Day 13 (Cont'd): Tarimi Culture

Other random things I've learnt about Tarimi/ Yemeni culture so far:

• The preferred method of transportation is by motorcycle.
• Yemeni nasheeds are beautiful.
• Men wear wrap around skirts that kind of look like sarongs only they're not rucked up at one side of course. Many also wear kohl (eyeliner). Many also walk around barefoot on the rocky streets.
• There are women who work in the fields in full niqab. They wear tall 'witch' hats or sombrero looking ones made out of straw to protect themselves from the sun, and often herd goats.
• Almost everyone sits on the floor here—in class, to eat, to talk, and even to sleep.
• At home, women wear extremely colorful house dresses which resemble jalabeyas. I bought and wore my first one a couple of days ago.
• Yemeni honey makes any bread taste like feteer meshaltet.
• When they pray, women wear a kamees, which ties around their head (it's usually colorful). They then put the sewak in the tie around their head. And most then wear a hijab over the kamees. There's also a loop at the wrist to place over the thumb so the sleeves don't fall back to show your forearms.
• People here do have fun—I saw a football field today and men in football uniforms.
• The fateha is a way of life here. After everything and anything they do, everyone must recite the fateha (the first sura of the Qur'an).