Iftar with a Yemeni family
Can't sleep - too much Cadbury's at dinner.
Last week S and I were invited to break the fast by S' Yemeni colleague, Q. I was pretty excited about the whole thing because apart from my Arabic teacher's parents' house (where we have lessons), I'd never seen a Yemeni family environment before.
Q has two young daughters, one being maybe 3 years old and the other just 10 months old. His wife, B, was shy at first but afterwards became more talkative and wouldn't let me go home. While the boys rushed through their meal, us two girls talked so much and hardly got through our food.
Well, I wouldn't say I talked. I managed to ask a few questions in Arabic and then tried to make sense of what B was saying as she rattled on. I tried to eat as much as I could but there was soooo much food! On top of that, B's eldest daughter kept taking the ladies' dishes away to the men's dining room for her father - she just adores him.
B cooked everything herself and the food was good. I was really impressed - handling two young kids, fasting at the same time and preparing a meal for seven people. (Q's brother, B's brother and our driver were also there.)
They live in a two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of the old city, right next to a mosque. I think Q bought a piece of land somewhere in Sana'a and will eventually build his own place.
Really nice and generous people. At the end, Q said he was honoured to have us in his home, but really it was the other way around.
Oh yes, when invited for iftar, it's customary to bring fruits or dessert or treats like chocolate.
Last week S and I were invited to break the fast by S' Yemeni colleague, Q. I was pretty excited about the whole thing because apart from my Arabic teacher's parents' house (where we have lessons), I'd never seen a Yemeni family environment before.
Q has two young daughters, one being maybe 3 years old and the other just 10 months old. His wife, B, was shy at first but afterwards became more talkative and wouldn't let me go home. While the boys rushed through their meal, us two girls talked so much and hardly got through our food.
Well, I wouldn't say I talked. I managed to ask a few questions in Arabic and then tried to make sense of what B was saying as she rattled on. I tried to eat as much as I could but there was soooo much food! On top of that, B's eldest daughter kept taking the ladies' dishes away to the men's dining room for her father - she just adores him.
B cooked everything herself and the food was good. I was really impressed - handling two young kids, fasting at the same time and preparing a meal for seven people. (Q's brother, B's brother and our driver were also there.)
They live in a two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of the old city, right next to a mosque. I think Q bought a piece of land somewhere in Sana'a and will eventually build his own place.
Really nice and generous people. At the end, Q said he was honoured to have us in his home, but really it was the other way around.
Oh yes, when invited for iftar, it's customary to bring fruits or dessert or treats like chocolate.
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