July 7th, a busy day in Yemen/Womens Wedding in Sana'a

Well, to begin, this is a photo of my bathroom I forgot to include in the last post. The best thing about Yemini bathrooms is the shower, that really just consists of the whole bathroom. And when you are done showering you just squeegee the water into the drain. Amazing! Efficient! I dig it!
This is a photo from the roof of my place. The dust was heavy today and it was around dusk, so there will most definitely be better pictures, but for now this will give you an idea of how amazing it is to wake up in the morning, make yourself a cup a shai (tea) and sit on the roof to watch the sun rise over the mountains right after the pre-dawn call to prayer.

This kind of gives you an idea of how most Yemini men dress, thobe (long white robe), kufi (hat), and scarf. Often they are also wearing a beautifully embroidered belt with a curved dagger and case tucked in the front called a jambiya and maybe a coat of some sort.
This is a funny truck parked outside of an electronics store I went to buy an alarm clock at, but what I would really like to draw your attention to is the man standing on the round covered platform in the distance on the right side of the photo. This is the traffic cop who controls the intersection. There is one of these guards at each major intersection to direct all of the cars/cabs/bicycles/motorcycles/scooters on the street. Other than this (what seems like a feeble attempt to organize traffic) the roads are absolutely nuts. No stripes, no speed limits posted, and drivers use their horns a couple of times a block instead of blinkers and also to warn pedestrians (who are somehow not terrified to walk in the road as well).
Anyhow, on to the good stuff! The day these photos were taken was July 7th, 2009. Which happens to be Unity Factory Day which is a national holiday here where traditionally workers celebrate by turning their factories into places of rest and recreation instead of work for a day. This day also brought many people out to Tahrir square in protest. While all around Yemen people were doing the same (representing multiple causes--including issues of workers rights, problems with water shortages, oil depletion, education, general dislike of government policy and handling, but mostly north versus south politics--as Yemen existed as North and South Yemen before 1990). To put it into perspective read the below clip from a blog on Yemen news I read often, it was pretty peaceful in Sana'a, but elsewhere in Yemen it was a different story: http://islamandinsurgencyinyemen.blogspot.com/2009/07/al-sahwa-has-piece-from-al-mukalla.html

"I don't think it is as simple as saying the people in the North support the government and the people in the south support the southern movement, which is essentially what this paragraph says. I think there is a danger in seeing this as essentially a two-sided conflict, which is convenient and neat but bears little resemblance to reality. There are many sides and the motivations of the people in the street and the groups ostensibly leading them are incredibly diverse, which is why the Southern Movement can include people like YSP leaders and Tariq al-Fadhli.

The civil war in 1994 is often described as north versus south, but like so much else in Yemen this confuses geography with analysis. There were a number of southerners that didn't support the secession, even though they were in the YSP - and numerous others that weren't in the party. And now, 15 years later, there are numerous northerners that are just as frustrated with the government as are people in the south. The difference is that their frustrations and grievances can't be directed into historically valid channels. "

But, here is what I personally witnessed--on accident.

It was heartening to see the people of Yemen participating in peaceful protest, to see that they are active and paying attention.

Also on this day a public execution was held--I know is sounds intense, but please do not worry. I stayed far away from that end of town at that time. You can read more on the trial and sentencing here and elsewhere on the web: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090706/API/907061086

On a much lighter note, we had a "womens party" this day also, where all of us ladies drank tea and juice, and had henna done. No boys allowed! Sometimes I wish every day was a Womens Party.
And finally, this is Shumaila Hari, the craziest grocery store on the planet if you couldn't tell by the trillion miniature Yemeni flags and banners! They have everything here, everything except tofu (which apparently you can find at the Russian Grocery store!).
And, now, about the wedding. One of the female professors at the university here was married tonight and a few of us girls went dress shopping (oh, the dresses!!) and then threw our baltus and hijabs on and had Aiman and Reem bring us over to the party. The wedding parties here are held separately, men and women, and when you walk in they hand you a bag with a water bottle and soda and tissues. Then you go and sit among the women after changing into your "party clothes." So, essentially, I spent my evening in a room full of nearly 100 beautiful Yemeni women in the most outrageous dresses (from lacy, beaded, long prom-like gowns to short dresses with sections removed from the belly area and sequined!), makeup, and dance-moves grooving to Tamer Hosni. It was a blast!

Random fact: people in Yemen love Akon.

It is now 3:00 am and the street wedding that is taking place in the alley right outside of my bedroom window just won't end, I may never get to sleep because the Yemenis know how to party...