Luck O' the Irish...In Yemen

So the other day was St. Patty’s day- for years and years I have been precluded from celebrating my heritage as any young Irish lass should(by downing green pints and Irish carbombs and living it up with my friends) because I was either STLL IN HIGH SCHOOL or because I was trapped with my softball team at a sleazy hotel in the middle of nowhere Delaware- MISERABLE, playing far too many games or, more likely, huddled in the bus because we were under a constant barrage of rainstorms, game delays, too-cold-to-be-legal weather situations and overall misery. There was one notable exception however and while it has absolutely no bearing or pertinence to this blog I’m going to post them anyway because the WORLD NEEDS TO SEE THESE AMAZINGLY CANDID PICTURES. This has to be the absolute, MOST GLORIOUS, accidently taken series of photographs in all of creation.

Things to note- in a moment of profound stupidity someone bought generic whiskey and baileys. IT IS NOT THE SAME.



Here we are getting ready to drink the carbombs- Taryn "come on come on! Pay attention! Hellooo its bombtime girls! PALMS!" Mendy and Kip are getting ready, Palms isn't giving this anywhere close to the proper attention it deserves.








All of us drinking steadily- I am employing the two-handed method for optimum guzzling effect. Please note Kip's blue cup.











I finished mine instantly and am expressing my triumph through a double fist-pump, Mendy is disgusted with me for actually drinking that noxious brew. Palms is shadily trying to pour her's out so we don't notice that she didn't drink it. Kip(with mostly full cup set down on table) is now booting in the bathroom after one sip. OOOOOOOH st. pattys!





So here I find myself once again celebrating St. Patty’s day in an atypical situation... I’m in Yemen. I tried to teach my students about this holiday but lets just say it didn’t translate too well. With limited choices we decided to go to Ching Sing the famous, or I guess, only Yemeni Chinese restaurant. Word on the street was that they had an extremely limited albeit downright tasty selection of beers. WHAT?!? BEER?!? This is an Islamic state! Alcohol is forbidden! Will I be arrested upon first sip? Hmmmm… it is St. Patty’s day though… what would my ancestors do….So off we went. Upon arrival as if drawn by a magnet our eyes locked on the minuscule selection of brews; Amstel light, a Heineken look-alike fake-out, and some weird French beer-flavored water. Okay awesome. Shall we sit down, leisurely order, peruse the menu? No. Beer. B-E-E-R. WE WANT B.E.E.R. “Thalatha Thalatha thalatha!(3)” we shouted, gesticulating wildly toward the bar area in our excitement. At 1500 riyals a piece it was the most delectably frosty, and refreshing, genial beverage I have ever had. We joked about trying to find some Irish carbombs because, hellooo whiskey, bailey’s and Guinness is an ambrosial mix and what Irish celebration is complete without it, but then we were like wait…hmmmm, we’re in Yemen… prompting the new slogan- Yemen, home of the not so delicious carbombs. Get it?! I’m joking!! As it has been an unprecedented two and a half weeks since I’ve last imbibed I cut myself off after two cans of golden deliciousness because, really, why come to Yemen to drink? There is so much beauty and culture and fun at hand! But it was a hysterical situation anyway- An Irish celebration, at a Chinese restaurant, drinking French beer, in the Middle East. How utter absurd and delightful.