Fun and Love at the Park

Last night I was invited to the Park by my Arabic teacher, Jamila (means beautiful).  It was a very unique and very Yemenese experience.

 

"That's great Kim,", you interrupt, "but why don't you show pictures?"  Well, two reasons.  The first is that I forgot my camera.  The second is that I would not have been allowed to take picture even had a brought a camera.  I wished out loud that I wish I had a camera, and Jamilia turned to me and asked "Why?"  She said it in the same way she might have if I wished that I had brought my cell phone while on an airplane.  It was the same "duh" response.  Turns out that it is not allowed to take shots in that setting.

 

Which is a big shame because it really was a site to see.  There were at least a thousand woman there identically dressed in their black baltos.  Most of the women did not cover their faces and so it was a real party and the only men around were the ones running the rides.

 

The rides were a disaster waiting to happen.  Among other things that were probably put together-- and being run-- by men chewing and high on Qat, the local stimulant drug that all men chew.  There were two rides that everyone but me went on, the first was something where you sit in a car and go around in a circle and the second was one where you sat in a swing and went around in a circle.  When the ride stopped, the woman would run up the the "safest" possible moment to grab their vehicle/chair, sometimes jumping on while it was still moving and pulling the former occupant off.  Then everyone would fight over the ride and finally the guy running would get bored and start the ride and everyone would run away to avoid getting kicked in the head.  A good time.

 

I had to leave a bit early to work on lesson plans, and outside the main gate there was a crowd of about 200 men looking worried and waiting for their wives to come out.  THAT would have been worth capturing on film!!