The Purring Khat

When you arrive to live for some time in a dramatically different context, you may try to increase your chances of survival by camaleonically merging into the new social and cultural environment. But those who travel a lot are aware that these pseudo-darwinistc efforts to decrease vulnerability, or to adapt, actually have limited success. Hopelessly, no matter how hard you try to fit, you will always be a funny external element in the picture. In other words, the best you can do, on the one hand, is to enter the new environment in the most descreet way, as to be better tollerated; on the other hand, you should try to tollerate yourself many “crazy” things you will find in the place. But there will always be some you will never manage to accept; as far as I am concerned, I am having some difficulties with khat.

Let me immediately warn you that I personally never had the experience of its psychotropic properties on myself, and I do not plan to have it. Writing about something I do not really know may entail a credibility issue; therefore, I shall limit myself to describe the interference khat has on my day in Socotra.

Wikipedia describes khat (Catha edulis) “as a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arab Peninsula.” (for furher infos on the matter, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khat). R. Folch, in his article “Khat” (El Periódico de Catalunya, 17th February 2008), explains very well its importance in Yemen: “Every afternoon, millions of Yemenis sit in group to chat, while they tear and chew the khat [leafs] they have just bought in the shop around the corner”. Khat cultivations substituted first quality coffee plantations and I even read that many people in Yemen die in the attempt to steal it, killed by the electrified fences or anti-personnel mines (!) around the cultivations. Once limited to weekends and now generalised throughout the week, Folch must obvoiusly be right when describing the consumption of khat as “a social problem”.

The Yemeni and Socotri societies are quite different. Actually, the plant does not grow in Socotra and it only arrrived in the early Nineties: therefore, far from being a Socotri tradition, khat is an external element in this island (just like me!) and, apparently, is getting to be a “social problem” like in Yemen, at least in the urban area of Hadibo. It is a pain in the neck indeed, especially for those willing to work in the afternoons, like many foreigners: if they need assistance from the locals, they have serious difficulties in getting them active. It seems that, during the Soviet adventure in the Yemeni civil war, Russians tried to erradicate khat from South Yemen (the belligerent side they were supporting) and to promote vodka instead. After the reunification, these efforts rapidly disappeared and any “vicious” change rapidly reversed. Recently, I heard a rumour about Yemenia Airways wanting to forbid khat on the planes going to Socotra, but it sounds pretty irrealistic to me.

If you complain and try to motivate the boys to work, by pointing out that to be active also in the afternoons can only increase the GNP of the country, they would just say: “You should respect such tradition! Come and enjoy khat with us!” Though it would be nice if UNESCO could provide us some clear guidelines to know how long it takes for a simple “let’s get high session” to become a “cultural tradition”, I anyway doubt that 15 years would be enough time. The numerous coffee-shops in the Netherlands did not turn Cannabis indica cosumption into a genuine Dutch tradition yet, as far as I know…

According to Wikipedia, “Khat contains the alkaloid cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant which causes excitement and euphoria”. As I do not know any Yemeni male who does not regularly chew khat, I have asked here and there what is it like, and this is a sample of the answers I got: “you don’t feel bored in doing what you do!”, “you have very pleasant chats with your mates!”, or “the driver will concentrate on driving, and the political scientist on finding the perfect way to rule a community!” Apparently, after spitting the mushed leafs, some people experience a lonely and depressive fall-down.

Finally, Wikipedia reminds that the World Health Organisation classified it as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence. To spend 30,000 Yemen Reials a month on khat when the avarage monthly salary is about 20,000 is not so “mild”; to blow up on a mine to get some leafs for the afternoon is not really “moderate”; but to interact with a guy who is strangely staring at you and speaking through the green purée behind his cheek can actually… get on your nerves!