March 16th, 7:00-10:00pm
Norah’s apartment
I enjoyed meeting Norah’s two adorable kids and talking with
her and her husband Faisal at their apartment. They were very hospitable and
served me Arabic coffee with dates and cookies. I asked Norah and her husband
how they met, which led to a very enlightening conversation about arranged
marriage and courtship customs in Saudi Arabia. We also talked about holidays
and recreation, and I learned that this time of year many Saudi families like
to go camping in the dessert. Norah explained to me how the country’s economy
has been on the decline for several years now. She thinks that it will continue
to worsen and is due mostly to corruption in the government, its dependence
on oil and a lack of comprehensive planning. I learned that Norah dreams
of starting a private English school one day when she returns home and that I
might have a job offer there if I succeed at earning my TEFL certificate. I was
surprised when Norah told me that she is tired of being asked by Americans as
well as other foreign students if it’s true that women can’t drive in Saudi
Arabia. She and her husband both argued that it’s not a big deal in their
country, that many forms of transportation exist for the women, and they wish
people would stop focusing on this issue.
I love how hospitable other cultures are in comparison with our own! Congrats on possibly having a potential job offer in India after this course!! That's really exciting news :D I didn't know about the fact that women aren't able to drive in Saudi Arabia, but I'm glad it's not as big of an issue as people make it. I think it's important to hear other cultures' perspectives on issues/non-issues. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete