What I Learned Speaking in Yemen
In this solo presentation, I will share the many things I learned while visiting a country where kidnapping Westerners seems like a sport and where terrorists train with seeming impunity.
The people are not what you'd expect. Did you know the windows don't go down in an armored Lexus SUV? Did you know that coffee is being replaced by khat because it's more economical? Khat is a local narcotic that is "not a drug" and "not addictive" if you ask the locals, who all have cheeks swollen with a big wad of khat and slightly glazed eyes.
Do you know that many women feel a lot of power in wearing the veil? I will share these and various other insights.
The larger context of this session is a reflection on how our stereotypes about other countries, other cultures and other peoples are still so limiting to us in so many ways.