Yemen... utterly reccomended
It's just stunning here. After one year in Africa I'm totally awe inspired by the beauty and magnificence of human accomplishments. To sound like a Victorian arrogant wanker, it's just so civilized here. People don't piss on the streets, and they don't chuck rubbish everywhere. The buildings are old and well kept and well thought out.
On the aeroplane coming here there were a whole pile of Ethiopian and Yemeni women who got on. One of them had typical dress for a young woman: tight jeans and t-shirt. Her hair was bleached and cut in a funky short style. When I got off the plane the women had all been replaced by a combination of large black triangles and large black triangles with faces. One of the robed women was having difficulty getting her headscarf to sit right, it kept sliding off to reveal the funky bleached hair of the girl who only an hour before looked like she was ready for clubbing. What a change.
That was the last time I saw a woman. I have seen a lot of eyes, but not much else.
Just because the women are covered, doesn't mean that fashion is cast aside, oh no. It's just very subtle.
This season for the urban Yemeni woman, black is the new black. the look is all about flowing layers of chiffon. The silhouette is soft and triangular with emphasis on the eyes. We are seeing a plunge of several millimetres on the bridge of the nose, but eyebrows are definitely hidden. The modern women shows her feminine side with a sexy array of fringing options: sequins, crystals, and glittering embroidery are all making an appearance on hems and cuffs, in black of course.
Looking in some of the shops, I get the feeling what the women are wearing under their robes would make Britteny Spears blush.
For men the fashion world is yours: shops of men's fashions line the main streets, the possibilities of style, cut and colour are endless, the only problem is deciding what to wear. This season's look is one of muted neutral tones. The robe in traditional pale whites and creams, dressed up with a smart jacket in tweed and of course an embroidered belt with a huge knife is a must for all Yemeni men (and boys). The perfect accessory is a cotton scarf worn around the head or shoulders for those chilly 35 degree days.
Fashion doesn't stop with people. The look for land cruisers is hand spray-painted camoflage. (camoflage for men is sooo Osama Bin 2002) and for motorbikes a thick sheepskin is a must and remember it's all about the size of the radio that you tape to the handle bars, not about the quality of music.
I have just got an email from the embassy in Australia, my visa has been process, and they have posted it back to me. I should have it in a few of days. Then I'll return to Ethiopia.
My skin has aged about 100 years since I left the UK. and over the past couple of months it's been subjected to myriad infestations of fleas, lice, mites, bedbugs and mosquitoes. In the week that I have been off the continent I have been treating myself to hot showers, clean sheets and insect/mite free accommodation. Now finally I have no more bites. I bet they'll all be back with avengence when I return.
I love Yemen. The people are wonderful, the atmosphere is fantastic, even in the fasting month. It is one of those countries I can see myself coming back to again and again.
I have bought myself a pink plastic mosque alarm clock, that sounds out the call to prayer. I also hope to buy a shisha pipe too. 
On the aeroplane coming here there were a whole pile of Ethiopian and Yemeni women who got on. One of them had typical dress for a young woman: tight jeans and t-shirt. Her hair was bleached and cut in a funky short style. When I got off the plane the women had all been replaced by a combination of large black triangles and large black triangles with faces. One of the robed women was having difficulty getting her headscarf to sit right, it kept sliding off to reveal the funky bleached hair of the girl who only an hour before looked like she was ready for clubbing. What a change.
That was the last time I saw a woman. I have seen a lot of eyes, but not much else.
Just because the women are covered, doesn't mean that fashion is cast aside, oh no. It's just very subtle.
This season for the urban Yemeni woman, black is the new black. the look is all about flowing layers of chiffon. The silhouette is soft and triangular with emphasis on the eyes. We are seeing a plunge of several millimetres on the bridge of the nose, but eyebrows are definitely hidden. The modern women shows her feminine side with a sexy array of fringing options: sequins, crystals, and glittering embroidery are all making an appearance on hems and cuffs, in black of course.
Looking in some of the shops, I get the feeling what the women are wearing under their robes would make Britteny Spears blush.
For men the fashion world is yours: shops of men's fashions line the main streets, the possibilities of style, cut and colour are endless, the only problem is deciding what to wear. This season's look is one of muted neutral tones. The robe in traditional pale whites and creams, dressed up with a smart jacket in tweed and of course an embroidered belt with a huge knife is a must for all Yemeni men (and boys). The perfect accessory is a cotton scarf worn around the head or shoulders for those chilly 35 degree days.
Fashion doesn't stop with people. The look for land cruisers is hand spray-painted camoflage. (camoflage for men is sooo Osama Bin 2002) and for motorbikes a thick sheepskin is a must and remember it's all about the size of the radio that you tape to the handle bars, not about the quality of music.
I have just got an email from the embassy in Australia, my visa has been process, and they have posted it back to me. I should have it in a few of days. Then I'll return to Ethiopia.
My skin has aged about 100 years since I left the UK. and over the past couple of months it's been subjected to myriad infestations of fleas, lice, mites, bedbugs and mosquitoes. In the week that I have been off the continent I have been treating myself to hot showers, clean sheets and insect/mite free accommodation. Now finally I have no more bites. I bet they'll all be back with avengence when I return.
I love Yemen. The people are wonderful, the atmosphere is fantastic, even in the fasting month. It is one of those countries I can see myself coming back to again and again.
I have bought myself a pink plastic mosque alarm clock, that sounds out the call to prayer. I also hope to buy a shisha pipe too.
posted by Rachel | 7:01 pm
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