The Abaya

The Abaya is the general dress. It’s a dress which many Yemeni women wear whether they are married or single from different ages. It became very popular in a few years. Before that you barely see women wearing it. The Yemeni women like the Abaya because it is fashionable and important.

The abaya has many kinds and designs that are very beautiful and elegant. The designers create new ideas which make it more comfortable. The Abaya isn’t only black cover but it is a style going with modern designers not only in Yemen, but everywhere.

These days it is very important to wear it. It is important because it’s traditional clothing. The Yemeni women should wear the Abaya when they go outside. It makes the women feel safe and decent.

Written by: Noor, Sally, Suzan, Narsilya, Level 201

Universe

Universe is a word derived from the old French “univers” which in turn comes from the Latin roots “unus” which means “one” and “versus” (a form of vertere) which means “to turn”. Physicists and scientists attempt and try to describe and unlock the secrets of the universe by developing many instruments and inventing useful equipment. The scientists and physicists come with many theorems and theories, but the currently accepted theory is the “big bang” or “the great explosion”. The universe expands during a rapid time of cosmic inflation and when it expands it becomes cooler and less dense. The distribution of mass in the universe forms many kinds of bodies and phenomena in it such as galaxies, solar systems, comets, stars, asteroids, black holes…and many others. The universe is made up of an unknown number of galaxies, the galaxies consist of certain number of stars and it differs from one galaxy to another. Some galaxies have many numbers of stars and others maybe have only one star. Galaxies have three main shapes: 1-oval galaxy: this shape is common between the galaxies.2-spiral galaxy: this galaxy is disk-like shape and has dusty tail in the end of it. 3-irregular or unusual galaxy and it known as peculiar galaxy and it doesn’t have affixed shape. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way galaxy and the nearest galaxy to us is the Andromeda.
As our body has a builder unit called a“gene”, the universe also has its own unit which is called a “solar system”. Each galaxy has its own solar system, so our Milky Way galaxy has a solar system which has the main center called the Sun. Nine planets revolve around it, and each planet has a number of moons that rotate around it. Of course our planet is the only one which has more life than the other planets because it’s located in a suitable place in the solar system. Also, each planet revolves around the sun in orbits and it does not move in front of or behind of it.

by Nawaf Mahmood from 301

Abdul Al Halim Hafez

Abdul Al Halim Hafez was an Egyptian singer. He was born in 1929 in a small village called Alhlwat. His parents died a few months after his birth. He studied in the High Institute of Music.. He began to be a famous star at the time of the revolution of Egypt in 1952. He sang revolutionary songs, so it was said that he was the "Son of Revolution." He suffered from Bilharzia and that prevented him from acting more in Egyptian cinema. He did at least 12 movies in his life. The first movie was "Lhan Alwafa". The last movie was "Abe Fok Alsagra." Because he was a brilliant star there were many rumours around him but I think the strongest rumour in his life and after his death was his marriage to the actress Swad Hasny. Finally, the Arab nation lost the greatest singer in 1977 in London.

Wafa Ali Othman from 301

The Hope

There's always hope whatever the cause is! Don't ever be hopeless. But that comes with willpower and also patience. Just know what you want very well, then remember those 3 things, and work on it "Insha'a Allah" you'll get it. There's nothing impossible, just be optimistic.

Everyone has his or her ambitions and dreams, but the problem is they dont work for their ambitions or dreams. They only say, "I want that ,"or "I hope..". They should tire for that. One of the best experiences I've read about, is Brooke Ellison. That girl graduated from Harvard University, and she's quadriplegic.

She's really exemplary and I can't imagine how she felt when she took the degree of the university. I hope to meet her and listen to her speeches. I would say to her, "Congratulations! You did what some able people can't do." And I will "In sha'a Allah"...

When you have a hard situation, don't be afraid of that, just remember what I said.

Best wishes,

Mohammed Hadnah from 301

Qat in Yemen

Qat is kind of trees which most people in Yemen chew. Qat has green leafs which the person chew. Most people in Yemen in different ages chew Qat. They always chew Qat it after lunch. Now some woman learned to chew it. However, it has some disadvantages and some advantages.

People think that Qat makes them energetic because it gives them strength to do anything at anytime and anywhere, but it is useful just for people who have Diabetes because it can deliver the blood from excess sugar.

Qat has a lot of disadvantages which people ignore. It causes some problems for the family because it requires on money and the father spend most of his time on it there fore he doesn’t have time to set with his family. Also, it injures the health and it causes insomnia, so it is a real problem in Yemeni people’s lives.

Written by: Aimen, Rasha, Adnan and Mehdi, Level 201

The Planet Venus

Nine planets orbit the sun. Venus is the second of the inner ones. It is 108,000,000 kilometers from the sun. It's diameter is about 12,100 kilometers. Ther are 225 days in a year on Venus. A day lasts 243 "Earth days". Venus' axis is not vertical. It is tilted at an angle of 2 degrees. Venus' average temperature is 480 degrees Centigrade. It's atmosphere consists of almost 100% carbon dioxide. It contains very little water vapor. There is no water or ice. The surface doesn't move. There is no life on Venus.
Written by: Salah level 301

My Vacation to Thailand

In 2001, I went on a vacation to Thailand with my best friend. We went to Thailand from Malaysia. We took a bus. The bus was very comfortable and the trip was very scenic. But, it was really long. When we arrived in Thailand we asked for Phuket Island. After that we took a bus to Phuket Island. The bus was uncomfortable and terrible. BUT THEN WE ARRIVED IN PHUKET... It was incredible, we had a really great time. The weather was perfect and it was sunny and warm. The first thing we did was look for a hotel. The hotel was pretty good. There was a pool table in the hotel, and we played a lot. I loved it. The next morning, we went to the beach. We had a really nice time. We enjoyed snorkeling and went scuba diving. It was the first time we tried it. It was so exciting. Most of the people there were from Europe. We played volleyball with some people on the beach. In the afternoon we took a rest. We ate our delicious and healthy meals and relaxed with a massage..... To be continued....

Written by: Ali Level 301

The Famous City

In Yemen there is a lot of culture. One of the main roots of our culture is in the Hadramaut governorate. It is the most important place in the Arabian Peninsula. It is rich in history, architecture, and antiques. There are many beautiful cities in Hadramaut like; Almkla, Shibam, Alshar, and Seyun.
Amkla is the capital of Hadramaut. It is on the seashore. It has wonderful beaches and a very organized city. Shibam is an unusual city. It has unbelievable great and high buildings. They are castle-like connected clay buildings. They are called "skyscrapers" of the desert. Seyun is the biggest city where the Hadramaut valley is the widest. Alshr is an old historical city with natural hot springs. I hope that many people will come and visit Hadramaut.

Written by: Raja'a Level 301

Qat

A typical Qat market outside Sana'a

Qat is a plant that is grown in Yemen. We can say that it is the most famous plant in Yemen. Ninety percent of Yemeni people chew Qat. They think that Qat gives them energy and power to do their work in a better way. Qat is a kind of stimulant like tea and coffee. But, it is more damaging than them. There are many people without jobs or with other problems in their lives. They are chewing Qat to make themselves feel better and forget their problems. They are also chewing Qat for fun with groups of friends. And, in the end we want to say that we want to avoid these bad habits by education and awareness.

Written by: Arzaq, Salah, Ayad, and Feras in Level 301