Well it has been a darn long time since I have blogged, but the past few days have been filled with some "only in the UAE" blog-worthy experiences.
On the weekend I was in Dubai waiting on a park bench, for my friends to come pick me up, just outside of the beach. Many people were walking by. Like it or not, when you go to the beach in Dubai there is a population of men who come to the beach just to take pictures of women. These men are often very far from home and from access to their wives or any women at all, so they take every opportunity to stare and take a picture if they can manage. I was sitting on the bench and I saw two men coming toward me, taking pictures as they got closer to me. This was an obvious guise for preparing to try to get me in their shot, so I put on my best face for them..
On the weekend I was in Dubai waiting on a park bench, for my friends to come pick me up, just outside of the beach. Many people were walking by. Like it or not, when you go to the beach in Dubai there is a population of men who come to the beach just to take pictures of women. These men are often very far from home and from access to their wives or any women at all, so they take every opportunity to stare and take a picture if they can manage. I was sitting on the bench and I saw two men coming toward me, taking pictures as they got closer to me. This was an obvious guise for preparing to try to get me in their shot, so I put on my best face for them..
When they got close enough the guy took a sweet pose resting on the GARBAGE CAN which just happened to be right next to me. Fine, can't blame them for taking the opportunity I guess.
About 10 minutes later two more guys came walking by and I happened to look up as the one walked by less than a foot away from me with a professional camera around his neck. As he walked by with the camera right in my face I could hear the shutter going off, about 5 times as he went by. This felt like a little too much of a violation of my privacy (or my right to sit on a bench without being creeped on) so I did yell at him pretty severely. I won't write here what I yelled, because it wasn't very lady like :) It disturbed me for the rest of the day because he has close up pictures of my face, to do with what he will. Any guesses why he was taking pics of women at the beach? *shudder*
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I was the local fancy hotel in Al Ain on thursday night having a drink by the pool with my hubby and friends. There is a bathroom that has a small lobby and then the men and women's bathrooms have separate doors from there. This hotel, while very nice, has been known to be one of the pick up joints for local men to find their nightly conquest, but what I saw surprised even me! I was walking into the bathroom lobby when I saw a local man (in national dress..no less) exchange money with a cross-dressing filipino prostitute, and then the two went into the bathroom. They exchanged the money right in front of me without a care in the world about it. As I was coming out of the ladies room afterwards, there was another cross-dressing prostitute who was getting himself ready outside the bathroom, clearly going inside to meet his John. I was surprised that they would be so openly running a gay brothel, in a hotel bathroom, in a strictly Muslim country.
Now don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with being gay or bisexual and understand that it would certainly would have to be hidden if you were gay and Muslim, but I do definitely have a problem with the rampant exploitation of people in weaker positions in this country. No one would sell themselves to sleazy men in a hotel bathroom by choice and it really made me sad for the men who are in this situation. I saw a lot of it in Vietnam as well and it was explained that many of the men who cross-dress there (named "ladyboys"-by society, certainly not by me) do this work because it is the only way for them to make money to help their families. Many of these men do not even consider themselves transgender and only dress the part to make money in this situation. It is so hypocritical for these folks to claim they are staunch Muslims and then participate in this kind of exploitive behaviour which is against everything they pray for each day.
Now don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with being gay or bisexual and understand that it would certainly would have to be hidden if you were gay and Muslim, but I do definitely have a problem with the rampant exploitation of people in weaker positions in this country. No one would sell themselves to sleazy men in a hotel bathroom by choice and it really made me sad for the men who are in this situation. I saw a lot of it in Vietnam as well and it was explained that many of the men who cross-dress there (named "ladyboys"-by society, certainly not by me) do this work because it is the only way for them to make money to help their families. Many of these men do not even consider themselves transgender and only dress the part to make money in this situation. It is so hypocritical for these folks to claim they are staunch Muslims and then participate in this kind of exploitive behaviour which is against everything they pray for each day.
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Today at work as I was taking my students to the computer lab, I was told the head of my school organization was in the school taking a walk-through. I have seen this guy at conferences but never met him myself. I have heard stories of how he is always followed by a stern looking entourage and cameras. It was obviously a surprise visit to the school, since the Principal and VP were running around making sure the rooms looked nice and making sure the students had their shaylas (headscarves) on. They came to my door and announced that he would be coming in, so the students could cover their hair. I expected him and a few others, but, oh no... He came in along with an entourage of about 15 other people. All stern looking men and women. He introduced himself...yeah buddy, cause I didn't know who you were... :| and then they stayed for about 5 minutes to observe my class. They said "continue as normal" as they stood in an ominous line at the back of the room behind the students, watching their computer screens. Can you imagine what my students did? Yeah, that's right...they froze. Most of them just staring at an empty google search bar. Commeeee on kids I just explained what you had to do 5 seconds before he came in! The issue is, students in this country are taught to fear authority and men, so when both are put together they just don't know what to do with themselves. I tried to continue on as normally as usual, answering questions while going around the room. They left and the room burst into chatting and giggling for the rest of the period...thanks for ruining my research time bro! One of my students said "Miss, when they were all walking in and more and more kept coming, you looked like you were thinking...'what the hell is this?!'" Right, guess I don't hide my feelings too well :)
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