If you ask anyone to describe what a Saudi woman wears, most likely they will say a long, black garment. Technically, that answer is correct. Saudi women are required to wear an abaya, or robe-like garment when they are in public. With that being said, just because women wear abayas in public, doesn’t mean that they aren’t…
Tag: islam
Why do you blog?
Recently I received a message from a former professor I had in my undergraduate career at Marshall University. He informed me that he would be teaching a class in the spring semester focusing on blogging and other forms of social media, and asked me to write a few words about what I do and why…
Oppressed or Overdressed: Fashionable abayas
Saudi Arabia in the past was a very common place to see women dressed in all black everything, from head to toe, revealing only their eyes. Some places of Saudi Arabia still have strict cultural norms requiring women to wear the niqab (think piece of fabric covering the face) to feel comfortable. However, now that…
one.
It’s so crazy to think I called off work, flew to Riyadh, and eloped one year ago. Here’s hoping to a lifetime more.
Arabian hospitality
There are so many negative stereotypes regarding the Arab culture, one nasty one being “they’ll kill you over there.” In my experience, it’s actually quite the opposite. People are very excited to find out I am American, and often want to get to know me better. I honestly believe that Americans here get treated with…
Everything is temporary
While I am waiting on my visa to arrive, I feel like everything is so temporary. I can’t make any solid, long term plans because I don’t know how long I have until I return back to KSA. The other day there was a really great sale on chicken at the grocery store and I…
Sassin’ the Sheik
So, if you didn’t read part one, maybe head on over and do so before you read this post. M had left to find the other sheik he had spoken two. He had made two separate trips to the courthouse to speak to this man about our marriage, and he had agreed to marry us….
Marriage Mayhem
Saturday evening I took an overpriced taxi to the airport so I could head to Riyadh. The man working at the counter recognized who I was while I was wearing a niqab before even checking my ID, which was a neat experience. In reality he probably only reconized me because I don’t speak a single…
Motawhatever
This is part two of a two part post detailing my weekend in Riyadh. If you want to read part one click here. As soon as I saw them, I immediately recognized them as motawah. They have long beards, short dishdashas, and the face of a bastard with an angry snarl that never quite goes away….
I don’t.
I know everything in this country is a giant pain, so you would think I wouldn’t be so surprised to find out that the marriage process is difficult. I didn’t realize that it’s senseless. Seriously. It makes no fricking sense. Dr. Mo went today to talk to someone in one of the courts to see…
But they hate Americans
Often I am harassed by many people, even my own family, for my decision to move to Saudi Arabia. Everyone tells me how much the people in Saudi Arabia hate Americans. And it’s insane that they tell me these things, because I live here, I should be the ones telling them, right? So, I will…
Kendra in KSA 