Mark Twain said in The Innocents Abroad "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, and charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." I preface my post with this because I want to illustrate the different, untrue, or unfair views that people often have in countries throughout the world.
Some of my students refuse to believe me when I say I have never had alcohol or drugs. Some are convinced that all Americans do these things all the time. Chris's students told him that people in America get shot all the time and believe we see this stuff quite a bit. It is funny to hear their perceptions of the US. I have had some students say similar things. One student said he would never go to America because he doesn't want to be shot. Isn't it funny that many Americans believe the same things about Saudi Arabia? I remember when I prepared to come here and other countries in the Middle East people would say "don't get shot" or "watch out for terrorists" I try to tell my students what America is like, but I really don't know if they believe me. Point - Americans think Saudi is dangerous, Saudis think America is dangerous.
I had a funny conversation with my students a few weeks ago about bathrooms. Many of the bathrooms in Saudi Arabia have squatter toilets. There is no toilet paper, but you do have a hose that sprays water. This is how you clean yourself. My students were telling me how disgusting it is that Americans use toilet paper to clean themselves. I thought this was funny because I can imagine a lot of Americans saying how gross it is that Saudi's use spray hoses. I actually can understand why Saudis would think this, after all, you actually use your hand to clean yourselves with paper. I told them that despite how you feel about the subject, American bathrooms are BY FAR much much cleaner than bathrooms I come across in this country. I have seen some pretty disturbing bathrooms here. I personally would take the toilet paper with clean bathrooms as opposed to the hoses and dirty bathrooms. Point - Americans don't like Saudi bathrooms, Saudis don't like American bathrooms.
A week or two ago Chris's students asked him if he would ever come back to Saudi in the future and maybe bring his wife (assuming he ever gets married of course). Chris told them he would not because he didn't think his wife would like it here. The students wanted to know why so he gave them a few reasons, one being that he didn't think his wife would like wearing an abaya. After all, it gets pretty hot in the summer (it is usually 110-115 degrees) and why would you want to cover yourself in a black blanket? Not to mention that she could never go outside without a man escorting her. This led the students to say why women wear abayas. One student said women who don't wear abaya's are bit****. They used quite an interesting analogy and here it is - they said "teacher, do you like wrapped candy or unwrapped candy." You can imagine why this would be completely offensive to us. Women are not candy, but people. They are not an object created for our pleasure, but have thoughts and feelings of their own. Chris and I have often had conversations about this subject amongst ourselves while living here. Many Saudi's are offended (and rightly so) by the blatant sexualizing of women in America. I find it incredibly offensive and disturbing and I am sometimes embarrassed by what other people think about America because of what they see on TV. But on the other hand, I have often felt that by doing the extreme opposite, covering your women and never allowing people to talk to them, you do the exact same thing of sexualizing them - hence the fact that some students would say women are candy. The fact that some students compared women to candy would be extremely offensive to women and men throughout the world. I have found that in almost everything I can think of, extremes in just about any subject can be dangerous. In saying this I do not mean any disrespect to the women in this country who choose to wear abayas. Many women would choose to do this even if they had the freedom to do so. Many women in Turkey and other countries do this of their own choice and I think that is their right to do so and I think it is great they want to be modest and follow their God. Please also understand that not all the students nor do all the people in this country feel this way. Like all countries there are various opinions on many subjects. Point - Saudis find treatment of women of America offensive, and Americans find treatment of women in Saudi offensive. (Perhaps we are both right in some ways)
It has been a great educational experience living in this country let me tell you. My eyes have been opened to a way of life completely different from what I have understood and lived. It really gets you thinking (I'm mentally exhausted!) Isn't it funny all the misconceptions and beliefs that people have of other countries when they have never been there? One thing I wish I could instill in all people in Saudi and America is the ability to put yourself in another person's shoes, to imagine what your life might be like if you were another person in another situation. With that, let me say that I am almost finished with my time here. I have a month and a half left and then I'm flying to Spain for a few weeks and then America. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. P.S. I'm going to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow to visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai for four days, so I'll write about that later.
Mark, this was a pleasure to read. Extremely well put. I like to write too as you know but don't have time because I'm drawing. Point: Mark doesn't draw much because he's writing stuff, James doesn't write much because he's drawing stuff. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Dubai and U.A.E.! Tell Chris hi!