Job Discussion Forums

[trapezius]

[meyanga]

[trapezius]

*Tahlia*

[desultude]

Yes, I admit to not wearing an abaya for a lot of the last year I was there. I was covered- as much or more so than the women in the crow's clothes. I had many women, young and old, compliment me, in public, on my dresses. Some shyly gave me a thumbs up.

But I was bypassed by the women who wore niqab many times in the grocery store and other places even when I wore an abaya.

Here in Oman, most women outside of Muscat wear scarves and very brightly coloured dresses, or black abayas. Hair shows, and sometimes heads are uncovered. The diversity of dress is spectacular.

I haven't been treated rudely here at all. In fact, Omanis are generally very sweet and polite.

The slight difference in money in the Kingdom is so not worth it. If you have signed a two year contract, and you can stand it and you want to respect the contract, fine. Frankly, and with all due respect (and serious respect is due to some) I cannot understand woman who stays longer.

[Cleopatra]

[johnslat]

Dear Cleopatra,

"Perhaps it would be best not to make blanket generalisations based on your limited time in the Kingdom, and bear in mind that others' experiences might just be different from yours."

Just what "blanket generalizations" did desultude make? I couldn't find any.

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

Well... haven't gone back to review this thread, but I have to say that Desu's bad experience at her one job in Saudi does make her often paint with rather a broad brush.

Fortunately, her camel is all dressed for her happy celebration in Oman.

VS

[johnslat]

Dear veiledsentiments,

Well, I hadn't reviewed the thread, either - just desultude's post before Cleopatra's post.
Having now reviewed it, though, I still don't see any "blanket generalizations" - just accounts of her personal experience. Most of her sentences begin with "I," and tell of what happened to her.
On this thread, at any rate, I couldn't spot a generalization in her posts (with the possible exception of this: "Tolerance. What a wonderful thing!")


But maybe I'm generalizing.


Regards,
John

[Cleopatra]

I would say that an inablity to understand why any woman might want to live in KSA is something of a generalisation. I wouldn't want to live in Oman, but I know many people like it there, just as many like living in KSA.

[kazazt]

Not many, some.

[johnslat]

Dear Cleopatra,

I would disagree:

"Frankly, and with all due respect (and serious respect is due to some) I cannot understand (a) woman who stays longer."

I can't understand Einstein's Theory of Relativity, either, but I don't see how that's a generalization. It MY lack of understanding that's the main point.

I'm NOT saying (or even implying) that NO ONE could understand, nor am I saying (or implying) that the theory is wrong simply because I can't understand it.

I also can't understand why some women think Dr. Phil is great. My personal opinion (NOT a generalization) is that he's a jerk.

Actually, there are a plethora of things I can't understand.

Regards,
John

[Cleopatra]

[veiledsentiments]

[desultude]

I am not generalizing by saying I cannot understand something. I didn't say no woman should do it, I just don't understand why they would choose to.

Personally, I value my freedoms too much to stay over the two years I obligated myself to. I also detest the level of corruption I saw and knew about there. I abhorred the limitations placed upon my female students by the society at large. And, no, I am not just referring to my experiences at PMU, thank you.

I lived in the country of Saudi Arabia, not in PMU. I experienced limitations and attitudes there in one of the supposedly more liberal provinces. I saw things that I thought were just despicable.

Some women can deal with this stuff, I guess. But, given the world of opportunities out there, I still do wonder why they would choose to. I don't believe that it is my right or duty to try to change a place, so I chose to leave.

By the way, two years is a fair amount of time. Anthropologists do their fieldwork and become experts on a country in less time. I consider myself reasonably observant and intelligent. I cannot imagine having needed to have stayed longer to come to some valid conclusions about the place.

I don't retract my statement.

Thanks, Johnslat, for understanding what I meant.

[johnslat]

Dear desultude,

Thank you for not getting annoyed that I jumped in so obtrusively.

However, you really do need to watch those generalizations, such the the following:

"Tolerance. What a wonderful thing!"

Many of us who are intolerant of much in this world could take umbrage at such an all-inclusive statement.

I am, I fear, highly intolerant of intolerance.

Regards,
John