This whole 2 weeks has been like a blur. After Japan, I’ve been up at VCU until 2am everyday working to finish projects that were due this week. NOW, I have only one more due Tuesday. So needless to say, I’ve been a bit anti-social after Japan. Today I gave myself a much needed break and went to the beach with some friends. It was amazing seeing so much desert, but this desert wasn’t soft sand. The sand hardened in large areas and formed these beautiful plateaus and canyons. It was an area called Zekreet around 60km away from Doha.
On another note, some general observations and ideas I haven’t brought up lately since I’ve been so busy, is the idea of sex segregation here. I don’t think I’ve really talked about it how much men and women are segregated here. Sometimes is more obvious and sometimes it is subtle. Things like bus stops, lines for outside food service, swimming pool hours that are just for women. The swimming pool hours only have a designated time for women, the other hours is just “free swim,” which usually consists of only men. Another place where I saw this, within my friends here is something as simple as getting all in the same car. Let’s say there are 5 girls and 2 guys, the girls will try their best to squish in the front seats of the car, and leave the guys in the back ( even though to reduce squishing a girl could go in the back.) One reason for this is religion, ( not allowed to interact/touch someone of the opposite sex until you are married.) What I did in a situation like this was just sit in the back with the guys, but sit next to someone who I know is more tolerant of the proximity of a girl. I’ve become less ignorant on this notion however, so if this does happen, I usually ask consent of the guy if he is okay with me sitting next to him. It is still new because every time it happens it takes me a while to register that everyone’s squishing because of the interaction. And another thing, there are bad looks if a girl hangs out with a guy alone, without being married. Usually with guy friends, people stick to bringing other people along. Sometimes you can even be stopped at night if you are alone with a guy in the car.
Good news! I am going to Indonesia FOR SURE, in May. I am so psyched and cannot wait to have an awesome trip. Indonesia will be a service learning trip, an opportunity to work with high school students, giving them workshops in fashion drawing, computer programs, jewelry making, ect. It is said to fun, so I cannot wait!
This week, after Tuesday, should be relaxing. Now, times really winding down, since I am already half-way done with my study-abroad. It’s going to be so weird going back to RVA…I think the magic of going abroad has convinced me even more to live abroad after graduation. Definitely Japan for a year or two, and/or maybe Doha?!