An update

Today my spirits are not very high, I blame it on a friend (AA) who sent me a nice email-just kidding, which made me realise that I still miss my friends back in Amman and my life there. (especially the red wine)

So I have moved into the flat, and I am slowly working on making it a place semi homish. But Its still quite lonely here, I haven't really been working my charm on people in the office, but I guess that takes time.

I spend all day at the office (still doing mostly admin stuff) and then I stop at supermarket on way home to spend money and then home, where I sit in front of the tv watching it till I fall asleep. I hope that things will get better, but considering that I will be away for over 2 weeks so soon after arriving means that I will have to work double hard on being social when I get back.

Exploring Sana'a, hasn't really happened as much as I would have liked it, I haven't been to the old city yet, but that is because I have been so busy trying to sort out the flat issue. I hope this weekend I will venture to the old city. So might wait for when my parents come in Eid. We shall see how much effort it requires.

I experienced my first UNDP general staff meeting yesterday, and it was interesting. But I am realising that I don't want to know to much about the security situation here in Yemen. It just makes me scared and thinking that I might have to pack one suitcase makes me hate the fact that I bought three with me! Imagine all the stuff I will have to leave behind...makes me shudder.

I should have internet set up at apartment today, which means I will be able to keep you all better updated.

Good Day and Good Luck

Finally Settling

After 4 days of driving around Sana'a seeing every kind of apartment, I have finally found a flat. It was a fluke, I was going to settle on these really expensive flat as it seemed to be my own option, I walked into the office to be informed that there was a new building right next to my hotel...so MAS and I went to check it out.

It turned out to be a hotel that had been turned into apartments, I will the first to move into it, so everything is brand new...it is a one bedroom (which is a shame as I wanted my friends to be able to stay with me mais C'est la vie). Since it was supposed to be a hotel, I have a closet and safe in each room...kind of funny. It is on the 4th floor with no lift!!!!!! I know SHOCK HORROR...but am looking at it as a way of losing weight.

After calling the landlord today and confirming that I want the flat, I instantly felt better, finally settling in and sorting my life out in Sana'a.

I have been googleing, grocery lists for people just moving in and I found some good ones (in case any of you are in the same situation):

http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/09/04/printable-first-apartment-essentials-checklist/

http://movingtoanapartment.com/first-apartment/grocery-shopping-101-top-25-kitchen-essentials.htm

http://www.mygrocerychecklist.com/

I am moving in this Friday, and hopefully this will be the beginning of a prosperous and wondrous time for me in Sana'a. I will put pictures once I have moved in.

Good Day and Good Luck

A small part of Amman in Sana'a

Hashim Restaurant in Yemen

Yemen on the outside Bahrain on the inside

I am currently looking for accommodation for my time in Yemen. I have been staying at a hotel right now, and will be staying there till I find something. However, this isn't helping me in getting used to living in Sana'a or making me feel at home. While I stay at the hotel I feel still in a transitional stage, but I don't want to move into something that isn't nice, as I just want to move in once and stay for the 2 years there.

So last night I went around, and saw the good, the bad and the ugly of apartments on offer in Sana'a. I liked a few and detested most, but there are two options right now. The decision that needs to be made now is do I want something modernish or do I want something yemenish????

The first apartment I saw was a cute one bedroom, however it was living in the same building as the landlord with his daughter and her kids as my neighbours and him downstairs, in addition I want another bedroom for when my family and friends come v

isit. He wanted to rent it for around 650 USD and this isn't inclusive of bills.

Second, we went to a very new building, off Amman Street (which I think made me like it more), and this apartment was very modern, open space-which I really like, not a big fan of to many doors indoors-the furniture is new, the kitchen is new, and its a 3 bedroom flat...which is a bit big but the way its laid out makes it seem not so small.

Third I went to a flat that is quite simple, in a good area of Sana'a, Hadda Street, its a lovely old Yemeni style house, with the windows and the lovely dark brown brick. The inside isn't too bad, furniture is a bit oldish, but apparently I can negotiate with the landlord to bring me something newer, the kitchen is big and had good finishing, the bathroom is a bit too small...and it pretty much is around the same price as the Amman Street apartment. However it has the windows...J'adore the windows!!!!

Today I am heading to view a few more apartments, and I want to see the two mentioned above during the day time (I think the clincher will be if the sunlight comes through the coloured glass windows, as the wall around the building is quite high...if it shines into the house...sigh...j'adore). I have decided to give myself as much time as I need, no need to rush, I wanna fall in love with the apartment that I will be spending the next two years in, or at least I wanna see the potential of me falling in love with it.

Good Day and Good Luck

The Second First

So it went well...I know you were all wondering.

I met the people I will be working with for the next two years, and they all seem quite nice. My colleague MAS is great and I have a feeling I will be learning so much from him. I panicked a few times today reading through the handover notes, and other such papers. Can I really do this? It seems like such a huge responsibility and I am not sure I can do it...but there is only one way to know which is to actually do it.



I spent most of the first day at work signing papers, I have mastered my signature and I have memorised my passport number! I was always told that the UN has a lot of paperwork but seriously I didn't realise it would be so much. Signing ID requests, and writing the name of the person who will get my benefits if I was to die (knock on wood)...I got my fingerprint taken by a machine so I can check in and out of the office. So to summarise I spent it doing admin work...but that was fine as my office is absolutely LOVELY...with the lovely Yemeni windows...so romantic!

I also made a friend...so far I have gotten 3 text messages from her after work...and then I was added to the film club email and the book club email and I can't wait to go to the first session tomorrow where we will be watching Záhrada (Slovakia 1995) aka The Garden by Martin Sulík.

So it went well...I had panic attacks but I was able to smile and chat to people. I seem to have gotten one bad habit from a friend (KAH) which is I have started to ask extremely private questions. I have never pushed someone i didn't know into a corner where they had to answer "well...its quite private..." I was horrified!!! But waev...I found Irish Cream at the supermarket and it put a HUGE smile on my face!!!


Good Night and Good Luck

Nervous

Tomorrow I walk into my new office for the first time at UNDP Yemen. I have been thinking about my first days at all my other jobs, and I must say I have never EVER been this nervous. My last two jobs were in Amman and being in my city, surrounded with family and friends made the first day not easy but easier. The job in Bahrain was different as in I was in a foreign country and didn't know anymore, however I didn't care as much about that job...but this one...its my dream job finally entering the United Nations!

This time, I know absolutely NOONE!!!! How will I react? How will they view me? More importantly what should I wear?!?!?! (just kidding) Fingers crossed all will go well, and I shall let you all know how it felt.

As for today, my second day in Sana'a I spent it in bed watching tv and then taking a drive around, where I found a shimmer of hope, as now I know where I shall be eating at least 2 times a week :)






Good Night and Good Luck

Farewell Amman

Leaving Amman was a bittersweet...I didn't realise that I was going to be leaving my family and friends behind until I stood at the door of my house hugging my mother and father. I felt my heart break and realised that I was leaving them behind, that I was leaving the comfort of my home, my friends who I have become so attached to and to my lovely parents who I took for granted until I had to say bye.

I arrived in Queen Alia airport, with my 3 suitcases and my 50 KG excess baggage (won't go into how much I had to pay for that) and my depression hit rock bottom, if my friend LR who was driving hadn't already driven off I would have gotten back onto her car and gone back home. I had my last Mocha Frappi and ciggie before heading to the gate. Things started to look up when I was informed that since they had overbooked the flight, I was being upgraded.

I keep looking around at the people on the plane, seeing what they were wearing, what they were doing... eavesdropping on conversations that I shouldn't be listening to, trying to make myself more accustomed to the Yemeni accent, to their gestures and to the way women acted.

My mom had sent me an email that listed cities that were friendly to women, Sana'a wasn't one of them...as I am sure you all guessed...what will that mean for me????

We shall discover that together....

Introduction: Sana'a and Lulwa

So today was my first day in Sana'a. I slept most of the day as I arrived quite late last night from Amman.

Arriving in Sana'a was an experience in itself, my bags were the last to come off the plane, and the amount of people who jumped over my things or literally moved me to the side as I waited was entertaining if not that little bit annoying. I had a UN driver waiting for me, and I got to my hotel and checked in.

Today, friend's of my parents picked me up for lunch, and my introduction to Sana'a and Yemeni food began.

One of the bad habits my father gave me is that I am quite a picky eater, and sitting at the 'restaurant' with these great people I realised that this was going to be the first habit I will have to abandon. They eat with their hands-even the salad-and its such a mess. I don't mean to sound like a spoilt child (even thought I think the more you read my blog the more you will come to the conclusion that I am one)...so I folded my shirt and dug in. I had the most amazing meat soup I have ever tasted (I ended up order 3 cups of it) the rice was yummlious the meat to tender. The desert just made it all that much better, with some bananas and honey to dip them in. The tea that came after was just syrup in a cup and I J'adored it :D

I then got introduced to a qat session...I was taught how to pick the right leaves, how to chew it and even better how to drink pepsi without swallowing any of it. I didn't chew for that long, as I didn't want to act out in front of my parents friends (not knowing how the qat will effect me). I was informed that if I was to survive for two years in Yemen I will have to get used to chewing and enjoying chewing.

So for a first day, I would say that I still missed my home, and sitting with a close friend of my mother's made me realise even more how much I really miss her and my dad. I kept looking around to share a joke with this friend or that...but I am sure I will get over that.

As for Sana'a, I haven't fallen in love with it yet, but I haven't walked in the old city yet, and I haven't found my flat yet, and I haven't started work yet, so to monitor & evaluate my first day I would say it was scary but successful.