The Arabs call it the ship of the desert. Capable of enduring thirst
and hunger for days on end, the camel is the most patient of land animals.
For desert Arabs, it is a beloved companion, a source of milk and meat,
a transport facility, a sports/racing tool, and even an ally in the bedouin's
fights against foes.a
The Republic of Yemen is a relatively dry country. Yet, it has such
a diverse terrain that one can find different styles of life. These range
from the sedentary farmers, to the coastal fishermen, to the prairie shepherds,
and to the desert nomads. This story is about the camel of Al-Mahara.
The Al-Mahara camel is usually bred in groups of 40 to 120 on the fringes
of the rural and desert areas of Hawf and Ghaidha in the governorate of
Al -Mahara, the country's easternmost. It is much cherished by the bedouins
of the area, to the extent of reciting colorful folklore tales and anecdotes
whose heroes are camels.
The
camel's most frequent uses are for races, and as a means of transportation
over long distances. In ancient times, it was useful in tribal warfare.
Due to their alertness, camels are also used as watchdogs. Its light weight,
small belly, and general flexible physique enable the Mahara camel to run
fast in races. The camel's versatility has also made it useful for agricultural
purposes.
Its strength enables it to draw heavy, water-filled buckets from deep
wells, and to till farm lands.
Traditional belief has it that if a bedouin child is weaned on the
camel's milk, he or she would grow up to be strong, with good immunity
against diseases, and has a fair lovable complexion! People also believe
that medical anesthetics are ineffective if administered to someone who
drinks camel's milk. A larger than normal dose is needed.
Maharans slaughter camels to host large wedding banquets and receive
highly esteemed guests. It is a valuable source of milk or meat to a bedouin
in his daily treks over the desert. Also, water stored in the camel's stomach
can be used for drinking if a bedouin runs out of water in a desert.
Mahara camels have a great degree of sensitivity and strong eyesight
as they can identify an approaching person from a long distance. It can
also act as a guide in the desert, taking its rider to the original place
he left.
Camels in Mahara are branded with various signs or have their ears
clipped in a certain way, and are let loose in the wilderness, especially
if the female camel has no milk. The branded sign of the tribe deters potential
camel thieves. Stealing camels often leads to tribal wars.
People in Mahara still breed camels and feed camel milk to the children.
A good Mahara camel currently fetches YR 150,000 in the market. A pregnant
camel or the one which has just given birth fetches a higher price. Camels
live on grazing and rain water, and are sometimes fed on flour dough or
fish such as sardines which are bought for YR 1,000 a bag. So camels represent
a good source of income for the desert bedouins.
Impressions of an International
Teacher in Yemen
This
is about my teaching experience, my philosophy as a teacher and individual
and my experience teaching in foreign cultures.
I have taught English as a foreign language since 1981 when I first
arrived to Italy from my native Canada having taught English and other
materials since 1977. I have also taught in England in the late 80s. My
reasons for being here are that Yemen is a culturally emerging country
because people had just learned to read and write after the revolution
and there is a wide market for foreign language teaching. This means that
there's less competition for the foreign teacher here than in Italy for
example. The salary was also an influencing factor: I was looking at international
schools around the world knowing that their pays are usually better than
state run schools. I am also in a particular situation trying to break
even and having the difficulty of getting by in Italy which has been in
the midst of an economic crisis and political turmoil.
I don't think that I suffered from cultural shock like most Americans
get when they first travel away from home, I've been stressed occasionally
because I'd still like to get things done quickly and smoothly. I haven't
yet adjusted to the pace of life and I think that it will take some time.
I'd like to adjust without necessarily becoming a native of the country.
There were some things which perturbed me when I arrived, such as the
dirtiness of the country even though I was warned, how people are very
curious and crowd around, but I am used to this because while in Italy
people always asked me why I went there to live. I think this is so since
many Italians live outside their country of origin. I'm referring to people
of Italian origin who settled abroad especially after the war.
I'm teaching at an international school but not to expatriate kids
just now, in other words the school is open to anyone who wants to have
a good quality education. I'm teaching Yemenis and they are receptive,
many times they know their material when they would not normally admit
it. I think that they express a lack of knowledge to get extra attention
from the teacher, or the student is looking for extra encouragement. A
lot has to do with the impact that the foreigner makes in a new country,
the Italian or Yemenis wants to know about the teacher, he's curious, maybe
he wants to be closer to him or her.
The teacher is like a parent figure here because obviously many students
don't see their parents much while at school, so what better way is there
than for them to know the foreigner and by asking questions about his country.
One way to see if a student needs help in a subject is to surprise
him during class, so he has less time to put up his defences.
Beating is not outlawed in this country as far as punishing students
are concerned: obviously I'm influenced by my personal background so I
try to use his energies positively, and avoid violence.
How do I deal with misbehavior? sometimes I report it, sometimes I
get him to go to the whiteboard and assist me conduct the lesson. Since
all the eyes of the students are on him he quickly forgets why he created
a stir. Another thing is creating study groups with such persons as leaders.
In private schools punishment is an important issue because the parent
should be made aware of his child's offence especially if its serious.
I don't think parents would be very happy if they don't have a direct say
as to how the child should be treated.
I have been teaching kids from grade 6 up to grade 12 in Yemen and
all levels in Italy and Canada.
I don't think we have the problem that state schools have regarding
gangs in classes. Most of the kids come from cultured families and they
learn that creating gangs is not correct. The most severe punishment I
give is sending the student to the principal and only after having explained
the problem. The director deals well with the situation because he knows
the family's background. .
I am familiar with the British national curriculum used in European
schools; parents should have a choice on the standards of education be
they American or British. I haven't experienced overcrowding in my classes,
and haven't had to punish more than the odd student. I think that only
the misbehaved student should be punished rather than an entire group.
