Everybody seems to be so curious about the Yemeni girls. The reason why I haven’t put any picture of a girl on the site is that the Yemeni girls I have met so far tend to be a bit camera shy. And the few that are willing to pose are pretty much covered from head to toe.
I could say: “It’s a shame”, and keep asking: “Why?” The thing is: There is as much to say for covering up as for showing off. And both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the time and place we live.
Times change as the places we live, and so do our dresses I believe. However, these changes won’t happen from one day to the other. And we can only change to a certain extent. A Yemeni girl would probably never wear a miniskirt in Amsterdam and I am pretty sure you would never see me wearing an Abaya (black covering garment) in Yemen.
In my outfit I must look like a complete idiot to them, or at least weird, let’s say different. The Yemeni girls stare of course, but they would not tell me how to dress. Also, I am still invited at their houses, to their party’s even.
Have I ever done anything else than staring, at the times I spotted veiled girls in Amsterdam? It might be that these covered girls just showed me how to open up!
I could say: “It’s a shame”, and keep asking: “Why?” The thing is: There is as much to say for covering up as for showing off. And both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the time and place we live.
Times change as the places we live, and so do our dresses I believe. However, these changes won’t happen from one day to the other. And we can only change to a certain extent. A Yemeni girl would probably never wear a miniskirt in Amsterdam and I am pretty sure you would never see me wearing an Abaya (black covering garment) in Yemen.
In my outfit I must look like a complete idiot to them, or at least weird, let’s say different. The Yemeni girls stare of course, but they would not tell me how to dress. Also, I am still invited at their houses, to their party’s even.
Have I ever done anything else than staring, at the times I spotted veiled girls in Amsterdam? It might be that these covered girls just showed me how to open up!
1 comment:
It is funny that you wrote a piece about Yemeni girls. Living in Indonesia for so long, for me it is almost normal to cover up. And I mean with normal cloths. Last week I was in Bali for a holiday and walking in the mall there, I was really embarrassed about the cloths some European tourist were wearing. Question to all European: If you go shopping in a mall or go visit the doctor in Europe, what do you wear????
Why is it different if you go on a holiday for example to Bali. I see here people going shopping in the mall and going to the doctor in a bikini top!!!!!
If people ask me in Bali if I want to buy something I rever sometimes to my cloths. Do I look like a toursist with my long trousers and decent t-shirt on.
It great to see that your opinion can change like Dorine's and mine if you life long enough in a moslim country.
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