A girl and AMMAN

I have previously hinted at a couple of new adaptations I have had to undergo due to being a female in the Middle East. However, I decided that this topic deserves it’s own post.

There are things that are tough as a female in the States as well as anywhere else. For example, body image; despite the obesity in America, many obsess with being fit in order to “fit in” or look better than the person next to them as opposed to working out to be healthy. Here, not much is shown so if you go to the gym it’s obviously not to show-off to people on the streets. Another example would be creepers. I do not think there’s a single corner in the world that is creeper-free. However, in the States you just have to be up front and say “No” because ignoring them will only encourage them. Here, well, ignoring them is the smarter choice.

With these points acknowledged I will move on to my experience in Amman. Before coming to Amman, I knew I would have to cover-up (not a big deal since I’ve always dressed pretty conservative), I knew there would be cat calling on the streets and I knew I would be entering a male dominated world. Concerning my first point, I was not too upset with this rule until now, since it has been getting pretty hot during the day. When you are burning up it is hard to fight the urge to just shed the cardigan over a still conservative, but shoulder showing shirt.  And let’s not even bring up any type of shorts that show your kneecaps because that is definitely haram (unacceptable). Moving on to the catcalls. These are to be ignored at all costs in order as to not encourage them (not that by ignoring them they go away). I have become quite good at ignoring men on the streets but I still find myself rolling my eyes every time and fighting an urge to yell something back.

It has been very interesting to see how a society can change the way you see or feel about something. I have noticed how slowly but surely I have begun to feel differently about certain situations. I no longer keep my cardigan on in the heat because it is haram, but because I feel strange showing my shoulders in public. I feel self-conscious about cab riding from the gym to my home-stay with wet hair. Not because it “signals” (socially) that I just finished having sex, but because it makes me feel underdressed and careless in a society where everyone dresses to impress. I don’t like going out by myself after dark. Not because I feel unsafe, but because I feel like it does not say good things about me when I am out on the streets by myself as a female.

If after only a couple of months of being here my opinions on such circumstances have already been altered, I wonder what will be like to try and re-adapt to being back in the states after an entire semester. A place where no one cares if you go grocery shopping in sweat pants and wet hair, where summers are enjoyed tanning beside a pool, where guys are passive-aggressive with their thoughts (for the most part) and on a slightly different note, where granola bars are easily found and fast food does not always equal schwarma.