just an observation that is not intended to offend

after a delightful skype conversation this morning with one of my dear friends and an e-mail conversation with another, it got me thinking about the veiled women (probably because they came up in conversation). i think since we (generally speaking) in the US haven't really been exposed to seeing that on a regular basis, it seems weird. like the women are completely oppressed or something, which is completely untrue.

from what you read, the books say that the women veil themselves out of respect for their religion, not because men have dictated. as i've been (hopefully) discreetly observing life around me here, you really do see that the women take great pride in this form of religious expression. and you can tell in the evening especially that they have gotten all dolled up to go out, and even though you don't see their outfit, their black abaya (that's the name for the part that goes over the clothing) is perfect, the sheyla (the headscarf part that covers their hair and usually face) is hinting at a "you just stepped out of a salon" coiffe. it's part of the tradition and culture and isn't as horrible as you may think. it's just different.

what's funny is that before we moved here, people asked me if i had to wear the veil, which i do not. i told people, "oh no, if i had to, i wouldn't want to move there." while i still am inclined to agree with that statement, as it is not my religion, i understand it more. i even think that was a dumb thing of me to say. if you have to, you have to. it's one of those things that you really have to experience to put in perspective. 

but seriously, i guess the topic of this post should have been "keep an open mind". 

many people here are devoted to their religion. when it's time to pray, if you are driving (or a passenger) on the highway, it is not uncommon to see cars, buses, etc. pulled over and people getting out to kneel down on their carpets/mats to pray. (sometimes dangerously close to the side of the speeding traffic, but that's neither here nor there!) i think it's easy to assume that this is fanatical in a bad way (thank you US media). it's not weird if jesus talks to dubya, but a regular dude in a dishdasha (or the poor guy who flew jet blue with the arabic t-shirt) get thrown into guantanamo bay for being "terrorists". does anyone else find that ridiculous? a few really bad eggs really threw everyone into a tizzy, didn't they? 

i hope no one is offended by this post, i just think that it's a shame that more people can't come (or don't want to come) to this part of the world to see it for themselves. and i don't mean to get up on a soapbox, but i'm exhausted and fatigue brings out the preacher in me sometimes. it is a super developed country, the hospitals are nicer than the 5 star hotels in the US, the people are sooo nice (minus the one parking space thief), the landscape is beautiful, the culture is so interesting, and customer service can't be beat, especially at carrefour (har har - okay that last one needs some improvement)...

i say this to you, friends and family - our door is open to you. just let us know in advance so we can plan good stuff / make sure we're here. if you might never again have a reason to come to this part of the world, your chance could be now.