Lessons Learnt

So this weekend has been about watching Grey's Anatomy, its been 3 days now, all I have been doing (other then trying to figure out my washing machine and harrassing my friends in Amman) is watching, crying at the end of each episode, downloading songs from the show and learning lessons. So here I am sharing the lessons (they aren't very profound but for me they have been mind blowing)

1. What would you do if this was your last day on earth? So that was a question from one of the episodes, and after thinking about it for a few hours I decided that if this was my last day (which I agree is very short notice) I would spend it in two shifts, first half would be with my family, not just my parents, but all of them, I would have them fly in from Saudi and cross the bridge from Palestine. We would spend the half day talking, eating and playing games (yes games). The second part would be the friends, and I mean ALL my friends, well not all, only the ones I like :) We would spend it on a dinner table (similar to the one my friend FAH did for my last night in Amman) we would drink, eat and just laugh the night away till it was midnight and like Princess Fiona from Shrek I would turn into a Ogre (didn't want to say die)! Lesson learnt, Carpe Diem because you never know when it will be the day before the last.
2. Flight or Fight: No one knows how they will react in those situations where there is danger. I have been in such situations-being mugged in London, Jeep overturning on the way down a mountain in Tanzania-and in both those situations my instinct was to fight. I didn't run away, I didn't succumb to tears (as some did in those situations), I remained calm...well at least until I was safe again. So the lesson learnt was that I am good on this front...Ha
3. The theme song from Grey's Anatomy Nobody knows where they might end up. I have been listening to it for around 37 episodes (watching the finale of season 2). After so many times one memorises it and starts actually listening to the words. I used to hear the song in Amman (watching G'sA) but it never really touched me, but in Yemen it has, because a year ago I would never EVER has thought that I would be here. The lesson learnt, don't make too many plans, don't try to plan your life to much, because with one email, one phone call from Bonn it can take a drastic and profound direction.
4. Being alone-my own interaction this weekend was with the plumber who came to sort out the water situation in my home-and in G'sA they deal with this issue a lot as they are surgeons and apparently they don't have much of a social life. Its ok to be alone, not lonely, but alone. Lesson learnt its better to sit on one's own then to sit with people that you don't feel comfortable with or that you don't enjoy their company. I miss human interaction-don't get me wrong am a social animal-but its been enlightening.
5. Falling in love-as with most series Love is the main premiss of G'sA. Loving and being loved back, loving and not being loved back, being loved but not loving them...I've been in most of these scenarios (mostly the loving but not being loved back) and its been fun if not that little bit painful. Lesson learnt-it a very cliche lesson-its better loved and lost then to never have loved. 
6. Watching a medical drama, where people are dying in every episode, the most important lesson learnt is that you need to tell your loved ones that you love them all the time, because you never know when you might be able to do it anymore.

I know these aren't very profound, and that most of you have figured all of this on your own, but this was fun for me to think about and write.

FAM, YAK, AK, AH, KAH, TK, AK, SG, all the AMs and AKs, LR, AT, ZT, JB, AA, FAH, SP, DS, RC, TER, RB, MS, NA, AK, ZK, YN, RA, GB, KAS, DAM.

I miss and love you all very much :)


Good Night and Good Luck

Sana'a Home

My home in Sana'a...as requested!

Where I wash my dishes and cloths

My Living room

The Main Toilet (I have 2)

View from Living Room 

View from Bedroom

Kitchen

Bedroom

Artiste View from Living Room

LOLing

I have finally settled into my new home, unpacked all my suitcases and bought most of the things I need, these include DVD player, coffee machine and so forth. Its odd how what we consider thing we need has changed with time. I think most people would consider these things are kamaliyat (not sure what the English word is for that).

Anyway, I spend most of my day at work, reading, talking, and getting my work life sorted. And then I head home, usually stopping at the supermarket Al Hudda (the Cozmo of Sana'a). I come home and I "cook"-more like I heat pasta with some sauce, or I get some of the frozen food out of the freezer. But I decided that this will end this week, I have been following a blog for a friend of mine, The Hungry Hen. Her recipes look amazing and seem easy enough, so from next week I will be working through her blog, making one after the other. (not sure how that will go, as I am not a big fan of cooking...but Sana'a is all about trying new things)

After that I sit in front of the tv, and this is where the strange thing is happening. I am starting to enjoy my own company-I know I should have learnt that long ago as an only child but I think being in Amman among my friends made me forget it. I watch a bit of TV, I listen to the news, and then I put on one of the many DVDs i bought with me. Recently is been about 30 Rock and Family Guy. But last night I started talking to myself, telling myself what I need to do tomorrow, what I still need to buy for the house, or simply telling myself jokes that I actually crack up too. Seriously, I am LOLing all over the flat at my own jokes, and I'm loving it...its been a long time since I have had this much fun spending time with myself.

So Sana'a is about starting a new career, and it seems it about me rediscovering myself. Very enjoyable, and just that little bit scary.

Tomorrow I will write about some initial observations I have made about this place in the past 10 days I have been here.

Something for you to look forward to

Till then...

Good Night and Good Luck

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