BUM BUM BUM! (ominous jaws-like music)

I missed Independence Day. Just completely forgot it. Woops.
And speaking of important days...
Tomorrow is a big day for South Yemen. 7/7 marks the 15th Anniversary of South Yemen's ill fated civil war –a revolt against the problematic Unification with the North. I thought after we made it through 22 May without civil war we were in the home stretch. Sure the week or two leading up to Unity day was a bit tumultuous- several people were killed at nearby riots and protests, but the big, feared mass insurrection against the North never happened. I, along with probably every foreigner in Yemen, was certainly hoping that this was all behind us. At least until next year. Obviously it’s not, because nothing changed. No resolution was found, no progress made. People are still just as unhappy and fired up now as they were before. I am good friends with two separatist men, both Yemeni, both educated abroad. These two men who have upper-middle class lives, good jobs, happy families, are chomping at the bit for succession. Just imagine how someone in a worse situation must fee- no job or prospect of a job because the government is corrupt and the economy is in shambles. And, if any jobs do become available 9 out of 10 of them will go to someone from the North. It breaks down to this- the North has the government and all the military might. The south has all the money and the education. If ever the country was to split there would be a mass exodus to the South. Not wishing a repeat of the ill-fated secession attempt in 1994, South Yemen can’t rationally seek civil war and succession unless they are getting funding and military aide from outside the country- something I have been assured they are in fact getting. I don’t think anything will happen soon, President Saleh has made it clear that they will proceed until they have exhausted all peaceful means of unity.It will certainly be interesting to see how this all plays out. My prediction- the country will completely implode within 3 years. If not, all natural resources, namely water, will be used up within a decade. And just like every developing state tottering on the edge of total destruction, Yemen will become a failed state. I hope this doesn’t happen. This is just what I’m hearing, this is just what I’m observing and deducing.. It will be interesting to move to Sana’a hopefully this fall, and get the North perspective on this issue. I am CLEARLY getting a biased view living here in Aden, the undisputed Capitol of the South.
But tomorrow is a biiig protest in Aden. My students warned me about it almost two weeks ago, explaining why they probably wouldn’t be in class. Amideast actually canceled all classes for tomorrow so no one has to be out and about unless, of course, they choose to be. I have been expressly instructed to stay at home tomorrow. I shall be safely ensconced in my apartment in Muallah, as far away from the action as you can be while still in Aden.

Also within the last three hours, over a dozen kalashnakov-bearing soldiers have stationed themselves by the roundabout by my house. To go with the half-dozen kalashnakov-bearing police officers that were already there. Whoa.