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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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 Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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You are never completely covered in the Emirates. That is only in Saudi. But, what you wear on the streets is just as important as what you wear when you teach IMHO. The non-Western public seeing a woman with lots of skin showing assumes that she is a hooker. (and will often sidle up and whisper "ruski?" which means that he assumes that you are a Russian prostitute)
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crazycatlady
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 46
Location: suffocating under a pile of cats
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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well, the skimpiest i ever go is an a-line skirt to the knee, and a sleeveless or cap-sleeved top with a scoop neck.
will i look like a hooker? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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| crazycatlady wrote: |
well, the skimpiest i ever go is an a-line skirt to the knee, and a sleeveless or cap-sleeved top with a scoop neck.
will i look like a hooker? |
Yes!!
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michgreen
Joined: 16 Apr 2010
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
well, the skimpiest i ever go is an a-line skirt to the knee, and a sleeveless or cap-sleeved top with a scoop neck.
will i look like a hooker? |
No. I've seen my colleagues wear a lot worse on campus. |
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No_Longer_Surprised
Joined: 20 Jun 2010
Posts: 7
Location: In My Own Mind
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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Couple points:
*Agree with michgreen. You will not look like a tart!! Simply put, just use common sense. Most often, you will see that you are dressing just like you did at home. (Most women would not show cleavage or see thru clothes to work in thier home countries.) And you will not have to put "cover up" clothes at your place of work.
*Now a days, people only use tailors to get something unique made or to replicate something they have. A truely good tailor is hard to find and ends up costing much, much more than simply buying your clothes at the mall. As pointed out, stores are plentiful.
*Also, as pointed out, DO NOT waste space by bringing extra toothpaste, soap, OTC medicines, etc.... I have no idea why anyone would give you that kind of advice. Everything you need or want is available. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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| michgreen wrote: |
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well, the skimpiest i ever go is an a-line skirt to the knee, and a sleeveless or cap-sleeved top with a scoop neck.
will i look like a hooker? |
No. I've seen my colleagues wear a lot worse on campus. |
The fact that anyone has seen colleagues wear this or worse does not trump the fact that the general populace and the local culture will immediately assume that these women are nothing but whores. It just proves to them every negative stereotype they have about Western women.
Of course, if one doesn't mind offending the local culture, one can feel free to wear whatever one likes. While the members of your own culture may not think you look like a tart, every Emirati will.
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| No_Longer_Surprised wrote: |
| *Also, as pointed out, DO NOT waste space by bringing extra toothpaste, soap, OTC medicines, etc.... I have no idea why anyone would give you that kind of advice. Everything you need or want is available. |
I forgot to comment on this. I would suspect that this is not posted by an American or a woman. The reality is that one can often not find one's favorite of a particular product even here in the US. There are things that can be purchased in the state of my winter home that have never been seen in the state of my summer home. In fact, I purchase things that I can only get on the internet and that can't be found in stores in either state. And I very much doubt that any city in the Emirates carries every single American product. To even suggest that they do is rather funny actually... 
So... as I said... if you are one of those people who absolutely loves a certain brand of whatever and MUST have it... you may want to take it with you. It is not as though an extra tube of toothpaste or two will put you overweight. Being overseas gives you the chance to try different brands and each year you are able to bring fewer items. As I said in my original post, by the end of my Gulf career, it was only vitamins that I brought each year. Even though there were GNC stores, they did NOT have the same inventory.
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michgreen
Joined: 16 Apr 2010
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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Regardless of what we wear, most if not all non-westerners (Emirati, other Arabs, non-Arabs...) think we are tarts. I have worn the baggy pants, long skirts, long tunics, and covered my hair and still got stared at and commented on. I'm not advocating that the OP go skimpy. I'm just saying, she's going to see everything.
In terms of products, I stocked pile on a whole bunch of female products before going over the first time only to find better quality European ones.
If you like a certain product thats hard to get even in NA, then by all means stock pile. But the UAE is not the backwater place that it used to be. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:23 am Post subject: |
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| michgreen wrote: |
| If you like a certain product thats hard to get even in NA, then by all means stock pile. But the UAE is not the backwater place that it used to be. |
I'm wondering when it was a backwater... the 70s or 80s? It wasn't by the time I arrived in the early 90s. It has always had an interesting variety of European, Australian, Asian, and American products. But, some people are not into experimentation.
BTW... not all the staring has anything to do with your dress or pulchritude. Have you ever been to India? Every single person of every age and sex will stare at you as if you forgot to put your clothing on when you left your hotel. So as often as not it is cultural. But, I am not referring to staring. I am referring to dressing in a way that respects the culture.
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Sheikh N Bake
Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 1307
Location: Dis ting of ours
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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| No_Longer_Surprised wrote: |
Couple points:
*Agree with michgreen.
*Also, as pointed out, DO NOT waste space by bringing extra toothpaste, soap, OTC medicines, etc.... I have no idea why anyone would give you that kind of advice. Everything you need or want is available. |
I disagree that everything you have in the US, at least, is available here--certainly not by every one of your favorite brands. Furthermore, once you find a product you like, it promptly disappears off the shelves for 6-12 months.
I use www.drugstore.com occasionally. They deliver US products overseas via the US postal service. Here in a remote area of Saudi Arabia I received a good-sized parcel from them with various goodies including a four-month supply of EmergenC, a fizzy drink with not only vit. C but also a bunch of minerals and electrolytes. Shipping was $29 |
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MrScaramanga
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 221
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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The mere fact that you may not be muslim and do not cover your hair will be enough to qualify you as a prostitute, no matter what else you may or may not be wearing.
BTW, the term is "Russi", not "Ruski".
MrS |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| MrScaramanga wrote: |
BTW, the term is "Russi", not "Ruski".
MrS |
So, it was you!! I knew it!!
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helenl
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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Don't know about other emirates, but in Sharjah and Ajman - it's definitely Ruski - how many times have you been "approached" Mr. S.  |
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michgreen
Joined: 16 Apr 2010
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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I used to pass through Abu Dhabi and Dubai when I was a PCV in Sri Lanka and India in the mid to late 80s and feminine products were hard to come by in UAE. 
And I agree with you, it is cultural. |
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No_Longer_Surprised
Joined: 20 Jun 2010
Posts: 7
Location: In My Own Mind
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| Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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veiledsentiments wrote
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| I forgot to comment on this. I would suspect that this is not posted by an American.... |
You "suspect" wrong. Things change all the time every where and this is especially true in the Gulf. Somewhere you posted that you were in the UAE in the 90's. Its 2010, things have changed. And I stick by my saying that there is no reason to stockpile shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Its all available. Just like in the states, maybe from time to time you have to buy Colgate Mint instead of Colgate Peppermint. The average person will be able to live through this horrible situation!
I was home (Washington DC) during December. I did not find Colgate Chocolate but found it last weekend when I was in Al Ain. Go figure. |
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