Author Archives: The Next Dinner Party

Four Nights in Nice

Day 1: We rolled in to the colorful, cool, Miami-esque town of Nice in the afternoon. Immediately I was struck by the colors. Aqua water, impossibly blue sky, cool old pastel buildings, and crisp white and pastel outfits. Which is just how I pictured the place, and why I packed specific “Nice” outfits in coral,Continue reading “Four Nights in Nice”

A Week in Provence

Day 1: Geneva (Which is obviously not in Provence, but bear with me): After several flights (Yemen>Bahrain>Frankfurt>Geneva), we arrived in Europe. Mr.YemenEm and I rented a car (stick shift, which I don’t know how to drive, so he’s the sole driver of the trip. Yay!) and spent the day in Geneva, which is stately yetContinue reading “A Week in Provence”

Ma’a Salama Yemen

I’m writing this from the Bahrain airport, sipping a ridiculously good draft beer in a smoky airport bar. It’s not that Stella is even a particularly good beer. It’s just that after not being in a bar for a long time, and not having a draft beer for a long time, this is a feelingContinue reading “Ma’a Salama Yemen”

Chunk or Hunk?

There’s a saying in the State Department that people who come to difficult posts such as Yemen will end up one of five ways – as a skunk, monk, drunk, chunk, or hunk. Those first two refer to losing the will to clean oneself (and probably wallowing in depression as well) and to not gettingContinue reading “Chunk or Hunk?”

A Rude Awakening

Mr.YemenEm woke me up out of a deep sleep Tuesday morning by telling me “There was a terrorist attack at the finish line of Boston Marathon.” First, I just heard “there was a terrorist attack” and assumed it was in Yemen, possibly near the U.S. Embassy, our place of work. Then I processed the secondContinue reading “A Rude Awakening”

What I Think of Yemen

“So, what do you think of Yemen?” is a question I’m commonly asked by Yemenis. My usual response is that I haven’t seen enough of the country to form a strong opinion. I live in a hotel, and I work at the embassy, and I see very little in between (not to mention, I prettyContinue reading “What I Think of Yemen”

Getting Schooled

One day in high school, it dawned on me that was time to apply for college. I walked down the guidance counselor’s office and waited in line for my assigned counselor, who was tasked with seeing students with last names L-Z, which equaled about 2,500 students at my particularly large suburban high school. I hadContinue reading “Getting Schooled”

What’s That? A Diplomat?

Before I met Mr.YemenEm, I don’t think I knew what a diplomat was. I probably grouped diplomat with words like plutocrat, Argonaut, and Gangnam Style that I’d read and meant to look up, but never got around to. After I learned that a diplomat is a person who represents their country abroad, I still didn’tContinue reading “What’s That? A Diplomat?”

Potty Talk

Last weekend, Mr.YemenEm organized a volleyball tournament at the hotel for Yemeni high school students who recently returned from doing exchange programs in the U.S Every student desperately hoped they’d be placed in a a high rise apartment in New York City, but instead, they were placed in some really random places. (Albeit places thatContinue reading “Potty Talk”