MONITORING THE GREAT ELECTION

One of my best days in Yemen so far came on February 21st, the day of the much anticipated election for the Yemen presidency. My fellow basement dweller Carolyn and I were assigned as monitors to the area south of Sana'a called Sanhan. Sanhan, for those of you who's knowledge of Yemen's politics and geography are even poorer than my own, is where Ali Abdullah Saleh is from. The area is a collection of small towns outside but not far from the southern neighborhoods of Sanaa. As you can see, lots of people (regardless of age or legality) were excited about voting. It's rare you see such excitement over a one person ballot.

A few irregularities aside, the elections went fairly well in our area. It was also a great chance to see some of Yemen's ruggedly impressive scenery and wonderfully friendly people. And we had a gun truck hanging out with us the whole time. So it was a pretty accurate Yemeni experience.

Some more photos (and there are even more to come)

A TRIP TO THE HOUSE OF STONE

We may be holed up in a hotel most of the time, but that doesn't mean we don't get out. A group of us went just outside Sana'a to see the Dar al-Hajar, or Stone House. The home acted as the residence for Imam Yahya, who ruled Yemen as the leader of the Shia' Zaydi sect which is prominent in Northern Yemen. Inside the seven story tall house are wells, stained glass, several kitchens, baths, and lots of aging guns and swords given as gifts to the leader who fought his whole life to unite greater Yemen. The house, and its occupants, all look timeless, like something out of a storybook, but Yahya's reign (and his use of this house) came to a close in the early 1960s, and his family's influence and rule continued on into the 1970s.

The Dar al-Hajar is built upon a stone point on an escarpment, and looks out over a vast and fairly green wadi. We were able to walk through some of the wadi, through fields and orchards, and a bit of town. In the town, someone had decided to use one of the old guard towers to place their house. Why not? The wadi is something impressive to behold, and along the escarpment opposite the Stone House are a series of benches and overlooks that families and the youth frequent. One of our guards said when he got married he came to the overlook where we were and the whole party shot guns off the edge at a nearby hill. I knew Erin's wedding was missing something.

WELCOME TO YEMEN

So I've finally made it to Sana'a . . .

I arrived about 10 days ago, and it's been non-stop so far. In the first week we've had two VIP visits (and many more in the works), three drivers with medical emergencies, several field trips, and, oh, of course, the departure of the president of the country. So it's been interesting so far. My job consists of many small and large projects to keep the embassy running. It's fun, frustrating, and always surprising and different. It's also really busy. I got off the plane and went straight to an official function, and since have just kept going.

So a bit about Yemen these days. Things are calming down as parties get realistic about what they can and cannot have in the new Yemen. But many are optimistic. With a little safety and effort the country would be overrun with tourists, as everything here is 1000 years old and fantastic in every way. The country is pulled straight from the illustrations of 1001 Arabian Nights. The people are unbelievably open and friendly. I've already heard many stories of opposing faction's soldiers stopping fighting in the afternoons to eat and chew qat together . . . everyone's a relative or a friend here.

One other note . . . it's the wild west here in some respects. Like driving. On most roads there are literally no rules. People drive in any lane, direction, speed, or fashion that they please. So a few days ago, when I saw a traffic cop try to direct traffic through an intersection in which everyone went when they saw an opening, I understood his frustrated look. But that's Yemen: no one quite knows how things actually work here, but somehow they do.

UPCOMING DEPARTURE

This will be my last weekend in the United States for a while. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet. If anyone is wondering about how to stay in contact with me, please let me know and I'll give you the rundown.

In the meantime, here's some interesting remarks given by the State Department regarding Tunisia, the country we all forgot about after they started the Arab Spring, and the need to engage parties even when we are a bit afraid of them.

http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/5977.htm

HISTORY WILL LONG REMEMBER THE BATTLE OF ROW 7

I was flying on Virgin America recently and it dawned on me that Richard Branson has made a great airline, but unfortunately can't always screen those who sit next to me. It would be nice if he could, because it would make his (well, 30% his) airline much more enjoyable. Instead, I was forced to battle battle for 5 hours for the privilege of resting my arm. I had the window seat, which I thought would be a naturally defensible position. I was not, however prepared for the multi-prong attack being staged. First was the wheezing. The couple next to me spent the entire flight coughing up anything that would come out. The biological attack was just the warm-up. The high pitched, repetitive, cute talking was the real beginning of the siege. It was like someone talking to a kitten or a puppy (and I feel qualified to speak on how we communicate with adorable pets), only there wasn't a kitten or a puppy in our row. Just two grown men. By iteration five of the overzealous show yawn and "I'm looking forward to this six hour nap" I had to put my book down and take corrective action: "Excuse me, ma'am, when precisely are you planning on beginning this nap?" The nap, of course, was just a cover for an egregious incursion over the armrest that left me with about half a seat and no access to the button to lean my chair back or to the bathroom. I was trapped. I would like to say I had some sort of valorous reconquista of my Alsatian armrest, but in reality, there was not much I could do without upsetting the beast, so I just Chamberlained my way through the flight. Not my finest moment as a human being, but sometimes you have to know when you're beaten.

And just for Richard: Top 10 Plane Fly-bys (not the best, but it's something) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjqJGpxvHRg&feature=related

What I'm listening to right now:
Since I was on an airplane a lot, there will be more than usual:
The Gulag Orkestar and Brandenberg by Beirut, on the Gulag Orkestar
Easy Muffin by Amon Tobin, on Bricolage
Basique by Little People, on Mickey Mouse Project
Chapel Song by We Are Augustines, on Rise Ye Sunken Ships

A DIPLOMATIC RESPONSE TO RICK PERRY

So Rick Perry isn't a fan of the Department of State. I disagree. A spouse of a Foreign Service Specialist wrote this quality response:

http://emailfromtheembassy.blogspot.com/2011/11/ill-bet-ive-met-more-diplomats-than.html

Veteran's Day in DC

This weekend was extended, so I became a tourist in my extended stay city. It's only fitting that I visit the mall and it's memorials. The Korean War Memorial is a fitting reminder of service and sacrifice.

On a completely unrelated and convincingly nerdy note, this blew my mind.