Moments In Words From Hadhramout

A touching story from a Soqotri...

2009-11-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

I have just read this touching story about Soqotra and one of its descendants now living in the UAE. I quote:

The islands are famed for their diversity of plant species, about a third of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The natural resources and strategic location of the Socotra, 80km east of Somalia and 380km south of Yemen, led the archipelago to play a major role in the ambitions of empire builders from as long ago as Alexander the Great.

Born in a cave in Socotra, Abdullah Suleyman al Mehri never dreamt that he would one day raise his eight children in the wealth of the UAE. He worked as a goatherd until 1955 when, at the age of 15, he came to the Gulf as a trader, also working as a builder in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Today, the islands support a population of approximately 50,000, who survive mainly on fishing, goat herding and agriculture. However, there is little evidence of the original inhabitants; those who helped cultivate Arabia’s early wealth were themselves poor and left little behind.

The ninth-century Arabian historian Al Mas’udi recorded that in 330BC Alexander the Great occupied the island to exploit the aloe that grew there, exporting it to Greece, Syria and Egypt, on the advice of his tutor Aristotle.

Proof of the lasting ties with today’s Emirates, however, can be found across the island. For instance, the coastal architecture of Socotra has more in common with the UAE than with the mud high-rises on the coast of mainland Yemen. Houses built from coral stone in the capital of Hadibu are identical to those found in Jazirat al Hamra, the abandoned pre-oil village in RAK.

On an island where some people speak only Socotri, an unwritten South Arabian language that predates Islam, where many still live without electricity and some do not even know religions other than Islam exist, the knowledge of UAE customs and geography is remarkable.

“We are proud. If someone asks us where are you from originally, we will say Socotra. But honestly, we love the UAE more. We were born here but if they ask our origins we don’t deny it.”

For those on the island, the UAE still represents opportunity, trade and family. At night the men gather as they have for hundreds of years, falsetto voices singing timeless songs of loss and longing.

The writer makes a few mistakes: "Men in Socotra will greet each other by touching noses, a custom common to the UAE but unpractised on mainland Yemen." Touching noses while greeting is practiced by people on mainland Yemen, especially by those from Shabwa and Mareb. The writer goes on to say - "...the coastal architecture of Socotra has more in common with the UAE than with the mud high-rises on the coast of mainland Yemen." Houses in Soqotra are very similar to many of the traditional houses on the coast of Hadhramout and Mahra.

People from Soqotra have a similar appearance to those on the coast of Hadhramout and Mahra, and they share many traditions and customs. Millions of years ago, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa were separated from Africa. The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden were formed; and many islands were formed too, the largest of which is Soqotra. Though Soqotra has some of the most unique and endemic of flora, fauna and animals - the island has a close geographical affinity and similarity to southern mainland Yemen.

Qat Dries Out Land and People

2009-11-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Is it worth chewing qat? It depends on who you ask; most people here in Yemen believe, qat is a necessity and a normal part of daily life. Although most people in Hadhramout still frown on the chewing of the narcotic leaves, its use is fast spreading.

Qat is at the center of Yemeni culture. Especially for men. It brings people together and many discussions and decisions are made during the chewing of the leaves. Cultivating qat and the trade of the leaves, keeps many people busy and gives many a source for earning income. Millions depend on it. The chewing of qat too, has made many here who would have opted for much worse intoxicants - avoid them.

In most neighboring, Arab and Muslim countries, qat is banned. In many other parts of the world, it is considered a crime to possess qat. Most religious scholars consider qat's bad sides too many, but very few have declared it haram. Medically, qat has very adverse side effects. No matter how one looks at it - the cost of growing and chewing qat is just too much. And with time, it keeps adding and piling up.

Most families here barely earn enough to feed themselves, and yet most men and some women, being too dependent on the leaves, have to purchase qat and other treats that go with the chewing, such as soft drinks and sweets - at the expense of basic goods and needs for the family; many families too, keep aside the best and largest rooms in their houses for qat sessions. Many better and beneficial social activities like sports and other recreational activities, are put aside due to much time being taken during much of the afternoons and evenings for chewing the plant. It also leads some to take bribes at work and to being corrupt so as to keep up the habit. And the cost to the country's health system is enormous.

Economically, the chewing of the intoxicant leads to fewer work hours and thus less production. This might be disputed by many qat chewers who claim that the chewing of the leaves sharpens their minds, lifts their spirits, gives them more energy and makes them work harder and better. Then there is the enormous amount of money used, nationally, daily, on the leaves: each day, billions are used on the leaves. If only for only one day, all the money for that day which is to be used on qat is collected and spent on social services - several clinics and schools can be built with only that day's money.

And now, across the country there is the other very destructive, very bad side of qat: its cultivation, which take up huge tracts of land, uses a 'vast and growing share of the water'. At a very fast rate. Yemen has always been a country with very little water, but now, the scarcity has become worse; with thousands, in some areas, now reportedly clambering up high mountains to find water. And with the population of Yemen growing fast, now at about 20 million but expected to triple in the next 40 years to 60 million - what lies ahead is terrifying to contemplate.

Across Yemen, the underground water sources that sustain 24 million people are running out, and some areas could be depleted in just a few years. It is a crisis that threatens the very survival of this arid, overpopulated country.....

Climate change is deepening the problem, making seasonal rains less reliable and driving up average temperatures in some areas.....

The chewing of qat is not only a part of Yemeni life; it is widespread in many parts of the Horn of Africa, East Africa and - though banned in all the neighboring Peninsula states - many in these countries illegally chew the plant. In East Africa, qat is mainly cultivated by non-Muslims but mostly chewed by Muslims. And the very adverse consequences of chewing qat or khat or miraa, is easily noticeable there: go to any urban center in East Africa, most African Muslims are poor; many, are in that stage of abject poverty due to the chewing of the plant which takes a large amount of their earnings, which in turn makes it almost impossible for them to educate their children or uplift their families economically.

Qat's very adverse, destructive effects is not only on families and communities. Its worst consequences is on nations. It rips and destroys. Countries whose populations chew the leaves most, seem to be in the greatest mess. Look at Somalia, Ethiopia and now Yemen. Djibouti and Eritrea are no better off; Northern Kenya is the most underdeveloped and lawless in that country. Will it get even worse for Yemen; this great country of the Queen of Sheba?

"For millenniums, Yemen preserved traditions of careful water use. Farmers depended mostly on rainwater collection and shallow wells. In some areas they built dams, including the great Marib dam in northern Yemen, which lasted for more than 1,000 years until it collapsed in the sixth century A.D...............Yemen has suffered ecological crises before and survived. The collapse of the Marib dam, for instance, led to a famine that pushed vast numbers of people to migrate abroad, and their descendants are now scattered across the Middle East." Will we Yemenis rise; and overcome and survive as before? Only time will tell.

Sites from the Dead Sea, Jordan

2009-10-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Dead Sea, or Bahr-al-Mayyit, is literally dying. Experts say: in another thirty years or so, the Sea of mysteries, legends and miracles - might be no more. Famous and popular for its and its mud's healing and rejuvenating powers, the Sea is undoubtedly the largest natural spa in the World. Facts about the Dead Sea are incredible and phenomenal. Religion, legendary Prophets and the Dead Sea Scrolls aside, the Dead Sea is: 33% salt and 430 meters or so below sea level; over 50 hot mineral springs lying at a depth closest to the Earth's minerals at about 1,500 meters deep, brings the salt to the Sea's surface; and hot and sunny, the Sea creates an incredible atmospheric filter that eliminates much of the burning rays of the heat and the Sun - that you can never get sunburn here but you can only get tanned.

Though I was told that you can drown in the Dead Sea, I believe that would be very hard. It is so heavy with salt that it doesn't allow you to sink. Due to the salt, it is also very difficult to swim in the water. In the Sea, I tried floating on my belly but, as my feet were automatically forced to rise above the water, I found that very hard. But floating on my back was very easy. You can float, without any effort, on your back, for hours. As the water is extremely salty, avoid completely letting it come into your eyes. And should the water enter your eyes, I understand if you close them continuously for about a minute - the very hot pain goes.

The legendary, divine Sea, relies from water - which is fresh - from the River Jordan. But as the River Jordan is dying, so is the Dead Sea. Falling by a meter every year. Proposals of building a canal from the Red Sea to it, would be not what God and nature intended for the Dead Sea; marine water channeled into the Dead Sea is not what the Dead Sea needs. It needs fresh water channeled into it; fresh water from the River Jordan. As the Dead Sea is of great historical symbol and has very holly and divine meanings to all the three religions living by it, it can be saved by all working together in saving it. And UNESCO can really help by adding it to their list of World Heritage Sites. Why haven't they?

An excellent road connects Amman to the Dead Sea. Around the Sea are many fine places: hotels, spas and recreational facilities. While here, we saw many people, including families with children and many elderly people. Not only Jordanians, but from neighboring countries and beyond. The main attraction here is the magical Sea and its mineral, healing water and mud. The black mud from the Sea, too, is said to have soothing, healing effects. While there, I saw many people, especially the elderly, rubbing the black mud on their bodies; you can either buy the mud from a vendor by the Sea side, or look for it in the Sea. I decided to try the mud on my body too. I took some from the Sea and rubbed my whole body, including my chin, forehead and neck, except for near my eyes. Strangely, I stayed in the sun with the mud on my body for almost an hour - but it didn't dry. And maybe it was psychological, but later I really did feel soothed after washing the mud from my body.

The Dead Sea reminds many of us of Abraham, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses, David, Saul, Jesus and has attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. All of whom have luxuriated in the Dead Sea’s rich, black, stimulating mud and floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water's healthy minerals along with the gently diffused rays of the Jordanian sun. And most of all, it does remind us of the great powers of the One and Only: God.

Sites from the River Jordan

2009-10-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

A few kilometers from Amman, about 20 km., is the River Jordan. From Amman, it is downhill and it gets warmer and then hotter - fast, as one nears the River; the result of being at one of the lowest point on Earth - about 350m. - below sea level. At the entrance, below, it is hot; and there are many flies. But like the many tourists I and my wife found there, we were very excited at the site. To preserve the site, the visitors' entrance is some distance from the main attraction; and you have to board a bus from the entrance, disembark after a few minutes and then be escorted through the site by a guide.

The Baptism site of Jesus, which in Arabic is called Al Maghtas, is said to be by the side of this River. It was only after Jordan's peace treaty with Israel in 1994, that excavations began here and much has been uncovered since: caves, churches and more - dating back to thousands of years.

Having spent my childhood, youth and much of my early manhood in one of the most watery and greenest regions on Earth, the River Jordan, to me, was most unimpressive. It looked more like a very small, useless stream. But, this River has so much significance and power - that millions revere it and wars have been fought over it; the river still remains a contentious and at times an explosive issue, for the nations of the area.

The first stop on the tour was Elijah's Hill of churches, caves and baptism pools. According to Christians - here: Jesus is said to have been baptized by John; Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven and it is where the Israelite, lead by Joshua, first crossed to the 'Promised Land', it is where St. Mary the Egyptian lived and it is where many other early holy Christian figures are said to have lived.

In January 2000 more than 40,000 people gathered at this site along with many world church leaders; and shortly after it was officially declared by the Armenian church that this site was the actual location of the baptism of Jesus. The site is now legally run by the National Jordanian Park.

The above plaque reads: 'The chapels built on the eastern side of the river during the Baptism period (5th-6th centuries AD) include three churches built over each other and decorated with colored mosaic and marble flooring. A marble staircase links three churches with "John the Baptist Spring" at this spot where it flows into the River Jordan. A stone footing hosting a marble column with a metal cross on top is though to be the actual baptism site of Jesus Christ according to different historians and travelers. A small chapel and remnants of a stone arch near the river were built over the spot where Jesus Christ supposedly unrobed before entering the water to be baptized by John.'

During this visit, my and my wife's through the site, we didn't know we were the cause of some concern to some of the tourists we were with; and to the Jordanian security personnel. We learnt later that some of the tourists we were with, were nervous. Reason: we were Muslims and my wife was fully covered and veiled. We later were told that, it is very rare for Muslims to visit the Baptism site and it was even most rare for a Muslim veiled woman to do so; a taxi driver on the site who has worked there since guided tours started, later told us that in all his years there, never has a veiled Muslim woman been inside the site. Some of the tourists wrongly thought that we could be terrorists, and maybe we had bombs on our bodies - especially my black, clad wife; on the other hand, the Jordanian security personnel were some how concerned with the unusualness of our being there. Later when I thought of it, I could very much understand their concern.

At the entrance of the site, we had boarded a bus-truck with four long benches at the back; each two benches faced each other. On the bus, we sat facing two elderly American women and next to us were Spanish and Lebanese families with their children. Thinking of it later, the Americans seemed very nervous; but the Spaniards and the Lebanese weren't; the Spaniards even chatted with us. The drive was short and then we got off the bus and were guided by an escort, who was very friendly. On foot through the site, the guide kept describing and explaining the different places. All along, we were very close to the tourists; little did we know, then, that we were causing concern and nervousness to some.

But then: little did the other tourists know about us. To them, we were Arabs, Muslims and as my wife was completely covered - we seemed very conservative; and to some of the tourists, we could be dangerous. I don't blame them at all, nor the Jordanian security officers for thinking so. If only they had known that, though we were conservative Muslims, we had no hatred whatsoever against Christians or any other religion; both I and my wife had many years of our lives in Christian schools. And both I and my wife, have many very close Christian relatives and friends. We understand Christianity and the Christian story of Jesus.

A short distance from the River Jordan, is a newly built church dedicated to John the Baptist. When we reached the church, we found a black robed priest, who looked like an Arab, at the door; who, on seeing me and my robed, veiled wife, I could sense that he was not happy at all.

All the tourists entered the church, but my wife sensing the priest's reaction, decided to remain outside - while I went in. I have been inside churches before and I didn't find it strange inside; like the other tourists, I too - took many pictures of the many murals on the walls and the other ornaments inside the church. All the while, the priest was seated by the door and whenever our eyes would meet - he seemed to glare at me. I believe, priests of whatever religion - being people of God and peace, should be welcoming and friendly to all; irrespective of religion, race, color or nationality.

The River Jordan, seemed to me, very little and contaminated. From the Sea of Galilee, it flows for about 220 km. and since the 1967 Arab-Israeli Six Day War, Israel controls most of the River's water; dams have been built and most of the water is drained for irrigation and other purposes - the result: the River is slowly dying and the magical Dead Sea, further ahead, is shrinking too. Waste is being dumped in to the River mainly from Israeli factories and kibbutzes and what we see here now, is a river of polluted waste-water - treated and untreated. At this point where I took these photos, with the Israeli flag flying on the West Bank and the men on the other side probably being Israelis - the River is barely 5 meters wide, instead of its average 10 meters.

Against the wishes of the International community, Israel continues to control the Palestinian West Bank and to expand settlements there. In a report just released, Amnesty International says Israel denies Palestinians the right to access adequate water by maintaining total control over the shared water resources and pursuing discriminatory policies........... Israel allows the Palestinians access to only a fraction of the shared water resources, which lie mostly in the occupied West Bank, while the unlawful Israeli settlements there receive virtually unlimited supplies.

The occupied West Bank has about 2.3 million Palestinians and about 450,000 Israelis. Israel has appropriated large areas of the water-rich Palestinian land it occupies and barred Palestinians from accessing them. It has also imposed a complex system of permits which the Palestinians must obtain from the Israeli army and other authorities in order to carry out water-related projects in the OPT. Applications for such permits are often rejected or subject to long delays.......In comparison, irrigation sprinklers water the fields in the midday sun in nearby Israeli settlements, where much water is wasted as it evaporates before even reaching the ground. Meanwhile: in Jordan, despite Jordan's severe water scarcity, more than 97% of Jordanians have access to an improved water source and 93% have access to improved sanitation. This is one of the highest rates in the Middle East and North Africa. However, water supply is intermittent and it is common to store water in rooftop tanks. The country seeks to increase cost recovery and efficiency of the water and sanitation sector through a number of new laws, a new tariff system, and a National Water Master Plan.

Sites from the Citadel, Amman

2009-10-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

Settlements at the Citadel extends over thousands of years, through Prophets, emperors and kings. Reportedly fortified 1,800 years BC, the Hill of The Citadel, or Al Qala'a as it is called by locals here, is at the highest point in Amman. The present day ruins, are Byzantine, Roman and Islamic. I understand that there is a tunnel, built by the Romans, that runs underground, down the Hill to the Roman Theater. The Citadel, said to have been constructed by Emperor Marcus Aurelius between 162 and 166 AD, is where the great temple of Hercules was built.

Much of the structure has disappeared - stolen or simply destroyed. As we visited this site, maintenance work was going on. I could notice that much has to be done to make the site easily accessible and at the same time keep the place intact.

The view of the old part of modern day Amman from here is spectacular and extremely breathtaking. From all sides of the hill, one can view Amman down below. Far in the distance, close to the Jordanian flag, is the King's palace.

Dating from the late 6th century AD, the Byzantine Basilica Church is located within the Citadel. It was destroyed along with the rest of the Citadel in an earthquake and was never rebuilt. The nave of the Church contained a few Corinthian columns which were probably recycled from an earlier Roman temple.

The view of Amman, as seen above from here, is panoramic. Even here, in the streets below, where houses are crowded and packed closely together - I was very impressed by the neatness of the streets; the city's municipality does an excellent job. From up here, you get a wonderful view of the awe inspiring Amphitheater which is down very close to present day streets of the old part of modern day Amman.

The tallest columns rise up to 33 feet - there seems to have been a fascination by the Romans with the number 3. Within this site, many people and civilizations have gone through; and traces of Byzantine, Roman and the Muslim Umayyads can be found.

Cities had existed here just as down below and beyond, present day Amman sprawls. Considering the great care, intricacy and the fineness of the structures - their is no doubt that those who occupied this place through time, must have been very cultured and advanced. I couldn't help taking very long to look at the structure above and the many others like it here, and be completely in awe of those who made them.

Imagine moving these very large boulders uphill to this site and then erecting these marvelous columns, walls and putting decorations on them: how much thought, planning, care and time it must have taken to do this. And yet, each of these civilizations who did this, declined and crumbled to give way to others.

Above behind the old columns: the National Archaeological Museum, the only modern building on the site, is one of the museums with some of the most impressive artifacts one can see - dating back to thousands of years. Inside, there are statues, sculptures, old coins, old pottery, mosaics, old jewelery, and most impressive of all and the most remarkable are the Dead Sea Scrolls.

In the Museum on display, is the skeleton of a child which was previously buried in a large vessel. The practice of burying children in jars was widely practiced in many parts of the Middle East in the ancient days; many were buried in tombs or under houses. Many of these children too, were killed and offered as sacrifices.

I understand that some times visitors are not allowed to take pictures in the Museum; I was lucky to have taken several. The problem with taking pictures is that, if one is not careful - while busy taking photos, one can easily miss taking closer looks and seeing reality; and the amazing displays.

I was told that more excavations and studies are being done and are still to be done and that, maybe, much more is still to be discovered here and around than what has already been known about the site and its surroundings.

Few countries offer as many ancient, historical sites as Jordan. Many of which are sacred. The ones I have seen so far, are simply stunning and awe inspiring. I have yet to see Jordan's masterpiece - Petra; and there are many other fascinating sites within the country, including Mount Nebo where, according to the Bible, the Prophet Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land.

Below: one of the most impressive building of the Citadel, known as Al'Qasar by locals - meaning the palace. Built by the Omayyad dynasty in 720 AD, the palace complex housed the governor of Amman and his entourage. The complex included a mosque, an entrance hall, residential and administrative buildings and a water cistern. The mosque was located just outside the complex, and the non-religious section was accessed through the entrance hall where visitors were received. The entrance hall is the best preserved structure in the complex. The rest lies mostly in ruins, but their foundations are clearly visible.The mosque is said to have been destroyed by an earthquake in about 750 AD. The dome was built during restoration, but it is still being debated whether it existed in the building's original form; most experts say the dome did exit. Above is the Umayyad mosque's ruined facade.

Entry fees here, too, was cheap. From the Citadel, we walked. As it is downhill all the way, it was easy. Along the way down, is the old part of modern day Amman. The streets are narrow, but still neat. Even within the narrow streets, there are plants and trees. Walking downwards made me understand even more, how much difficult and hard it must have been carrying all the material required for constructing, through time and different civilizations, the many parts of the Citadel.

Sites from the Roman Theater, Amman

2009-10-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Situated near the downtown Old part of Amman, and built on the side of a hill, is the spectacular Roman Amphitheater. Amman was once named Philadelphia; the name Amman was given during the Hellenistic period by the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy Philadelphius in honor of his sister-wife Arsinoe Philadelphia. The theater is said to have been built by Antonio Pio between 138 and 161 AD; some say it was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius between 169 to 177 AD.

It is large, is steeply raked, has 33 rows with three orders of seating tiers and can seat up to 6,000 spectators - who face northwards so as to avoid sunlight. The theater was restored in 1957, but not to its exact original form - the stones used in its reconstruction are different to the original ones. Still, it is magnificent and very pleasant. As pleasing as the inside, is the beautiful garden outside at the entrance.

Very cleverly planned and built like most of what the Romans did, it is a sight to behold. Whenever I see such ancient places, I never fail to think of the many who toiled, sweated and died to create them. But, isn't that what all 'civilizations' are about? The Pyramids in Egypt and the Americas; Shibam, London, New York, Paris and now Dubai and the other Gulf 'theaters', have and are all being built with the sweat and toil of poor 'slaves'.

The Odeon, is still being restored. Built at about the same time as the Roman Theater, this intimate 500-seat theater on the side of the main theater is used now as it was in Roman times - for musical concerts. Archaeologists think that the building was originally covered with a wooden or temporary tent roof to shield performers and audiences from the elements. On the upper side of the Odeon is another museum and shops for artifacts.

The columns that still remain standing take you for some moments to the ancient Roman times. I close my eyes and try to imagine what and how it was like then. While slaves labored and toiled, the Roman elite, in their togas - the distinct garment of ancient Rome - moved, worked and enjoyed within this place.

How much thought, planning and work must have gone into creating this splendor, is hard to imagine. So much time and care must have gone, too, into shaping this place.

Within the site, are two small museums on the sides of the Theater - dedicated to Jordanian folklore and traditions. Displays include: costumes, fine embroidery, antique jewellery and several 6th century mosaics from Jerash, Madaba and other places in Jordan.

It is incredible, that here at this site, it is so quiet; very much unlike a short distance away in the streets where it is very busy and noisy. I was surprised that not many tourists were there when we visited it. To these days the Theater is still being used for musical, cultural and sporting events.

Reportedly, the site is said to have been used as a necropolis or a graveyard before the Theater was built. Next to the Roman Theater, there are still some vestiges of the Forum and the cardo maximus - that is what the main street in old Roman cities were called.

Intricately made mosaics, exquisite decorations and parts of sculptures can still be seen at the site. The old Roman architects, like the present Amman municipal planners, preferred dazzling white for most of their structures. It is this that makes these old structures blend so well and so smoothly with present day Amman.

If you like archaeology, history, art and ancient architecture - like me - then, if in Amman, the huge, impressive Theater is a must see. The landmark is one of the best examples of Roman architecture in Jordan. The knowledge of acoustics must have been essential in constructing this site to control the sound and the echos - for the displays and dramas taking place to have a better effect. You can stand on any spot in the Theater, speak in a normal voice, and still be heard throughout.

Note: entering the Roman Theater is cheap: it costs the equivalent of about 1.40 US$ for entrance fees, which is inclusive of entering the two museums on each side of the Theater. Getting to the site is also very easy: taking a bus makes it even cheaper. Anyone afraid of heights, should be very careful when going up between the rows of the Theater; it is easy going up, but when climbing down, the steps are rather slippery and one realizes how incredibly steep it is. All in all, the site is a wonderful place to sit down and take in the views of Amman and the other spectacular Roman ruins that sit up on the hill: the Citadel.

While on Jordan........

2009-10-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering: how can a country with as little resources achieve so much? Unlike some of its neighbors, apart from: phosphates, potash, some oil and gas, and uranium - the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan isn't rich in natural resources. Come to think of it: even Yemen is more endowed. And yet, the Kingdom has done wonders with the little it has and given its citizens a comparatively high quality of life. Its greatest resource is its very smart, shrewd leaders and hard-working, disciplined work force.

The hilly city of Amman, its capital and largest city, is its showcase. It has an exceptionally pleasant weather and is very neat, disciplined, care-free, cosmopolitan and vibrant. And unlike other urban areas in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf which are mainly kept going by the large work force from foreign countries, mainly from South Asia - Amman is managed and run by Arabs. Best of all, is Amman's stunning architecture.

For some, it may be 'bland and lifeless', but it's that monotony of 'whiteness', 'cubes' and sameness that gives the city its wonderful, fascinating beauty and originality. Though the majority of modern buildings are made of white bricks and white Jordanian limestone as dictated by the city's municipal law, Amman has many old structures and many from ancient civilizations - which blend beautifully with modern buildings.

Jordan earns a good amount of foreign currency from tourism. Above, at the highest point in Amman, is the Citadel - ruins, which are mainly Roman and Islamic, said to be dating back to before Christ; and in the distance beyond, is the Roman Theater, thought to have been built about 2,000 years ago.

While we were in Jordan, the city celebrated its centennial anniversary of the founding of the first municipal council of Amman - on Friday, October the 9th. It was attended by hundreds of thousands of Jordanians and visitors. Hundreds of cars and carriages were drawn by horses and over 2,000 people participated - reenacting the hundred years of the transformation and civilization of Amman. The carnival started from the famous Roman Amphitheater and went through the old part of the city.

Above, attracting visitors since ancient times, is the very scenic Dead Sea, at about 420 meters below sea level, it is the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface found on dry land and it is also the deepest hyper-saline lake in the world. It is almost nine times as salty as the ocean. Due to its unique mineral content, the sea is a major attraction for health research and treatment. I did swim in the sea, and incredibly - I managed, without effort, to easily float and actually lie on my back for hours in the water; the Dead Sea has a lot of salt in it and as salt water is heavier - denser - than regular water, and as we are lighter than normal water and can easily float in water, hence it is even much easier to float in the Dead Sea.

Jordan has some of the best educational institutions in the Middle East. Above: the largest and oldest university in the Kingdom and one of the most prestigious in the region - the University of Jordan. It has many students from other parts of the Arab world including from Yemen.

The Kingdom too, has some very excellent hospitals, like the King Hussein Cancer Center, above, in Amman. It is said to be the 'leading comprehensive cancer care and treatment' in the Middle East. The Kingdom has many other fine hospitals and medical centers.

One of the most pleasing sites in Amman is the greenery. Wherever you go, you will find trees and plants: olive, pine, cedar, oak, fig, palm and vines are all over, which give the city a unique, spectacular look and scent. Even on many rooftops and balconies, there are many potted plants.

I was surprised but elated to learn that Hadhramout exists in Amman. In the form of restaurants that make and serve Hadhramy dishes, especially the renowned Hadhramy mandy; the food is more expensive than back home, but tastes just as good as those made in the best restaurants in Hadhramout.

But I wasn't happy to see the many fast food outlets in the city. Fast food maybe cheap and sort of convenient for the young and those on the move, but its very adverse health effects are undeniable and many.

I wasn't happy too, to see a structure in the very pleasant Amman of two looming towers - above. I was surprised that the planners of the city who have done such an excellent job of keeping Amman indigenous and original, could accept such an aberration and monstrosity to be constructed within their city. Referred to, by Jordanians - most of whom seem to be proud of it - as 'the two towers', the buildings are completely out of place in the splendid metropolis.

And I and my wife, though we did visit and see the Jordan River and the baptism site of Jesus, were rather very disappointed that we couldn't cross over to the Palestinian West bank and visit Jerusalem and Al'Aqsa - just about 80 km. across the border from Amman. Israel still continues to occupy and control the West Bank. I took the above photo of the Palestinian side while standing on the Jordanian side, with just the River Jordan between us.

Jordan has many good things going for it, except for three things that I noticed: the Kingdom has a very serious water shortage, which might be very hard to solve; most of Jordan's citizens are young - about 70% are reportedly under the age of thirty - how all these young people will be employed is another enormous problem for the Kingdom's planners and leadership; and, I noticed that, most Jordanian men and some women smoked - this can be costly for its health system.

Through the ages, ancient and now, Jordan's history has been shaped and conditioned by many civilizations and people. In recent times, it is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that has very much affected it; it has caused immense suffering for Jordanians. At the same time, many Palestinians, by being a part of Jordan and a part of its production machine - have been a boon for it and have boosted its strength. The Iraqi situation, as sad as it is, was another blessing for the Kingdom: in the early 1990s - fleeing Kuwaitis and other Gulf citizens, many of who were wealthy, invested heavily in Jordan; and a few years ago, when the Americans invaded and destabilized Iraq - many Iraqis fled to Jordan, boosting it with their wealth and brains. And the instability in Lebanon and Beirut, has made many investors and visitors to turn to and opt for Jordan and Amman.

Few people know that, of all Arab countries - the Hashemite Kingdom has done the most for Palestinians. Many, and maybe, most Jordanian citizens now, are of Palestinian origin. Of all Arab states, the Kingdom too, has the most Palestinian refugees. Few people know, too, that many - Circassians, Chechens, Armenians, Kurds, and Gypsies live in the Kingdom and, though integrated, they still maintain their separate identities. Many Iraqis who fled the conditions in their country, now live in Jordan; and so do some Egyptians, a few Syrians and Lebanese. This extensive diversity of people in Jordan, is a testament to the Hashemite Kingdom's and its people's very welcoming and hospitable character.

Thirty Days

2009-10-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Thirty days in Jordan. Exactly thirty days. Jordan - unlike Morocco, Sudan, Egypt and Syria - not being one of my favorite Arab countries, was one of the last places I thought I would ever visit. Thank God I did visit this amazing Kingdom. Although the circumstances of my visit to the Hashemite Kingdom were most difficult, I left it with very fond memories and the highest admiration for its leadership and people. And so did my wife.

My wife's health condition and us seeking further medical help, lead us to Jordan. All along, my wife, due to the advice she was being given by friends and doctors in Al Mukalla - was insisting that we go to Jordan and not to Egypt or to India as I was planning. As I didn't know much about Jordan or its medical facilities, I was very hesitant; and it was only later, when one of my former students living in Amman, learnt of my wife's condition - that I was convinced to go with her there. Thanks to my former student who not only some how managed to 'psyche' me in to loving Amman and to very much looking forward to being in Jordan, but he also did make our stay there most comfortable, easy and enjoyable.

It took only the first few minutes of landing in Amman, for me and my wife to feel very much at ease and comfortable. After disembarking from the plane at the Queen Alia International Airport, within a few moments we were cleared: Yemenis are given a three month's visitor's visa on arrival. It was not that, that we found most comforting - but it was the ease and the friendliness with which this was done. It is rather sad that Yemen's immediate neighbors, both in the Arabian Peninsular and in Africa do not make it as easy as this for us to enter their countries; in fact, it can be very difficult for us to enter some of our wealthier neighboring Arab countries. We were also made very comfortable by the very cool Mediterranean weather; unlike the humidity and heat that we left back in Al Mukalla.

We had left home already prepared for the worst; my wife's doctor had already told us that she could be having cancer. We were prepared. We already had read as much as we could on the dreaded disease. And the hospital we chose to have further medical tests and exams was the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman: undoubtedly one of the finest and best equipped hospitals in the Middle East. With a most friendly and very caring of staff. It took several check ups, exams and tests for a proper diagnosis of my wife's condition to be given: she is having a 'low grade' form of MALT lymphoma. Already, now, my wife is having chemotherapy treatment. We are told that it is treatable and curable. Very hopefully, it is. And very hopefully too, God makes it easy for us and especially for my wife.

Life is amazing indeed. And full of surprises. A few weeks ago, little did I know of cancer or chemotherapy or radiation or the word 'remission'. Now: here I am with such a vast knowledge of the disease. A disease, though much feared, I now consider as no different from many other diseases. A disease that I now know has been made most expensive to treat; made most expensive to treat by the very few greedy, unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies who produce and control the drugs for treating it. As cancer drugs are mostly produced in the US and other wealthy countries - the United States Congress and America's FDA and CMS are very much to blame too; they have no control whatsoever on the prices charged for drugs by pharmaceutical companies. Human greed has no limit: how can drugs for such a very difficult and complicated disease be so very expensive? Thankfully for us Yemenis, our government, even with the limited resources it has - has managed in its small Oncology Center in Sana'a, to provide the very expensive cancer drugs, as cheaply as possible.

When alive and healthy, very little do we ponder or think of life; and at how terminal life is and how mortal we are. Very rarely do we think of how unpredictable the next moments are and the future is. Just a simple accident, or a storm or a cyclone or a tsunami or an earthquake; or H1N1 or any of the many other diseases lurking out there - can change one's life completely. And of those dependent on us.

It is also during the most trying and difficult of times that one truly knows who - of relatives and friends - are most caring and who, one can depend on: I have been amazed at how some of my and my wife's relatives have been very caring and concerned since she started being unwell - the support and encouragement I have been given has been incredible; some friends too, have given us immense support. Most humbling of all, are some of the people whom we never knew before but only met in the last few weeks, but who have done all they could to help and support us.

Most unbelievable of all, is that - although I was very reluctant to go to Jordan, I and my wife will never forget the way we felt very completely at home in the Kingdom. Its people, its weather and its medical facilities were most comforting to and for us. For some reason that I have have not been able to explain, Jordanians have this very great liking, high regards and respect for Yemenis. Whenever a Jordanian would know that we were from Yemen, his or her attitude towards us would completely change. This made us, although there for medical reasons, have a most enjoyable and wonderful time. We now know that, out there - there is a small Kingdom which we can call home, too: the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Congratulations Mr. Obama!

2009-10-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was elated that Rio De Janeiro, Brazil was chosen to host the 2016 Summer Olympics; as much as I am a great supporter of Mr. Obama and his views and as much as I felt sad for Mr. and Mrs. Obama for losing the bid for their city - I believe that Brazil should host the games. Not Chicago.

This morning I had some thing to really cheer for, for Mr. Obama: he has been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Price. Having set in motion: the closing of Guantanamo, the withdrawing of troops from Iraq, the process for reducing nuclear weapons worldwide and America's commitment in doing all it can in reversing Climate Change - President Obama very much deserves the Price.

Reaction to his being chosen to receive the Price has been swift and at times, intense: Some called the prize the ultimate endorsement of a great president; others called it evidence that, once again, charisma had trumped results. Some called it a miracle; others called it a joke. Some believed Obama had earned the prize by uniting the country, rewriting black history and redeeming America in the eyes of the world; others said Obama had earned -- and accomplished -- nothing.

I say: congratulations Mr. Obama. You deserve it. The Price will inspire and strengthen you even more. All that you wish and want for your country and the rest of the world, is noble and makes me filled with much hope and joy. Except for Afghanistan. Of all that America is involved in now, how you handle Afghanistan will either be your greatest undoing and blunder, or show how wise and resolved you are. Wish you all the luck Mr. President!

Al Mukalla's Friday evening market

2009-09-09T04:45:00.001-07:00

It's an open market. Not far from the sea. In Sher'g. Every Friday evening. For rabbits, chickens and pigeons. Sometimes, ducks, gooses and other kinds of birds are sold here too. Most of the sellers and buyers are boys or young men. This is a man's world. No girls or women come here.

These rabbits, depending on the sex and the age, can cost any thing between the equivalent of US$ 3 and 5. It is hard to keep rabbits. They eat all the time and breed many. For those who like rabbit meat, they are a good source of food.

Hens are left at home and kept for eggs and more chickens. I have seen only roosters brought here for sale. Here, as in most parts of the world, it is roosters that are slaughtered, most, for meat. In life, it seems the male species are doomed for solitariness or loneliness; and the slaughterhouse, fights and wars. These roosters cost 600 Riyals - 3 dollars - and above.

These caged birds, probably parakeets brought from South Asia or Africa, are very rarely sold here. They are hard to care for and with the heat and humidity here, they can easily perish. When taken good care of, they do breed even when caged. As they are very rare here, their prices fluctuate. The above were being sold at 3,000 Riyals - 15 $ - a pair. Wild birds shouldn't be in cages. They should be left in the wild.

Pigeons. Considered to be one of the most intelligent birds on the Planet with the birds being able to undertake tasks previously thought to be the sole preserve of humans and primates. Very caring and loving of their mates. They are monogamous and generally mate for life. If one partner dies or disappears, the survivor will try to get another mate. They breed throughout the year, and they take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks when hatched.

In this market, pigeons are mainly sold in pairs. Each pigeon can cost 200 Riyals upwards; or a pair can cost 400 Riyals and above. Depending on the breed, the birds can be very expensive, with some priced at 60,000 Riyals - 300$ - a pair. The rarer the pigeon breed here, the more expensive it would be. Pigeons can be expensive: in some Western countries, racing pigeons can cost tens of thousands of dollars each. For some, pigeons are pests and are nasty creatures. But for me, they are the most adorable of birds. Pigeons are a symbol of peace and all great religions including Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs - revere pigeons.

The problem with social networking

2009-09-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

Each day, millions of people, especially in the 'developed' countries - interact, share and 'socialize' online. Social networking is the phenomenon of the 21st century. The social network preferred depends on where one lives: Myspace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tribe.net, and now Twitter are the most used by Americans; Facebook and Nexopia are most preferred by Canadians. Central and South Americans seem to go for Orkut, which is now a part of Google, and Hi5. The Europeans most preferred social networking services seem to be: Bebo, Badoo, XING, StudiVZ, Decayenne, Tagged and Skyrock; while Asians prefer - Friendster - one of the first social networking service, Mixi - mainly used by the Japanese, Multiply, Orkut, Wretch, Cyworld and Xiaonei now Renren - the last two popular with the Chinese.

Reportedly, the first social networking service, online, was SixDegrees.com which was launched in 1997 but, due to it not being much used and being unprofitable, it was closed 3 years later. SixDegrees failed, because, then , in the late 90s, very few people ever bothered or had time with socializing online. It was not until early this century, when Friendster, Myspace and then Facebook were launched - that social networking online - exploded, globally, and made many of its founders very wealthy people; and the sites, are now some of the most used on the Net.

Facebook, in a way, is an imitation of SixDegrees.com, but for some reason that is hard to explain - of the hundreds of the online social networking services launched each year, it has become the most successful and the most talked about. It has invaded homes, schools, campuses and places of work. It has become such a phenomenon that, it's now one of the most visited sites on the Web and one of the most dominant forces on the Net; and at times, it is such a threat that some countries bar it during elections or crisis. Facebook, launched in 2004, instantly made its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, a college dropout, a very rich man and, in his early 20s, the youngest billionaire in the world.

Here in Hadhramout there are a few, small local social networking services which are mainly used by young people - men, in particular; but very few people here socialize online. Most people simply have never heard of or do not know of the phenomenon. Personally, I believe we are much better off socializing in the real sense of the word, rather than doing it in the frigid artificial form which is online.

It's not that I haven't tried social networking. I have. And I didn't and have never liked it. I first tried Myspace but within a few days, found it a waste of time and was totally discouraged; then I joined Tagworld when it was just launched - and found it even more of a waste of time than Myspace; I had a go at LinkedIn, and as useful as it seems, I got fed up with it too - LinkedIn is more suitable for professionals, especially the young. And then through an 'invitation', I joined Orkut before it became a part of Google - but, it too failed to interest me. One day, in 2005, by accident, I joined the social networking site: Care2. And through it, I did find noble causes to support and fight for; and I did find too, a few very good friends. I was so active on the site, for a year or two, that I, without choosing to, became a host of two groups in the 'community'. But, even with its many noble, great causes; and many very smart, well informed members - I still became frustrated, and for years now, very rarely visit the site.

Last - in 2007, through reading much about it and the prompting of friends, I joined Facebook. I was instantly depressed: Facebook isn't much different to Myspace or Orkut or Tagworld - which, all I had tried and instantly stopped using. It is very similar to these three, except for a few changes and variations here and there. Still, I decided to give it a try and my time. The more I used Facebook and the more I got used to it, the more I felt I was wasting my time with it. I didn't find any real, meaningful purpose of using it, except to communicate with others, or as they say - to 'connect'. But, to communicate with who? With ghosts? Very much unlike Care2, where I felt that I had truly 'connected' with others, even if I hadn't met them in person, Facebook felt just as cold and as meaningless as the other social networking services I had tried. More frustrating, Facebook can take a long time to load and to navigate from page to page. Worst, some people - friends and relatives - whom I meet regularly, decided to be 'friends' with me on the site. That decided me: some thing had to be very wrong if I was 'connecting' and 'socializing' with people whom I meet often, some - every day - on a networking site. In less than two months, I stopped using Facebook.

Recently, I discovered one of my daughters using Facebook and I realized that she was spending too much time on the site. I asked her, what real good use or purpose did it serve. She didn't have a good answer except to say that 'it' passed her time. I realized too, that most if not all those whom she was communicating with, were her college mates; people whom she regularly met. After a few weeks of watching her, I realized that she was 'addicted' to the site; she had become very detached too, from real people - even from family members. She was spending too much time there, just wasting precious moments that she could have used to spend in other worthy ways. I decided to have a long talk with her, and she agreed that the site was useless and she actually didn't need to use it. She has stopped using it and she says she is much happier now. Happier and real, in that, she now communicates and socializes with people in a normal, meaningful way rather than through the screen of a computer.

There are better ways of 'connecting' or communicating online; emailing is the best and the most realistic way. And there are much better ways of using computers and the Net. Reading, learning and increasing one's knowledge is best. Not social networking. Not Facebook and such sites, and their cold, frigid and sterile form; and their time consuming and wasteful ways.

Image from: JCMC

Al Mukalla's meat market

2009-09-06T02:48:00.000-07:00

Meat, all kinds of meat, is expensive here. Hadharem believe that the best lamb and mutton come from Hadhramout. Hadhramy lamb is more expensive than imported ones and more in demand. With Ramadhan now on and the Eid festivities ahead, lamb, and meat in general, is even more expensive.

This butcher above, sells both goat and camel meat. There are two kinds of goat meat in the meat market: Hadhramy goat meat and Somali goat meat. In the photo above, the meat with the tail is Somali. On the far right, is camel meat.

Lamb, that is young goat meat, is more expensive than older goat meat or mutton. A kilo of lamb costs between the equivalent of 8 to 10 Dollars, while older goat meat and mutton is a dollar or two cheaper than that. Meat from imported Somali lambs and goats is normally, a dollar or two cheaper than Hadhramy bred lamb or goat meat. As very few people breed or raise cattle here in Hadhramout, beef is more expensive than lamb or mutton.

Everything is eaten, except the skin: some people prefer simply meat without bones, most buy meat with bones; some like meat with fat. Some love intestines. With every piece of meat anyone buys, a little bit of fat and intestines is included.

And there are many who love the heads and legs; these are first either skinned or roasted with the skin on and the hair scrubbed and removed - then cooked. Many believe that the taking of soup from cooked goat or sheep legs makes one's bones stronger and makes one healthier. Many too, love the cooked brain and insides - including eyeballs - of a goat or a sheep head. The putting of the head next to the meat being sold, is a way of showing the buyer how healthy or old or young the goat or sheep or camel is.

None of the meat sold here is given any health inspection or check up. Goats, sheep and camels are simply slaughtered before any antemortem inspection or screening is done, and meat is immediately sold without any health or veterinarian auditing or inspection.

Hadhramys, like most Middle Eastern people, love meat. Really love meat. And most preferred, is meat from goats or sheep raised and bred here in Hadhramout. More so the meat of lambs or young goats.

Of Bees

2009-08-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

Bees. Honeybees. Where would we Mankind be without them! It's said that, without us humans - bees would survive and thrive even more; but it's said that without them, the human species would most likely perish and maybe even be completely exterminated from the face of the Earth. It has often been said that bees are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. Most crops grown for their fruits - including vegetables such as squash, cucumber, tomato and eggplant, nuts, seeds, fiber - such as cotton, and hay - alfalfa grown to feed livestock, require pollination by insects. The main insect pollinators, by far, are bees.

Incredible and amazing that, so tiny a being can have such a decisive an influence and impact on our lives. Without doubt, bees are most probably the most beneficial creatures to Mankind. Here are some amazing facts about these wonderful insects:

The honey bee has been around for about 30 million years.

The honeybee is not born knowing how to make honey; the younger bees are taught by the more experienced ones.

It is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.

Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including: water, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and water; and it's the only food that contains "pinocembrin", an antioxidant associated with improved brain functioning.

Honey contains vitamins and antioxidants, but is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free.

Honey is one of our safest foods. Many harmful germs cannot live in honey for any length of time.
The honeybee's wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.

A honey bee can fly for up to six miles, and as fast as 15 miles per hour.

A honey bee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip.

A colony of bees consists of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one queen.

Honeybees are famed for being the most hard-working creatures in the world.

Worker honey bees are female, live 6 to 8 weeks and do all the work.

Honeybees can count and can even differentiate patterns which help them in finding good source of pollen even when they are miles away from their hives. And they can roam very far, but still remember to return to their hives.

There is only one queen in a hive and her main purpose in life is to make more bees.

The queen bee lives for about 2-3 years and is the only bee that lays eggs.

Only worker bees sting, and only if they feel threatened and they die once they sting.

Honey bees communicate with one another by "dancing".

Bees recognize other members of their own colony by their distinctive scent.

Bees are said to have a stronger sense of smell than dogs and some - due to their acute, fine tuned sense of smell - have been trained to detect land mines.

Mathematically, honeycomb is the second strongest structure in the world after the pyramids. And is said to be the strongest structure in nature.

No wonder all sacred scriptures mention bees and honey. Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Hindus and the Chinese - all mention the greatness of honey. English, Welsh and Celtic tales are full of the wonders of honey. No other creature in the animal kingdom exhibits individual traits and social cooperation parallel to that of the honeybee. The infrastructure of bees nests - is so highly organized, perfectly uniform and functional, that one can't help but be utterly awed.

Very few creatures are mentioned in the Quran Al Kareem; it is no accident that the Holly Book has one Surah named after the bee; and has high praise for these tiny insects, referring to them as 'healers'.

"And your Lord taught the honey bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought. (Surat an-Nahl (The Bee), 68-69) Read more on the perception of bees in Islam here

Several Hadiths too, in the The Book of Medicine, mention the healing powers of honey. I quote from Bukhari: 'Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur'an is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Qur'an and honey.'

Very sadly and of much danger to our survival, domesticated honeybee population is declining. In 2004, the National Geographic warned: Bees, via pollination, are responsible for 15 to 30 percent of the food U.S. consumers eat.......Unless actions are taken to slow the decline of domesticated honeybees and augment their populations with wild bees, many fruits and vegetables may disappear from the food supply. And just a few days ago, the Telegraph stated: The number of bees in the UK fell by up to 15 per cent over the last two years while the population of butterflies and other insects is also down. Without bees, can We survive? Time.

Five Days

2009-08-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

Except for when she was giving births, my wife rarely gets sick; in fact, since our marriage, she has never, ever been seriously sick. She has always been very busy with house-work and her work. At the end of last month, I could notice that there was some thing wrong with her; she said she was simply tired and needed rest. A few days later, she wasn't any better; she looked tired and worn out. She did simple tests in the hospital she works in, which didn't show any thing wrong with her, but she was given some medication. After about a week, her condition had not improved.

Early this month, I decided that we go and get her checked up by a good 'specialist' doctor, in a proper, well equipped clinic. The checkups lead to more and more tests and exams. Five days later, no clear, exact diagnosis was given, except that her case was said to be 'complicated' and that we needed to travel out of the country for further checkups, tests and treatment. We have been advised to go to either Jordan or Egypt. Hadhramout and Yemen as a whole, simply do not have the facilities to handle such kinds of 'complications'. I have been wondering: if Egypt or Jordan can, why can't Yemen?

It's been long since I was last in hospitals and medical facilities, this close and this many times. During those five days, I learnt how poor and dysfunctional our medical system and facilities, here, are. At times I have been shocked at what I have seen or noticed. Except for some few, good doctors, medical attendants and technicians - most of what I saw was very dismaying. I could not believe that in a place like a clinic or a hospital, so much garbage could be left strewn around; especially empty plastic bags and bottles. Most of the private clinics and medical centers, although some have very good personnel, are poorly equipped; and many, simply, are mainly after making as much money as possible and making profit. I have also been very surprised that most of these private places we went to, were full of queuing patients, most of the time.

The public hospitals, although better equipped and with qualified medical staff, were the most difficult to be in. Whichever public hospital we went to, there were just to many patients; and services and attention given are just too slow and many times, deficient. The waiting areas had too few seats and didn't have any air conditioning; with the heat and humidity here - that can be very hard for the patients, especially the very sick ones. One morning, for hours, I spent in this large section in the main public hospital, where some of the worst cases were waiting to be referred abroad for further care and treatment and also to be given some financial assistance. I was so saddened and depressed by the conditions of some of the sick men and women, that many times I felt tears on my eyes.

In that waiting area, there were very few seats. Most of the patients, most of whom were very sick - some in great pain and on the verge of dying - had either to sit or lie down on the ground. There was no cool air-conditioning, but only a few ceiling fans. And the wait was long. My wife, being a medic and known in that hospital, was allowed to sit in a small air conditioned office. I, after about two hours of sitting there, watching all that human suffering and pain, and being so sad and dispirited, decided to go out and sit on the grass under the trees. It's then that I saw these tiny creatures. And before long, I was totally absorbed by the tiny, hovering and very busy insects. Never had I been so observant of these remarkable creatures. So tiny, but yet very much unlike us humans - very productive. They were about eight of them. Organized. So sure and particular of what they were doing. All very busy. Continuously moving. Hovering from plant to plant. From flower to flower. Tiny, yet noble. BEES.

Out of Hadhramout: two different stories

2009-08-13T03:07:00.000-07:00

For thousands of years, the people of Hadhramout have traveled far and wide; descendants of Hadhramys can be found in almost every part of the globe. Recently I read two interesting and very absorbing stories about two of these Hadhramy descendants. One is about the Bin Ladens, Osama in particular; and the other about Mohammadali Shihab Thangal, the politician and spiritual leader from Kerala, India. As with tales of most Hadhramy migrants, their stories start from Wady Hadhramout:

"Sometime after the turn of the last century, an ox that Awadh bin Laden had borrowed died during a drought.

Death threats by the owner forced him to leave the family’s ancestral home of Gharn Bashirieh.

The exiled Awadh died young, leaving two adolescent sons to their own devices........."

Steve Coll’s account traces the subsequent events leading to the rise of Awadh’s son, Mohammed bin Laden. It is a remarkable story only trumped by the fame and notoriety of his son, Osama.

It is a remarkable story only trumped by the fame and notoriety of his son, Osama. More from The East African. Gharn Bashirieh is not far from Al Khurayba, in Wady Do'an

Steve Coll’s The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century is the groundbreaking history of a family and its fortune. It chronicles a young illiterate Yemeni bricklayer, Mohamed Bin Laden, who went to the new, oil-rich country of Saudi Arabia and quickly became a vital figure in its development, building great mosques and highways and making himself and many of his children millionaires. It is also a story of the Saudi royal family, whom the Bin Ladens served loyally and without whose capricious favor they would have been nothing. And it is a story of tensions and contradictions in a country founded on extreme religious purity, which then became awash in oil money and dazzled by the temptations of the West. In only two generations the Bin Ladens moved from a famine-stricken desert canyon to luxury jets, yachts, and private compounds around the world, even going into business with Hollywood celebrities. These religious and cultural gyrations resulted in everything from enthusiasm for America—exemplified by Osama’s free-living pilot brother Salem—to an overwhelming determination to destroy it. Steve Coll’s account traces the subsequent events leading to the rise of Awadh’s son, Mohammed bin Laden. Penguin

Read more about the Bin Ladens from the book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the national bestseller Ghost Wars, Steve Coll. A very well written, absorbing - in some ways, biased - book.

From India, is the story of the recently deceased scholar and leader, Mohammadali Shihab Thangal; another interesting and very absorbing story:

Story of Mohammadali Shihab Thangal starts many generations ago. His family is descendent of the Prophet. Mohammadali Shihab is 37th generation away from the Prophet in his lineage. About 300 years ago his family arrived on the coast of Kerala from Tarim in Hadhramaut region of Yemen. They landed in Kannur and made it their home. They came here to spread the message of Islam in Kerala. Three hundred years later they continue to serve the cause of Islam. TwoCircles

Tarim was once the cultural, academic and theological center not only for Hadhramout, but the whole of the Arabian Peninsular. It's from Tarim that many, if not most, Hadhramy scholars and thinkers come from.

To Yahoo is to Bing is to.........

2009-08-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, Windows Live Search which was MSN evolved in to Live Search; but that didn't have much impact with users: Microsoft was still lagging behind Yahoo as a search engine and very much behind Google. Redmond had to come up with some thing. Desperate for a break, they came up with 'Kumo' which became 'Bing'.

And, now, unfortunately, Yahoo has teamed up with Microsoft; this is unfortunate in that, Microsoft will take over the technical side of Yahoo's search offering using Bing and AdCenter technology to become the exclusive provider of search on Yahoo for 10 years. This teaming up between the two and this deal, is all because of one and only one reason: Google. For years now, Yahoo and Microsoft have been trying hard to beat or at least - catch up with Google, but they have dismally failed. And now Microsoft has silenced Yahoo and for 10 years the Redmond company will only have Google to think of and focus on; and Yahoo will not offer any competition to neither. Will the strategy work and can Bing catch up with Google?

I very much doubt that. Microsoft has this habit of being loud and outspoken, while Google is completely the opposite of that. Google does things quietly and without making much pomp out of them: through the years, they have been releasing one fine, very useful product after another - many of which few people even know of. Without sounding off and without making much noise about the products. While on the other hand, both Yahoo and Microsoft would make so much noise on 'updates' or on any new product that they come up with; however small or useless it is.

For instance: both Yahoo and Microsoft made too much noise trumpeting their 'new' email services. And we all waited for and we expected them to provide; they didn't. Instead, to date, Gmail - as simple as it is - is still the best email service one can think of. But it is in online search that both Yahoo and Microsoft utterly failed to catch up with the giant; whatever the two came up with, however much they tried, they simply remained behind. And it didn't help that Yahoo and Microsoft, every now and then, through the years, announced 'updates' and 'new' products without much success. The flip-flops haven't helped either: MSN Search, became Windows Live Search became Live Search became Kumo and now it is Bing; this constant changing doesn't help. No wonder some are joking that Bing is an acronym for “But It’s Not Google.” And the tendency for Microsoft and Yahoo to imitate Google, only makes it more difficult.

For the last two months I have been using Bing regularly; and well, Bing, which is in actual fact the same 'Live' search but only with a few cosmetic changes and tweaks, is still way behind Google. For a final analysis, a few moments ago, I used the website that gives a side-by-side comparison between the two: Bing and Google - to search for a few items that are closer to here. I did searches for: Islam, Hadhramout, Hadhramaut, Al Mukalla, Socotra, Soqotra and Yemen. While Google would give a complete set of results - websites, videos, images, the news, blogs and so on, and suggestions for more at the bottom; Bing's results to the queries simply gave major websites. Another big difference between the two, is that: for most results, Google had a not only 'cached' to click on, but another useful way of refining the search further - 'similar' - to click on.

Overall, with my experience with Bing for the last two months, I found Bing very good and helpful in several ways. Much better than what I had expected. It gives results fast, has a unique interface and has a left-hand navigation panel that lets users click on related or recent searches, and a center panel that groups the search results into what Bing deems are logical categories. It's that left hand panel that was their best innovation and gives Bing some edge; except for one problem: on the 'video' page Bing has a feature which allows the user to use the cursor over a video thumbnail and see highlights from the video play automatically - this won't work well with conservative societies like ours, because that allows any one, any where, where there is Bing - to watch previews of any videos.

Still: Google is Google. Google does not only have an excellent, successful search engine; it offers many other fine, very useful products and services which complement each other. Bing is still way behind to catch up and sway most users to it. For Bing to catch up, it has to offer as many other good and useful complementary, matching products and services; not just a search service. And I have no doubt that Google will still lead for a long time to come. I have no doubt too, that, in desperation, Bing will regularly, pompously, announce many more 'major updates', 'new features' and changes. Who knows: maybe, while Yahoo for 10 years is in shackles, even the name 'Bing' might be changed.

Image: seablog

Sarkozy, Hyperactivity and the Burqah

2009-07-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

It is hard to like Nikolas Sarkozy. Very hard. Even if he was not the French president and just an ordinary man - for any man, to meet him walking down any street would be intimidating: his arrogance, his demeanor and that swagger, combined, would be hard to like.

And yet, at times, one can not help but admire the man. He is daring, outspoken and undoubtedly smart. And hard working. Hard working and hyperactive. But, at times, or should I say - many times, Monsieur Sarkozy can be too hyperactive. Too hyperactive to the detriment of his health, as has just happened.

And at times, that hyperactivity goes too far. To the point of disrespect and to seem deliberately offensive. Like, about a month ago, when he attacked Islamic dress, especially the wearing by Muslim women of full veils and face coverings, the burqah. He said the coverings were a sign of women's debasement and "not welcome" on French soil. He said: the burqah and such dresses should not be allowed in France. They should not be welcomed. They should be banned in France.

"The problem of the burka is not a religious problem, it's a problem of liberty and women's dignity. It's not a religious symbol, but a sign of subservience and debasement. I want to say solemnly, the burka is not welcome in France. In our country, we can't accept women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. That's not our idea of freedom." He said. I couldn't believe a French president could say such things. Wasn't France the symbol of freedom and liberty? Wasn't France the place to be for any one seeking liberty and justice?

Of all Western countries, France has been the most vocal and the most known at advocating freedom and liberty. Many, of the most revolutionary of leaders of the last century could count on France and take refuge there, without fear. Most of whom, while in France, preached from there; and many, later returned to their home countries. As leaders. Many times they returned to their countries only to become dictators or despots.

For most of us Muslims, the French leader was simply reflecting the duplicity and hypocrisy of most Western leaders: preaching freedom and liberty on the one hand and when it suits them, they turn and extol what is contrary to these ideals. Always using one pretext or another. It, at times, baffles. Western countries allow all forms of dresses and undressing: St. Tropez and all its nudity, and such nudists 'colonies', are not a problem and are considered 'liberty' and 'freedom' at work - and not a 'debasement'. 'Playboy', 'Penthouse' and 'Hustler' magazines, are not a 'debasement' of women, but 'freedom' of expression. For women, to strip and dance naked before gawking men - is allowed and accepted as normal. The display of women in such a way is not considered a 'deprivation' and not 'undignified'.

Monsieur Sarkozy could only have been trying to distract the French public from the bad economy and his poor ratings. Or he could have been honestly and sincerely expressing what he truly believed in. But if women have liberty and are truly free in France; the wearing of the burqah, the hijab and other Islamic dresses is not and should never be a problem. As long as the women wearing them do so willingly and are not forced to put them on.

It would be helpful and constructive, if Western leaders, would show 'mutual respect' and 'mutual interest' for other people's values. Rather than dictating and lecturing to others; and trying to impose their 'ideals' - especially, as it is they who preach 'freedom', 'liberty' and 'justice'. The Himba women of Northern Namibia, and many African women, walk around half naked while not attaching any sense of shame or sexuality to being so - because it's their culture; Hindu women leave their waists uncovered, because they have been brought up to do so; Western men put on 'nooses' called ties, around their necks because it's customary for them to do so. And it is so with us Muslims: the Hijab and the Burqah are parts of our culture, tradition and custom.

TinEye: the perfect image search engine

2009-07-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

TinEye is amazing. It is an image search engine that uses such an advanced technology, that when given an image, rather than a key word, to search for, it tells you where and how that image has been used; even if the image has been modified! It conducts a pixel by pixel search across the internet, flagging up all instances of that image even if it's been cropped, merged or digitally altered in some way.

Every day TinEye's spiders crawl the web for additional images. Using sophisticated pattern recognition algorithms, TinEye creates a unique and compact digital signature or 'fingerprint' for each one and adds it to the index.

When you want to find out where an image is being used on the web, you submit it to TinEye. The attributes of the image are analyzed instantly, and its fingerprint is compared to the fingerprint of every single image in the TinEye search index. The result? A detailed list of any websites using that image, worldwide. Idee Inc.

Maybe some one, some where is ripping your photos, claiming that it is his or hers; and maybe even making money out of them. You can find out if that is so: submit your photo to TinEye and it will scan the Web, and if your photo is being used some where else - like the way the BBC did with someone's photo from Flickr, without his consent or knowledge - you can take action if you decide so. Sometimes, TinEye fails to detect the image and you get this message from them: Our search index is still very small—just a fraction of all the images on the web! But our index is always growing, so be sure to search for this image again later. Still, it's an excellent and very useful tool.

Site Of Note

2009-07-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

For any one visiting Yemen, especially tourists, the best site to go to on the Web is: the Ministry of Tourism site. It has extensive and the best information on the many tourist attractions and destinations. It has too, the most important advice and tips for visitors to the country.

"Any one who has ever been to or visited Yemen will say one thing about that: an unforgettable experience. Yemen is also unique, exotic and enchanting. Rolling, green, cool high mountains; fantastic valleys; pristine beaches and blue, pure seas; vast expanses of deserts - some mountainous and some flat filled with Mars like features; radically distinctive islands; and the friendliest people". I said that here over two years ago. That is a fact. Yemen is nothing if not authentic and the traditional lifestyle of its people still remains relatively untouched by the 20th century. For any tourist who demands the authentic and the most unique of places, Yemen will undoubtedly be one of the premier and best places to visit.

Out of Wady Do'an

2009-07-22T01:57:00.000-07:00

Out of Wady Do'an and up on to the highlands. The air is still dry, but it becomes cooler as one goes higher. Not far out of the Wady, right by the main road to Al Mukalla, there is this sign post - below. I didn't know that any resort or good hotel existed high up there. But, there was.

A short distance from the sign post, there were these two imposing towers. The towers reminded me of stories in the One Thousand and One Nights. I wondered: what could be behind them, right ahead? Another short distance from these towers, there was another set of similar looking towers, with a gate between them.

From the gates at the second towers, the main entrance of the resort can be seen a few meters away. The main entrance is as impressive as the towers. I was rather taken aback by this. I couldn't believe there was such a fine, outstanding place such as this right there in this remote, secluded part of the Hadhramout highlands.

The main colors of the resort are sand brown, like this blog - and like the valleys, cliffs, canyons and deserts of Hadhramout; and white. This harmonizes beautifully with the surroundings.

The doors and windows are all made of brown colored solid wood and decorated with golden colored steel studs. These kind of doors and windows are what the artisans in Tarim are excellent at.

The resort combines Sana'ani, Yemeni architecture and has some resemblance to the Old Town of Sana'a; and the Hadhramy mud, brick houses. The result: magnificent and stunning.

Green. Around the resort are many potted plants, grass and trees. Incredible. It's hard to imagine that trees and plants could grow on such a rocky and barren place as the highlands. The grass, plants and trees - add to the sumptuousness of the retreat.

The real wonder and surprise of the Hayd Al Jazeel Resort, is at the back. Not the many beautiful trees and flowers. Not the complete quietness and serenity that is there. But: the valley!

It's spectacular and stunning. They couldn't have chosen a better place for the resort. Standing by the wall, at the back - the view is just breathtaking and awesome. The valley, by itself, is fantastic. But the greater wonder, is the fortress.

Beyond. On the other side of the valley is the amazing structure. Right there, high, clinging, on the side of the cliff. Old and accessible by only one narrow path. The clusters of mud, bricked houses stand on the edges of the settlement. With the center empty.

How old the fortress is exactly, no one could tell me. But, it is ancient and seems medieval. As with all fortresses, it was meant to protect and defend its inhabitants from attackers from other enemy tribes and from without. It must have done that very well. I can not help, but be completely awed by the extraordinariness of the structure; at the same time, my mind couldn't help at wondering at the horrors of what defending and protecting such a place meant - very long ago, especially from marauding plunderers. The valley is still green with trees due to the last rains here. When it rains, it will again turn in to a river. Temporarily.

What a site! What a place! Cloistered. Imposing. Extraordinary. Mystical. And tranquil. With very clean dry air. Cool in summers. During winters, it would be very cold here. I will certainly visit Hayd Al Jazeel Resort again. The place is still under construction. The swimming pool has not yet been completed; and I was told by the resort's manager that a children's play area and more, will be added, with time. For more information on the resort, visit their site here.

The Castles of Al Khurayba

2009-07-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

The best and the finest honey in the world, is said to come from Wady Do'an. Some of the best dates from Hadhramout, come from the Valley. And undoubtedly, some of the finest architecture and most wonderful buildings I have ever seen, are in the Wady too. And due to migration from here, some of the wealthiest progeny of Hadhramout and some of the richest Arabs in the world, come from this same Valley.

In these valleys and between these canyons, during summer, like now, it becomes stiflingly hot. And as always - dry. During winter, it can get very cold here, with temperatures at nights, sometimes dropping to below 0° Celsius. What could have made Freya Stark travel through these valleys, some times - completely alone? And that was way back in the 1930s, when few Westerners, let alone a woman, attempted such a feat?

During the rainy seasons, the dry valley above, gets flooded and torrents of water sweep down. The floods, at times, are fatal and destructive. But, many times too, rains are a blessing, bringing much needed water in to the valley. These date palms are mainly irrigated using rain water. There are many wells too, all along the Wady, pumping water for irrigation.

Mud bricked houses, with thick walls, are cool inside, during the hot summers. And warm, during the cold seasons. The white stuccoed roofs, help in keeping the houses cool. And they help too, in keeping rain water from leaking in to the houses.

Cliffs. Canyons. Valleys. Full of rocks. Desolate. Barren. And yet green, lush and full of splendor. And full of surprises. That's Wady Do'an. After Al Hajerayn, the biggest surprise is in Al Khurayba. The last village, just before either going up on to the highlands towards Al Mukalla, or going deeper in to the valley.

Al Khurayba is spectacular and grand. It has these magnificent castle like, huge buildings. Built, like most houses in Wady Do'an, of mud bricks. Above, is the older 'castle'. Huge. And painted mostly white. At close range, the house is massive. And so is the other 'castle', below.

Above is the most lustrous house in Wady Do'an. Huge too. And it seems, it has all the colors of a rainbow. It's called Beit Bugshan or Khaylat Bugshan. It's unique and one of a kind. And it does exactly what I believe it was meant to do: it mesmerizes and astonishes.

The Khaylat has a hotel in the lower floors. One can spend time here. It has large rooms. Around it, are other houses, most of which, belong to the same family. Between the houses, are narrow streets. Most of the houses here, compared to other parts of the Wady, are affluent. They are large. With one, with colors, replicating the bigger one.

Al Kurayba is notable too, in that, it is the ancestral home of one of the wealthiest families in Saudi Arabia; who are now the biggest private investors in Hadhramout. The same family, has paid for the building of several schools, clinics and roads. The asphalted road that passes through Wady Do'an is funded by the same family. Photos don't do justice to Al Khurayba or Wady Do'an. One has to visit and see the place to appreciate all the splendor and wonders here.

Sites from Wady Do'an

2009-07-15T03:24:00.000-07:00

Few places on earth are as spectacular in appearance and exotic as Wady Hadhramout. The most dramatic and most thrilling of all the Hadhramout Valley, is undoubtedly Wady Do'an. It has so many breathtaking sites; lush in some places and so lavish in others. It's best to move through Wady Do'an slowly and stop and take time; and enjoy the many exotic villages, the many lush fields and date palms and the many wonderful mountains. A few days ago, I had the joy of traveling through the Wady with my daughter and son. Below, are a few photos that I took:

Above: Al Hajerayn. The most spectacular in Wady Do'an and one of the oldest villages in Hadhramout. It's built on the side of a small mountain and seems to cling on its side. The mountain itself, juts dramatically upwards at the center of the cluster of the elaborately built mud houses.

There are many small villages in the Valley. From a distance, they look so alien and mysterious.

All the villages are built on the side of the cliffs or right below them. This is so, so as to provide security for the villagers in the olden days when there were many quarrels and fights between tribes. For the same reason, the houses were built close to each other so that it would be easy to defend them against enemies.

All villages too, are close to cultivated fields and the date palms. The other main villages along Wady Do'an are: Al Mash'had and Seef.

All the houses are made of mud bricks and they blend so beautifully with the cliffs and the date palms. Most of the houses go up to three or more storeys.

A few years ago, there were no proper, good roads here. But now, there is a very good tarmac road running through the Wady. Good roads also mean more tourists and more traffic through the pristine Valley, which will certainly be, in some ways, destructive to the culture and environment here.

Driving upwards, out of the Wady, and on to the highlands, is breathtaking. The road upwards, is very steep but very well built. And the view below as one goes upwards, is exhilarating. The villages, the palms and the valley are stunningly wonderful.

One of the most dramatic and most awesome of the villages is the last one, before one moves up the road to Al Mukalla. Al Khurayba, above, is a cluster of castle like, very large houses built by one of the richest families in the world. And not far from here, is the ancestral roots of another wealthy family: the Bin Ladens.

'This Is It'

2009-07-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson wanted to give his greatest and best show. One last show which he called: 'This Is It'. In death, he has done just that. His farewell memorial at the Staples Center sports arena, Los Angeles, was his most spectacular show ever, with Michael looming larger than life over the arena and crowd. And since his death, two weeks ago, he has dominated all forms of media and news headlines. Globally.

Whatever might be said about Michael Jackson, whatever one might think of him - one thing is certain: he defined an era. As for his lifestyle and as one of the most eccentric people who ever lived, it's not for us mortals to judge others; that is only God's prerogative. He will judge him the way He will judge each of us.

One thing is certain too: Michael Jackson was a genius and is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians, one of the most talented entertainers and one of the best dancers of all time; and one of the top ten African American entertainers ever, right there with - Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Harry Belafonte. Only with time, can we truly know if he was "simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived."

As Michael said: "If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with." He was loved and will always be loved by millions of people worldwide. Most probably, in the history of music, of all musicians and entertainers, none has been as loved and adored by so many, as Michael Jackson was. As he would have very much wished and wanted, he leaves this world with millions of people still loving him. In life and death, very, very few people can ever be as passionately loved and revered as Michael Jackson was and is.

Photo: TinEye

The intricate windows of Yemen

2009-07-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know of any where else, where so much care is taken to build such very elaborate, complex windows as in Yemen. Especially around Sana'a. Below, are a few photos of these windows:

I quote from the book, Yemen: Jewel of Arabia, by Charles & Patricia Aithie: "One of the most attractive aspects of Yemeni architecture, particularly domestic architecture, is the windows. These often consist of two parts: a lower part, for viewing and ventilation, separated by a lintel from an upper part which serves as a fanlight, filled with alabaster or glass to throw light inside the room. Some windows are simple openings made of shutters, alabaster and stained glass. Others include the shubaq, a perforated box structures jutting out from the wall so that women can look down into the street below without being seen...."

What makes a Man happy.....

2009-07-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

What is happiness? It means different things to different people; conditions, circumstances and times, all play a big role in making a person happy or not. But generally, it is a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy or it can be described too, as a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. And now there is the definition of happiness given by the Happy Planet Index (HPI); the index measures well-being in terms of long, happy and meaningful lives.

The HPI reflects the average years of happy life produced by a given society, nation or group of nations, per unit of planetary resources consumed. Put another way, it represents the efficiency with which countries convert the earth’s finite resources into well-being experienced by their citizens. In HPI's latest report, incredibly, but to me - understandably, the wealthiest and most developed of nations, ranked low and were the most unhappy. Small, quiet countries mostly in Latin America - lead by Costa Rica, did best. As can be seen here, most Arab countries - lead by Egypt and Saudi Arabia - didn't do that badly. Yemen, as can be expected, due to poverty and its many problems, scored poorly; and so have Lebanon and Iraq. And understandably, due to its consumerist, artificial and synthetic form - the UAE ranked lowest; together with Kuwait.

As for Costa Rica, it deserves the highest score; who can not be happy in such a country: a country that has such strict conservation laws that it protects a quarter of its land, has no standing army, enjoys continuing stability after a century of almost uninterrupted democratic government; and has the most stunningly beautiful of rivers, streams, waterfalls, valleys, mountains, greenery, jungles, beaches, coastlines and sea. Costa Rica too, internatinally, ranks 5th in the Environmental Performace Index and 50th in the United Nation's Human Development Index; and it ranks very high in most other international rankings.

On the HPI site, there is a 'calculator' for checking how 'happy', overall, one is; I decided to check mine. As I took time and was very honest and sincere in all my answers, I found the results very surprising: according to the Index, I am a very happy man. I scored a high 71.5 while the average score of all online responses to the survey was 53.1; I thought I would do poorly.

But, the HPI aside, what really makes a man happy? Personally, I believe, if a man is healthy, two things matter most. For those unmarried and still studying, being close to the family and enjoying or liking school or college matter most; and then having good friends and being physically active helps. As for those married and working: well, happy is the man who is happy with his marriage - the happier the marriage the happier the man will be. And: happy is the man who likes and enjoys his job - the more a man likes and enjoys his job, the more happy will the man be. Happiest of all men are those who have happy, contented marriages and enjoy their work. Being physically and mentally active, make it even better.

Personally, I believe, urban places, due to their artificiality and with all the crowds, concrete slabs, glass and steel - very rarely can make one happy. Most probably, that's why those living on islands and rural areas are happier and more contended. But conditions too matter; nothing can be as saddening as poverty and disease; and being in a war zone. Character too matters; one's character is, most of the time, a person's main driving force and conditioner of how one feels. Character is fate.

Contentment plays a big role in influencing a person's happiness - the wisest said: "Riches does not mean, having a great amount of property, but riches is self-contentment." - Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 76, Number 453. There are some who are never contented; either in what they possess or the condition they are in. In life, one should try to change one's situation or condition if one can; and if one can not, then he should completely accept it. And then there is the spiritual side. I believe, the more spiritually conscious, enlightened and involved one is, the happier a person would be.

As for women: what makes a woman happy? I don't know and I don't think I will ever know.