Lately I've been expressing my frustrations with certain aspects of Yemeni society so I feel it appropriate to list some of the random kindhearted acts I have experienced here as well. As I've said before, the magnitude of Arab hospitality is overwhelming at times, but Yemenis take it to a whole new level. Here are just a few stories worth mentioning:
When I was looking for the Yemen Today Office for my first writers meeting way back in October, I got lost in the maze that is Sana'a. I asked a street vendor if he knew where the place was and he literally left his store and walked with me for a good half a mile through various streets to show me the exact location.
There are always lots of children playing in the streets where I live and usually I have fun with them for a few minutes as I pass by jumping in on a game of soccer or something of the like. Every time I walk down the streets you can hear the kids yelling "Danya!" in order to get my attention. Not sure why, but Yemenis seem to have a difficult time pronouncing "Dani." A few weeks ago I was walking with a friend in our neighborhood and a truck coming around the corner almost hit me. The neighborhood kids saw this unravel and almost as soon as the car put on its brakes there were about 20 Yemeni children hitting the sides of the vehicle and yelling at the driver for his mistake.
I frequently get fresh juice (orange and lemon, yum) from a vendor near my apartment and every time I go I like to get a water bottle filled so I have some for the morning. Each time, the people running the shop always give me an extra glass to drink while I'm there, free of charge.
When I was taking a taxi to work a while back, the driver started a conversation with me in Arabic. When we arrived at my destination he refused to let me pay because he was happy to have a foreigner speaking Arabic and learning about his culture.
I like to eat at a restaurant near by run by a man named Akhmed. Every time I go, he gives me at least two free dishes. I want to thank him for his generosity, but other than verbally thanking him there's really nothing that I can do. One day when he gave me a free dessert that was a new dish, I asked him questions about it (the name of it, etc.) to try to let him know that I enjoyed and appreciated it. Before he answered he had already brought two more trays of the same dish and was wrapping it up so I could take it to go.
These types of experiences tend to be the norm in Yemen and while often times they require the simplest of actions, they make a world of difference.
When I was looking for the Yemen Today Office for my first writers meeting way back in October, I got lost in the maze that is Sana'a. I asked a street vendor if he knew where the place was and he literally left his store and walked with me for a good half a mile through various streets to show me the exact location.
There are always lots of children playing in the streets where I live and usually I have fun with them for a few minutes as I pass by jumping in on a game of soccer or something of the like. Every time I walk down the streets you can hear the kids yelling "Danya!" in order to get my attention. Not sure why, but Yemenis seem to have a difficult time pronouncing "Dani." A few weeks ago I was walking with a friend in our neighborhood and a truck coming around the corner almost hit me. The neighborhood kids saw this unravel and almost as soon as the car put on its brakes there were about 20 Yemeni children hitting the sides of the vehicle and yelling at the driver for his mistake.
I frequently get fresh juice (orange and lemon, yum) from a vendor near my apartment and every time I go I like to get a water bottle filled so I have some for the morning. Each time, the people running the shop always give me an extra glass to drink while I'm there, free of charge.
When I was taking a taxi to work a while back, the driver started a conversation with me in Arabic. When we arrived at my destination he refused to let me pay because he was happy to have a foreigner speaking Arabic and learning about his culture.
I like to eat at a restaurant near by run by a man named Akhmed. Every time I go, he gives me at least two free dishes. I want to thank him for his generosity, but other than verbally thanking him there's really nothing that I can do. One day when he gave me a free dessert that was a new dish, I asked him questions about it (the name of it, etc.) to try to let him know that I enjoyed and appreciated it. Before he answered he had already brought two more trays of the same dish and was wrapping it up so I could take it to go.
These types of experiences tend to be the norm in Yemen and while often times they require the simplest of actions, they make a world of difference.
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