Have you ever seen these women wearing Abayas and Hijabs? Don't they just look beautifully elegant, every single minute of every single day? I think so.
There was a time when I couldn't have imagined having to wear this everyday of your life. It looked so heavy and warm, and I thought it must be a very irritating thing to wear, but after living in an Arab country for the last 5 years, I now have a whole different view.
Okay, so I haven't actually had the privilege to wear one of these things before. The UAE is very comfortable having expatriates walking around in their clothing of choice. There are limits though, and one should always be respectful to their wishes.
I am not someone who likes to show skin. I dress comfortably and always wear clothing that covers what should be covered. Knees and shoulders. On a day to the beach, I still manage to keep those covered. But why, would you ask? You see, sharing a town with people from all over the world, it is just appropriate not to offend as many cultures as you could. I see Western women walking around all the time with short skirts and cleavage hanging out, and I feel it does not belong here. It probably is just a matter of personal choice.
Because of the multicultural element around here, it is obvious that the men living and working here,are not used to seeing that much skin, and whether you are covered or not, Westerners gets THE STARE.
There is no shame in staring around here, and it could easily be seen as curiosity. When a woman passes by, they would forget everything they were doing, stop in the middle of conversations, turn their heads (and whole bodies for that matter) and just stare. I don't think it's on purpose, I just think that as we grew up, we were taught not to stare at people, and these guys either have not, or just don't even realize they are doing it. They are not trying to hide it either.
It's, as if life around here, for me, would be a lot more comfortable while wearing local clothing. I could wake up 20 minutes later every morning and not have to spend that time on fixing my hear, wondering which clothes to wear and I could look elegant while waiting for the school bus outside, with just pajamas underneath.
It would be so awesome to look this elegant!
Why haven't I done this already??? Not to offend their cultures just because I am uncomfortable with mine.
I will wake up earlier, dress appropriately, and ignore those stares for as long as I have to, because this is NOT my country, and I will respect them and their way of doing things.
I am just a visitor.