A Life Far Removed from Durian Trees

With everything that's going on, no more air freight from Yemen so our schtuff is going by sea. Our container will make its way to Hodeidah port on this truck...and off it goes, insya-Allah!

Another thought: Be careful when packing leather jackets - if they get creased, those creases will be hard to get out! (I nearly cried when I unpacked my leather jacket in Angola, even though the packers had put it in a coat box with other coats)

Taking a break from the packing. Thought I'd share some tips on how to prepare and pack for moves to difficult countries, based on my personal experiences of going to Angola and Yemen. Since I don't have children, I couldn't give you good advice on kid-related issues. A few months before the move, try to find out from friends/employees in the destination country: What is and isn't available, and what they recommend bringing. If the plugs/voltages mean that you can't bring your electronics (different voltages) or if you need to buy plug adaptors (just different plugs). If the voltages are different from your base country, I wouldn't advise getting voltage adaptors because apparently these "die" after a period of use and you may still risk damaging your equipment. If there are daily/regular power cuts, in which case it is recommended that you get a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for your computer equipment and high-end electronics (TV, stereo system, e...

Yes. We are leaving Yemen in November. I think my friends and family are more excited than me. To be honest, I'm dreading the hassle of leaving one country and getting settled into a new place - even if that place is Paris. I don't feel excited yet (although last month I got a wee bit excited after buying a winter hat), but I'm sure when the packers come and go, I'll start to feel like we're on the move again and starting a new adventure. I will miss Sanaa for the following small pleasures: 1. Frizz-free hair always 2. No housework to do 3. Good TV channels (bless you, OSN Network!) 4. Having someone else pick up laundry, run errands 5. Good enough internet that I can listen to Virgin Radio Dubai or RedFM 6. Great weather 7. Being able to eat everywhere This weekend I will go through the house and decide what to chuck out/give away/pack. And clear out (i.e. eating up) the old food in the cupboards.

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...