august 2007
sana'a when it's not raining. see video here.
nearby: watch a video coffee making in yemen. in fact, mokha is a city in yemen, and is a parent of the world coffee trade.
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ali explains modern shi'a history to the kids.
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did you know there is another ka'aba in the middle of the great mosque is sana'a? you can read a story about this in the section on yemeni history in almas'audi's "muruj aldhaheb" [meadows of gold]. apparently it was built before the prophet's time, meant to overtake mecca's ka'aba, and consequently reorient the annual hajj to sana'a in yemen. despite its ultimate failure, it still sits as a monument in the center of great mosque in sana'a.
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Dear Customer/s: Beijing Cuisine would like to inform you that: Due the recent Price Hike occurred national wide, and all the prices has been rocket-like-higher than before. We have to take some measures for the increase of costs. However, an Only 10% Extra will have to be added on the bill/s to the present Menu Prices. Beijing Cuisine with the utmost appreciation for your understanding. We Remain Beijing Cuisine Management 2005-Jul-25
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see nate and I race 4 wheelers mariokart style in tahreer square.
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global capitalism at its most grotesque.
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in the american section of bootleg dvds next to the jean-claude van damme movies sits sarah silverman's 'jesus is magic.'
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"we will never surrender -- victory or death."
saddam's popularity in yemen is a little strange at first, considering how much rhetoric goes into promoting democracy, human rights, freedom of religion, cooperation with "the war on terror" -- not to mention that the ruling party is islamist (saddam's ba'ath party, in contrast, is secular).
still, saddam is a symbol of arab unity - and a symbol of an arab leader who stood up to america, and its "zionist" agenda to the last.
what's not mentioned enough is that saddam is given credit in yemen for suppressing the iraqi shi'a (and attacking iran -- considered ashi'a state) -- many yemenis (including educated ones) broadcast blatant prejudices against twelver shi'a and iranians. i'd go as far as to say that this prejudice is even more explicit than anti-semetism in yemen at present.
also, president saleh (of yemen) was close friends with saddam - even modelled his guard after the iraqi republic guard. moreover, yemen was a lone defender of iraq during the first gulf war, at great political and economic cost.
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left: pres. saleh. right: playstation2 "god of war."
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"we are not the best - we are different."
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can you see where it says "no god except allah," and "allahu akbar"?
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fun city amusement park in sana'a.
just because you wear a naqab to cover your face doesn't mean you can't have fun on a spinny ride. see my video here.
bowling at funcity with daggers. see my video here.
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