A Life Far Removed from Durian Trees

Not sure if they still show that at the end of Malay movies ("The End"). We finished the Arabic textbook today, yay! It was my last class... I feel weirdly happy even though (i) I didn't get a proper certificate and (ii) I wouldn't say I can speak fluently. But there it is. Something achieved. "Tammat dirasat al-arabi" (The study of Arabic has been completed) I'm guessing that's where the Malay word "tamat" came from. (Image from www.tate.org.uk : Pakistan 19th century, Victoria and Albert Museum)

One of the fun things about living in a new country is discovering what's in the supermarkets. And when you live in places where the electricity is iffy (so you try not to leave food in the freezer before going on holiday) and the stocks in the shops are unreliable, canned foods are very convenient. No freezing necessary. Keeps for years. And you can buy stuff for a special dish while waiting for the other ingredients to show up on the shelves. In more recent years, it's been amazing to see the kinds of things that are canned. In Angola, a lot of the canned foods are produced in South Africa. Not only were there exotic African foods, but also, for the most part, South African products are halal. In Yemen, I get the impression most of the tinned products come from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. You can find Middle Eastern foods such as grape vine leaves, tabbouleh , hummus , pulses , etc. (A word of warning: canned hummus blows!) But I think the most "bizarre" stuff can be...

After messing around with matches and candles and smoke and soot, I finally learned how to burn charcoal properly and neatly. Just put it on an electric stove for a few minutes. Then turn it over and leave for a couple of minutes. Some parts should have a reddish glow, especially if you blow on it. Then put the charcoal piece in a bukhoor/oud burner and sprinkle the good stuff on top. No need to keep blowing to keep the fire going. And no allergic reaction! Here's a good demo .

Received a security alert this morning, after hearing fighter jets flying overhead the previous few nights. Apparently some AQ-related activity in the south and potential anti-government retaliation in Sana'a. Gulp. I'm home alone. I packed a bag.

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.