Tag Archives: abaya

My Abaya (sung to the tune of “My Sharona”)

My Abaya

(to the tune of “My Sharona“, by the Knack)

 

Ooh, my little pretty cloak, my pretty cloak

When you gonna give me my time, Abaya

 

Ooh, I’d love to really run, really run

Without you on all of the time, abaya

 

Never can I stop, ‘cuz you have, such a dirty mind

I always put it on, you can’t touch, or undermine,

My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

 

Don’t come any closer, huh, or will ya, huh?

Close enough to look in my eyes, Abaya

Keeping it a mystery, it covers me

Running down my neck past my thigh, Abaya

 

Never can I stop, ‘cuz you have, such a dirty mind

I always put it on, you can’t touch, or undermine,

My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

When you gonna set us free, set us free?

Is it just a matter of time, Abaya

You say it’s our destiny, destiny

Or is it just your game in our mind, Abaya

 

Never can I stop, ‘cuz you have, such a dirty mind

I always put it on, you can’t touch, or undermine,

My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!

M-m-m-my, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

M-m-m-my Abaya!

2011-11-18 Abaya Shadow and Shoe on a Walk (4)

Home of the Free

Walking around on the streets of Denver, I’m in awe of our freedoms.

I just got back from two months in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Wow, look at that lady walking alone, head uncovered, no abaya, walking a dog!!! A big dog!

And over there, people sitting outside. Women sitting outside with men.

And on the bus. Well, first, there is a bus!!!! Then, high school kids get on the bus. Young women, without abayas or headscarves, talking to boys. They’re talking about Coke vs Diet Coke, Democrats and Republicans, and which stop they get off at.

And on the bus are women who are coming home from work. Jobs of all kinds, I imagine.

There are churches and synagogues and mosques. Cinemas. Plays. Outdoor musical performances and music playing in Chipotle. And women eating dinner with their kids, right next to a man or two.

And there are homeless people. And single moms talking about being on welfare. And guys talking about getting out of jail again.

This is the land of the free. Free to succeed or fail, but definitely in comparison to Saudi Arabia, free.

Mulan: If I Were a Boy …Saudi style

Mulan …If I Were a Boy…Joan of Arc

Just before I left Korea, I was teaching the story book of Mulan to my grade 5-6 students. 

The story of Mulan, I learned, is based on an old Chinese legend about a girl who must take her father’s place. She masquerades as a man, and becomes a famous warrior.

Other cultures have similar stories, like Joan of Arc.

So, I have this dream of masquerading as a guy, just once. (Okay, just once a week.)

Could I pull it off? Tuck my hair into something? I could wear the traditional Saudi man’s headscarf and long white tunic. A slight bulge at chest height could keep going with a bit of padding, to give that chubby Saudi belly style that many men sport.

But then, if I was wearing that, how could I fulfill my dream? I don’t want to drive. I don’t want to eat in the men’s section of a restaurant. I don’t want to play pool or ping-pong and drink coffee at the nearby hangout. And I definitely don’t want to go into the spa at the Hotel Mercure.

If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d masquerade as a man, 

so I could ride a bike!

A Real Picnic

Grass? What? Really? Where?

…was my friend’s incredulous response when we told them we’d gone on a picnic, and sat on the grass eating lunch.

King Abdulaziz Historical Center is an oasis in the city.

It made for a perfect ‘Sunday afternoon’ (okay, it was actually Friday, but the second day of our weekend). We ate hummus, babaganoush, tabouleh, Arabic-style tuna salad (peppers and lemons), and spiced fava beans.  We didn’t have a proper picnic mat or blanket. One friend said, “My abaya is my picnic mat.” aha, multipurpose these things!

The weather has been amazingly perfect, with clear sunny skies and light breezes. Just warm enough to still be comfortable wearing an abaya (yeah, we had to keep them on in the park), but not too cool to need a jacket (which you’re really supposed to wear under your abaya.)

It was a treat to see kids riding bicycles, kicking soccer balls and just playing. A girl in an abaya rollerskating was struggling, but honestly even without an abaya, she would be no roller derby contender.

Twice I tried to use the public restroom in the park. But women here can be pretty aggressive when it comes to queueing, or rather not. If you don’t have your game on, there are times when you get left in the dust. I just didn’t have it in me to fight to keep my place in line for some extremely marginal toilets. I decided to wait until we got into the museum. Good call!

map

Sweater weather

Sweater Weather

Before coming to Saudi Arabia, I thought the weather was hot. And that the variation range was: hot, pretty hot, really hot, terribly hot, unbearably hot.

I am pleasantly surprised that at least in the month of November, the weather has been perfect. Two nights ago we closed the window for the first time because it felt a little chilly. 

Today, the Riyadh weather forecast says high 71F, low 51F.

When I was walking last night, my hands were a bit cold. The rest was warm under my abaya. I found myself tucking my hands in the sleeves of my abaya, feeling way too much like Sister Mary Anyone. (Just to clarify, that’s not me in the picture. We aren’t allowed to wear anything but black!)

Abaya Transformation …Step-by-Step

Abaya Transformation Step-by-Step

To cover up completely takes several steps. There are many ways to do it. Click if you want to see it step by step.

Why do I look less like a sophisticated observant woman, than a lost nun or choir member?

Welcome to the company …Saudi style

Welcome to the Company

After arriving in Riyadh on November 4, my company set up the first meeting with me on November 12th. “Be in the lobby a few minutes before 9:30, so you’ll be ready.” I was. After about 15 minutes wait, I went up to my room, had something to eat, some tea, and a rest. My ride, a company van, showed up at 11:15 am.

I went to work, signed my contract and got my welcome kit: a briefcase, a cell phone and an abaya.

Welcome! Marhaban!