Some of the boys were determined to buy dishdashas (long traditional garments) and kufiyehs (the headresses you've probably seen before) for the rural homestay. A few of the girls figured they'd come along and buy bedouin dresses. So the program coordinator took us back to Wust al-Balad (downtown) to go shopping. Instead of shopping around, we basically just all bought it from the first shop we came to, which gave us a discount for all buying there. (My host mother also just took me to one store when she took me to get something later; I wonder if it's a cultural thing, but I'd need more data to draw a conclusion.) The boys went first, and we stood around while they debated colors and collars. We told them they had to help us, and shockingly enough some of them actually did. One in particular boasted "an eye for color". Personally, I walked in, saw a blue dress I liked, figured out my size, and just decided to get it. I was done before anyone noticed we'd started looking, and then I waited around while everyone else debated color choices and tried on different patterns. Yes. I made a quick and decisive purchase. A quick and decisive clothing purchase on a trip in which time and input were available, no less. And no one around me even had the sense to be shocked.
About half the people wore their new clothes to class the next day. I have to say, dishdashas and kufiyehs are hot. Also, word on the street is that they make people smarter in Arabic class.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment