Hadi's New Year Resolutions for 2015

                            -----           Hadi's New Year Resolutions           -----

                                                         ---   2015   ---

- Learn Arabic & how to 'Twitter' (Yeah, congrats/condolence/vague crap not cutting it).

- Learn how to 'people' instead of 'politics' (Reassuring note to self: Pfft! My strategic politics are awesome, but apparently popularity is more important to these dimwits.. now that all else is lost..because of saboteurs of course, definitely not due my politics).

- Lead by example, grow some balls, and for Heavens sake make move. The last words of a traitor whom I naively considered a friend and later banished were: "Hadi, people and simple-folks get to bitch, Presidents act." Ha! Words of a jealous hater! But I guess I owe it to the good times we had in the past to give enough benefit of doubt and test advice.

- Leave presidential palace and go out & about, if not to mingle with the 6 Million whom voted for me (Huh! Ain't nobody got time for that!), well to at least show these suckers I'm still Big Boss (Hehe, like the sound of that) & can freely move around. Darn, this is all because of that stupid rumor of me being forcefully confined to palace by Houthis.

- Look into the scathing review/critique by them despicable ex-regime and other sour losers of my plans/performance (Reassuring Note to self: Haters gonna hate! If too insolent, you can always move bigots from Naughty List to 'Not Here Anymore' List). 

- Stop listening to and rewarding the so called "loyalists" even if they are so damn good at praising my wisdom..among other things they do..hmm..(Note to self: Seriously, never occurred to me before and now I'm curious, heck is it these jesters really do?). Not that a President doesn't need positive reinforcement/encouragement, but because rewards exceedingly hard to come by with treasury on brink of bankruptcy and Houthis forcing themselves into state posts. Damn these Houthis! Just when I've ridden myself of Saleh & Ahmars.

A Houthi Checkpoint in Sana'a

Driving with a western friend in Sana'a today when we came across a Houthi checkpoint manned by a couple of kids with AK47s

Exchange with the AK47-toting 14yr old comically trying to look/sound menacing in role as popular security committee. 

Me: Assalamu Alaikom (Hello) 

Kid: Walaikom. 

(Kid trying to peek into car but windows tinted)

Kid: Please lower windshield for backseat 

Me: Sure.

Kid: Where's the security escort?

Me: What security escort!?

(Kid pointing at my friend)

Kid: For the foreigner riding with you.

Me: Oh, he's not a diplomat. Just a friend visiting. I'm all the security he's got.

(Kid not convinced and sarcastically..)

Kid: Yeah, I bet he wants to visit Mareb for sightseeing too. What's your friend's name and where is he from?

Me: Haha, no just Sana'a, name is John Doe and from Timbuktu.

Kid: Did he register entry at airport? Show me his passport.

(No, he snuck through tunnel which he dug from Timbuktu to Sana'a)

Me: Of course he did. Here you go.

(Kid flipping through pages and visibly irked)

Kid: This is the English version! Where is the Arabic copy?

(%#€£¥*~#¥!!!???)

Me: His government only issues one passport & usually in native language, English.

(Kid bit in my sarcasm and sternly responds)

Kid: Not what I asked. Where is his Yemeni issued passport at Sana'a airport.

Me: Yemen government doesn't not issue passports to visiting foreigners.

Kid: Passport, ID, or whatever. You know what I mean, the official registration of entry.

Me: Here's Yemen visa, and here's immigration stamp of entry.

Kid: Hmm. There's something wrong with this visa.

(Calls his other 14yr old buddy to check authenticity of visa)

Kid: Yeah, why is his name written in English on the Yemen visa?

(Me taking back passport and flipping to first page with picture of holder)

Me: Because it has to exactly match name on passport's holder.

(Kid rudely snatching back passport)

Kid: Well his government should've known better sending him here and printing name on visa in English when this is an Arabic speaking nation.

(Me now losing cool and stepping out of car)

Me: His government didn't send him, I already told you, he is visiting on own accord. It was Yemen government that printed it in English, because you know, they are the ones issuing visa. Perhaps we should call them now to sort this.

Kid: Well...well this is exactly why we (Houthis) are now assuming control of government...to correct such mess. No need to call, I will inform Ansaruallah (Houthis) of this myself and they will deal it. Okay, move along.