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klang
With Yemen hitting the headlines at the moment, and the outcome of last Wednesday's conference in London where the likes like Hillary Clinton used familiar rhetoric with regards to war on terror, protecting the 'free world' from the threats of Al Qaida, the arms aid budget to Yemen being doubled to fight an ongoing civil war and the 'need' for the West to establish military bases around the Red Sea and Southern Arabia (incl Socotra) to gain control over the ongoing 'piracy problem', it is likely that Yemen will appear more frequently and in a more unfair light in the Western media.
This threat is an opportunity for people who have been to Yemen / come from Yemen to write a few lines on their positive experiences in Yemen to counteract Western propaganda and to inform other Urabnitesd who may not be too familiar with this ancient country.
Here's my little story:
I have been to Yemen a few times on musical missions, and what amased me most was the sheer friendliness and trust people show towards strangers.
I once got lost in Hodeida at night, and walked into a random shop to ask for directions. The shop owner called for his 5 year old son and sent him off into the night with me. He walked with me for about half an hour, untill we had found my hotel. The boy said a quick 'massalama', and then made his way back to his dad's shop. All I could think about was what would happen if a Yemeni man in full-on Arab gear would walk into a Cockney pie and mash cafe. The children would be hidden away, never mind being sent off into the night!
There are many guns and AK's in Yemen (especially in the countryside). But not once did I feel threatened or fearful for my life and belongings. Even though a lot of Yemenis are piss-poor, there are hardly any muggings or robberies. People just don't want to bring shame on their tribe.
The last thing is music. I play oud and study Arabic music, but Yemeni music is a completely different kettle of fish. It's funky, sad, happy, poppy, traditional, and yet new. Most of the music industry still operates with cassettes, and there doesn't seem to be much of a generation gap. Kids like the same music the elderly like, and as soon as there is music people start to smile.
Here is a little clip of me (on cello) and my travelling Yemeni band playing in Aden:
I could go on forever, writing about the food, the architecture, the landscape, and of course qat (the best drug of all) but I leave that to others who have been.
VIVA AL-YEMEN!!!
This threat is an opportunity for people who have been to Yemen / come from Yemen to write a few lines on their positive experiences in Yemen to counteract Western propaganda and to inform other Urabnitesd who may not be too familiar with this ancient country.
Here's my little story:
I have been to Yemen a few times on musical missions, and what amased me most was the sheer friendliness and trust people show towards strangers.
I once got lost in Hodeida at night, and walked into a random shop to ask for directions. The shop owner called for his 5 year old son and sent him off into the night with me. He walked with me for about half an hour, untill we had found my hotel. The boy said a quick 'massalama', and then made his way back to his dad's shop. All I could think about was what would happen if a Yemeni man in full-on Arab gear would walk into a Cockney pie and mash cafe. The children would be hidden away, never mind being sent off into the night!
There are many guns and AK's in Yemen (especially in the countryside). But not once did I feel threatened or fearful for my life and belongings. Even though a lot of Yemenis are piss-poor, there are hardly any muggings or robberies. People just don't want to bring shame on their tribe.
The last thing is music. I play oud and study Arabic music, but Yemeni music is a completely different kettle of fish. It's funky, sad, happy, poppy, traditional, and yet new. Most of the music industry still operates with cassettes, and there doesn't seem to be much of a generation gap. Kids like the same music the elderly like, and as soon as there is music people start to smile.
Here is a little clip of me (on cello) and my travelling Yemeni band playing in Aden:
I could go on forever, writing about the food, the architecture, the landscape, and of course qat (the best drug of all) but I leave that to others who have been.
VIVA AL-YEMEN!!!
