Interesting

I noticed, when looking over the new work program here more carefully, that TL essentially doubled my workload without asking me, or even telling me directly. I’m pretty unhappy about that, to put it mildly. I have to write FIVE CHAPTERS of this plan by the end of the month. Tool. Actually, I have to write five chapters in 20 days. I should also mention, in case it wasn’t obvious, that he slashed his own writing workload. This is probably because he wants to “stay above the nitty gritty”. Meaning that he doesn’t want to do the in-depth studies, because he might find that distracting. I, however, am supposed to do five of them without finding that distracting.

This is the pickle on the crap sandwich of my week.

I promise, promise, promise that I will not always be this doom-and-gloom. I will find better things to write about – once the pace of things picks up a little more, that should be easier.

On to happier topics, our client came by for a meeting with me and Franz yesterday. He said that he wants me to feel free to call him any time if I need anything, and that if Franz is not around, he will be my “protector” here. Franz later said that I don’t seem as though I need protection, and while I would normally agree with that statement, it’s nice to have while I’m here. It’s also nice because our client is a very sharp guy who is involved in the project, and seems to genuinely want it to work out well. (This is not always the case. G-man, of Pakistan fame, is a perfect example.) In e-mails within the team, we refer to him by his initials, MAB, which always makes me think of “Romeo and Juliet”. Not necessarily expecting to find a natural Shakespeare reference in Yemen, but there you go. In any case, Mab seems to be a very good guy, and he, like a few others, has said that I should feel free to call during Eid if I need anything, so that I don’t feel alone. He kind of reminds me of one of the beavers from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, if you’ve seen it. He’s kind of short and stocky, with a very friendly and inquisitive face, close-cropped, salt-and-pepper hair, and little round, wire-rimmed glasses. (It would make more sense if you could see him.) He always wears a blazer that’s slightly too big for him, but he has a very big personality that makes him appear to take up more space than he actually does.

I’m a little bummed out that there are so few restaurants deemed “safe” in Taiz (well, deemed safe by TL), because I think that food is a big part of a country’s culture. Although we’ve been able to have a good sample of things there, and they often make something different that day that we’ll order, I still feel like maybe we’re missing something. But I do like Yemeni food – at least, what little I’ve had of it. That’s actually a fun thing about traveling – how often do you get to have Pakistani or Yemeni food when you live in the US? I think that “Middle Eastern cuisine” is often described with a broad brush, but there are significant variations from country to country. (Although Pakistan isn’t part of the Middle East anyway – it’s in South Asia, and its food is almost exactly like Indian food, but meatier.) Vietnamese food is more in vogue these days in the states – it went through a period of being trendy a few years ago. But finding authentic Vietnamese food is difficult – because the best Vietnamese food in Vietnam is generally found in a hole in the wall that doesn’t always look hygienically sound. Most places in the US try to fancy it up, which often falls flat. There’s a pho place (famous traditional Vietnamese noodle soup – best with beef, but you can also get it with pork) near my house, I’ll have to try it when I go home. I also want to take a few Vietnamese grilled pork recipes out for a spin when I get home. (Not so much pork to be found in Yemen, you know.)

Alright, that seems like enough for one evening.