Playing Fulla in Yemen

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I have been the Fulla, the local Barbie doll, of my yemeni friends lately, that liked to see me getting dressed in yemeni , or arabic clothes just for the fun of it.
I wish I could put pictures of some of the wonderful women I met here in Sana'a but it's been impossible to have their permission or their husbands for that matter. IMPOSSIBLE!
Even for the henna session, I tried to take a picture of Sabah doing it on me, at least her hands, and she said he husband wouldn't allow it.
Out of respect I didn't even try to sneak my camera into one of the room, celebration or hammam (though would have been fun to do so).
I guess you'll have to content yourself with me.

Gotta admit it is the most conservative, religious place I've been so far.
I am blessed to be have been able to participate in women everyday life, and have enjoyed seeing them interact with each other in markets, shops, at dinner, with the kids, in the hammam, at the dressmaker all gathered, their black scarf well put up on top of their head, even with their husband.
It is fascinating, they do fascinate me.
They are so beautiful, in their manners, in the way they look after their children, and breastfeed them even after they are a year and a half old, how they kneel down to cook in the kitchen, by the floor, when us westerners are so used to be comfortably seated by the table when cutting carefully our vegetables, WHEN we do decide to cook.
The way they make bread every single day, with such love and such tender touch it melts in your mouth when you eat it.
The way they also put up with their husband who argue with them because they have put some make up on their face before getting to the wedding of their neighbour, even if noone apart from the women at the celebration will see them wearing some.
The women I met were also most of them almost ten years younger than me, and seemed sooo much mature, knowing how to cope with 3 little children running around the house like crazy, a husband sitting down on the carpet in the living room chewing Qat, and the dinner to fix for the 12 members of the family gathered in the house to welcome the very special foreigner guest that is honouring their humble home.
I cannot help but have a great respect for them and the life they chose to live. It is a simple life, and they love every bit of it. Because they know nothing else maybe, but why would it be wrong? Isn't this the secret to live blissfully ever after?

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