A Life Far Removed from Durian Trees

I'm not much of a shopper but I love to shop in Paris (and taking people shopping in Paris). From my personal experiences, the salespeople are pleasant and patient and not aggressive. And I love that they explain the product to you and will serve you (to the exclusion of others) until you are done. In some other places, you're ignored. Or followed around by a salesperson who is checking that you don't steal anything. Or blatantly lied to ("yes, it will fit you, no problem"). Or verbally assaulted ("you'd better use this, you have big pores"). Or pressured/manipulated into buying other stuff ("if you spend another 150 dollars, you get this free cheapo bag worth 5 dollars "). I get all of the above whenever I shop at home, in Malaysia. In Paris, if you buy lotions and creams, they will tell you how and when to use it. If you buy handbags or watches for example, they will tell you what the brand is famous for, which line, which season (pe...

We bought a couple of brass trays at the Old City last night, one oval-shaped and one circular. I loved the shop - the owner had all sorts of brass/metal trinkets and small pieces of wooden furniture. Every little inch of space was covered in knick-knacks. The brass tray were sold "kaamil" - complete with a good clean and polish, which was supposed to take 10 minutes but ended up taking 2 hours! But the pieces looked terrific and the young boys really put their backs into it. Brass trays in the Old City are mostly from India. Usually priced by weight and intricacy of the design. Between USD 40 and USD 100. Some may have been in stock for a while and look very old but with a good clean, they can look brand new. Some have brass legs that can be screwed on, for low-lying tables, but these are heavier and so pricier. The cleaning process: soap solution and a brush, then rinsed and dried. Coated with brass polish and rubbed vigorously by hand. Then tray is covered with sawdust and...

I kid you not! While I was at Al-Shifaa, I couldn't resist buying something for myself. According to the brochure: Magic octopus cream for locale weight losing (YER 600=USD 2) This cream is made of the black seed, peppermint, mustard and other natural materials that are ideal remedies for removing fats from the body. In combination with a special soap: Al-Anaqah soap 4-in-1 (YER 200=USD 1) The first soap of its kind that combines between chest tightening and skin flabbiness. It also whitens and disinfects the skin. Directions for use: During evening shower, use the soap and lather up in target areas such as belly and chest. Leave for a couple of minutes. Rinse off. Massage in the cream in target areas. Repeat every evening. Updated brochure below. These products are locally made, from natural ingredients.

Mum & Dad have asked me to buy any medicines/oils/toiletries with habbat-us-sauda (black cumin) in it. Found this brochure while I was cleaning out my office. Perfect timing! I know where to go. It's a chain of shops that sell honey, oud (incense), bukhoor (perfume), and traditional ointments and creams.

Some things to buy before leaving Yemen: Jambiyya Mafraj Silver jewelry Yemeni art Yemeni honey Yemeni coffee Qamariya Woven baskets Incense and incense burner Shisha Persian carpets Turkish/Saudi/Malaysian carpets Brass decorative items Egyptian/Syrian cotton jalabiyya Cocktail dress Jambiyya . Buy a collection of different kinds: the "judge", bedouin, Sana'ani, Saada, etc. With rhino or cow horn handle. Silver or metal. Old jewish silver or new silver. *** *** *** Mafraj . No need to get a whole set. Just one "block" to put in a cosy corner, next to a window? (Left: the mafraj at the Imam Yahya Palace near Wadi Dhar) Silver jewelry . Apart from "old Jewish silver", the rest are mostly from India and Nepal. Perhaps not as refined or good quality as silver jewelry sold in Europe but it's cheaper in Yemen and okay for casual dress. Depending on weight, a non-Jewish silver pendant with a stone is around USD 12 and around USD 60 for a heavier bracelet...

Having been in Sanaa during the past two Ramadans, I know the streets will be jam-packed at night and prices will go up. And I'll be too knackered to do anything in the evenings. So last weekend, I went shopping for Eid outfits in the famous shopping area, Jamal Street. (Going home for Eid/Hari Raya, yay!) I bought 2 Egyptian dresses for YER 1,900 (MYR 27 / USD 8.50) each. I didn't try very hard to get the "Yemeni" price (YER 1,500?) because I couldn't even buy a Malaysian dress in Malaysia for that! And based on the "arbitrariness" of prices in Egypt, I'm sure I'd pay more for these in Egypt!! Sorted!

Great place for for pashminas and Yemeni sarongs/caps/scarves. Nice and helpful shopkeeper who speaks Bahasa! Reasonable prices. We often see other Malaysians and Indonesians here.