Family

I have been adopted. About two weeks ago- through an astounding series of slight acquaintanceships and tenuous-familial relations (With literally no affiliation with my NGO- My friend Muhammad’s friend’s cousin, who works with a man, who knows the uncle of a brother-in-law who’s wife is the sister of a woman who speaks English…)- I was put into contact with a Yemeni family. They are Yemeni, but spent 10 years in the UK before moving back to Aden. Initially the idea was that I would go and meet them, discuss options, maybe they could teach me some Arabic, play it by ear, etc. It was pretty much mutual love at first site. I adore them and vice versa. I go every weeknight after evening prayer and stay for a couple of hours. I have learned about two words in Arabic thus far because we just get so dang excited we are all yammering away in English. I essentially go at family togetherness hour- I do my lesson plans for teaching, the girls do their homework, the kids run and play around, we make tea- I just really like being there. Apparently I have developed a strange habit of adopting parents wherever I go- I now have my own beloved family, plus Mama and Papa Sterrett(my East coast family, love you!) and now The Tawambiyah’s from Yemen!
They are absolutely delightful. The two teenage girls- Sabrina and Sherin(15 and 16 years old) are exuberant and funny. They have had the best of both worlds; born and raised in the UK and then back to their home country for their teenage years- an amazingly authentic look into both West/Eastern culture.
They commonly refer to me as their sister Taryn, and even joke with their friends at school about how they recently got a new member of their family. “Oh who had a baby? You’re cousin Reena?” “No no…. she’s already 23…and pale.”
I too just refer to them as my family “Want to come to dinner?” “Oh sorry can't, I have plans with my family” and I get in response “WHAT?!? You’re parents are here?! Really! Can we meet them? Do they like it?!” No no no, my YEMENI FAMILY, Helloooooo obvi.

We have recently started going on mini adventures- they take me out to get the best spices and fruit, or introduce me to wild new food items (such as a big leaf that is covered in licorice seed, coconut, sugar and pieces of a fragrant wood that you knaw on for awhile called “toombol”..) They other day we were prowling the suq( I have discovered a second suq- this one much smaller than the one described in a previous post but MUCH more like what I originally thought a suq would look like- all dark and crowded and winding) when the power went off! It was thrilling to be following shadowy figures all speaking a foreign language in a dark, narrow, winding alleyway! When the power came on there were shouts of jubilation all around. Amazing.

Their traditional Yemeni sitting room. These "couches" are amazingly comfortable and I really am becoming quite graceful and lady-like as I recline amongst the cushions. The First pic is of my cousin Yussuf and I.
Also- everything in the second pic besides the pink backpack is mine... I just bombarded my presence into their lives as though I own the place.