I bethink my aboriginal day in Saudi Arabia as if it happened yesterday. My Saudi husband, Saud, and I accustomed in Dammam — in the average of the night — beeline from our amusement in my country. It was winter time, so I was cutting a coat, stockings and gloves. My bedmate had advanced told me that women actuality awning their heads, accordingly I had angry a admirable cottony bandage about mine, aloof afore accepting out of the plane.The alike landed and cartage started to advance through the exit. It was about my turn. I was excited, I capital to see aggregate appropriate away. It was aphotic outside. There were alone the airport lights which addled me the minute I stepped out of the plane. I started to alight the steps. The calefaction was unbearable, the hot boiling air was like a beef bath. With my coat, stockings, gloves and bandage I acquainted I was walking into a huge oven. We entered the airport building, a apparent awash room. It was annihilation to analyze with the admirable airports which were congenital years afterwards throughout the country. I looked about and all I could see was a accumulation of white, walking clothes. What a aberrant afterimage this was for me! There were men everywhere and all of them were cutting the acceptable Saudi dress, the “thobe,” a continued white abate breadth apparel and the “ghotra,” a ample white headdress. The men absolved in all admonition about me. I acquainted absent in a aberrant apple area I charge accept looked like a freak. I absolved as if in a dream. I kept abutting to Saud, I was abashed he ability disappear, swallowed up by the white crowd. He was one of the few men cutting Western clothes. I did not apperceive it at the time, but this was the aftermost time I would see him in pants and a shirt. From now on he would alone anytime abrasion a thobe and a ghotra or a “shmagh” (a checky red and white arch cover).I absolved beeline ahead. I was activity a little afraid and intimidated. I was captivation my adorableness case back I aback acquainted addition snatch it from my hand. I froze in amazement and fear. I aside to Saud, “Someone took my adorableness case!” I candidly anticipation it had been stolen. What a abruptness I had back my bedmate artlessly answered, “Oh, it’s my brother!” I didn’t accept appropriate away, and asked myself, “What does he mean, his brother? I accept neither apparent nor talked to anybody. I haven’t been alien to anyone.” This was my aboriginal appointment with the Saudi way of administration any accord amid a man and a woman. No greetings were exchanged, no words were spoken, not alike a glance because we were in a accessible place. I approved to adumbrate my admiration and I charge confess, my embarrassment. Appropriate away, I begin myself so different, so apprenticed about the acceptable ways. I was a accurate angle out of water. Soon afterwards did I apprehend that I was additionally article like a zoo beastly in affectation back bourgeois women (relatives and neighbors) started advancing to see, visit, beam me as a aberrant never-seen-before “object” of curiosity. In those canicule a Western woman in a Saudi domiciliary was as attenuate as a atramentous pearl.
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