how far it goes and how you spend it).

When you first "get off the boat" you could care less if the cab driver says 30YR from the souk even though it only costs 20YR but after you have been here for a minute you will haggle over that 10YR.

Oh dear, I got off topic, we were talking about the bus. Yeah, ok. So, they raised the price of the bus. In Shihr, everything is really by taxi. You will see a bus but won't know where it is going or what they are for, as it is not normal to ride them. You will more than likely catch a bus in Mukallah.

I like the new busses myself. They don't smell of cigarettes, goats, sweat or anything else that is offensive. The bus will take you on a short journey (from one are to the next, from one souk to the next, etc...) for 25YR (and yes I feel some type of way about the 5YR that I have to pay extra), LOL.

Sometimes you will catch a bus that is not really in good shape. It wreaks of sweaty underarms (LOL), it is not really clean, there may be a tire in the back you have to climb over, or it just may be ready for retirement.

This the seat of a bus. A little tattered?

The back of the seat.

Emergency tire or built in foot rest?

A mini seat at full price.

The side door (passenger door in the back) is normally left open, which frightens me to no end because I am very clumsy and fear sliding out into traffic, or my khimar wrapping around the tire, or trying to get off and the driver does not notice dragging me halfway down the shariah, LOL (may Allah forbid!) but you get my point.

It is definitely not transportation you are used to but it gets the job done.

Dial-up or DSL

2008-04-04T10:49:00.006+03:00

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

Well, I haven't written anything in a minute as my DSL is down and I only have dial-up. Yes, they have DSL in Shihr. They have had it for a short while now (it's new) and Alhamdulillah the price has dropped quite a bit since I first ordered the service.

Dial-up tends to be more on the pricey side with pages taking forever to download. Dial-up is charged by the minute and I think it is something like 5YR or 10YR (about $.02 - $.05)a minute. Ok! That doesn't seem like much but if you have a lot of business online it starts to add up after a while. Let's say you need to be online everyday for roughly an hour... well that is about 300YR on the low end and 600YR on the high end ($1.50 - $2.00 respectively). Not so bad right? Now let us times that by 30 (days in the month) and also an additional or additional users in the home. Now, the price will jump to 9000YR on the low end and 18000YR on the high end ($45.00 - $90.00 respectively) and then you have to times that by additional users. It can be pretty pricey. I don't remember the exact pricing for dial-up but I think it is 5YR per minute. Oh! I forgot to add that by the time you download certain items (sometimes not all the times) 10 - 15 minutes may have elapsed. Yes, you are paying for the blank screen/you have 250minutes left to finish this download. OK, I'm exaggerating a bit but you get my point.

The one thing that is cool about this service is it is on your phone line and when ever you want to know the bill amount you simply dial 115 and the recording will tell you the balance of your phone bill (which is your phone and DSL bill all in one). Your phone is normally cut off around 4000 - 5000YR ($20.00-$25.00) but sometimes it can be cut off before or after this amount. In case you didn't understand, the phone bill and the dial-up are one and the same, they are not separate.

DSL is less expensive and works a little faster. Don't be fooled to think it will work just as fast as in America because it doesn't but it is faster than dial-up. The price for DSL is 4400YR per month (about $22.00). Also, you are allotted 120 hours of service (no it is not unlimited hours). That is four hours per day and way more than you would need (unless you have additional users). You also have to pay to get the service turned on. I don't remember the price but I think it is around the same price as the monthly bill.

The thing with DSL is, if you don't use all your hours, they will not turn over into the next month. It is a "use it or lose it" type of thing. Also, you go over 120 hours your service is cut until you pay the bill. There is no warning, it is just cut off. You can of course call Sana'a and ask about the balance on your bill. This is where the main office is located.

Also, DSL is separate from your phone bill. I rarely use my house phone so that works for me. I can normally skip a month or two of paying my phone bill - sometime three. You are not required to pay your phone bill every month. You pay your bill when it is close to being cut off. If you are on a budget or a little phone happy (you like to talk) you can pay weekly.

Both services are offered through Yemen Net.