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Please click on the link to listen (song opens in a new window): Mailman ساعى البريد (The song “Mailman ساعى البريد” is by the beloved Yemeni singer Ayoub Taresh, used without permission, but I hope he will forgive me.)

I haven’t been able to say goodbye to Yemen, the land which the Greeks and Romans called Eudaimon Arabia / Arabia Felix – or Blessed, Prosperous Arabia.

Yemen adopted me for most of the last decade and was generous to me in so many ways, both challenging and rewarding me. I will always carry with me the ruggedness of its landscape and the gentleness of its people, who give so much even when they have so little to give.

Yemen is facing a rocky road ahead. Yemenis, like the rest of the Arabs, need change and are striving for a better future, a future that they can shape themselves. I wish them all the best. All of us who have lived and grown fond of Yemen hope that this transitional period will remain peaceful and that Yemenis no longer have to suffer needlessly.

I will miss Old Sanaa tremendously, walking in its alleys and being taken to a different time, and being told repeatedly, “Welcome to Yemen”. I will always think of every corner, every family, every friend, and every moment of serenity that this beautiful land offered me. I will always be grateful to the generosity of Yemen and of Yemenis. Words fall short and hollow.

So, thank you, Yemen, and hopefully this is not farewell, but see you again. “Ayya khidma?”

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