The good and the bad

I guess I have been here long enough to start making observations. So here is a list of good and bad things about life in Yemen.

Good:
1. The weather is wonderful. Cool every day. I wish I could send it to Kuwait. Then I would never leave.
2. The juice. The fruit juice scene is here in a big way. Everywhere you go you can have a wonderful glass of something.
3. The architecture is to die for. The old city of Sana'a is a UNESCO protected area and is a site for sore eyes.
4. Cheap internet. Since there is really nothing else to do except eat beans and chicken, you might as well search online. Two hours will set you back a buck.

Bad:
1. Every man is high on qat. For three to five hourse everyday, it seems like every man in Sana'a is slumped against a wall with a big wad of qat in his mouth. This average joe spends anywhere up to half of his daily salary on his chew.
2. Where in the hell are the women? When you see them they are covered. Mostly they are hidden away behind walls.
3. Aren't there any condoms in this country? There is a plague in Yemen worse than any biblical locust plague. I am talking about the children. For fuck sake, strap on a rubber or get yourself fixed Mister. Of course wearing a condom would cause the average joe a loss in sexual pleasure. But it couldn't be any worse than cutting off your daughter's clitoris.
4. The food. You want to eat beans or chicken? Those are pretty much your only choices here. The bread that comes with it is good though.
5. The pollution (noise and trash). Yemenis seem to share the love of pollution with the rest of the Arab world. What great fun it is to drop your trash wherever. And if you want to yell at your buddy in the middle of the night feel free. Who cares if you wake up half of the neighborhood.