The good, the bad, and dreaming of home



Before I really begin this post: If you'd like to leave a comment, just click 'comments' at the end of the post. Please note that I must approve the comment before I publish it on the blog.

There's a lot of stuff I totally love about living here in the Middle East.  I love my big villa, I love the volumes of cheap Lebanese food,  I love the Thai green curry with chicken, I love all the yummy vegetarian Indian food (I have a particular weakness for mutter paneer), but most of all I love the people.  I get to meet and hang out with other women from more countries than I can count. It's just way too cool to even attempt to explain.

But, then I have moments that make me just want to cringe and weep.  This morning, I had one of those moments.

I was out walking my Jesse Dog in the neighborhood.  As usual, there are a large number of housekeepers (maids as they are called here) out walking dogs as well.  Frequently, I see them gathered together enjoying a morning conversation just like any other women would do. You see someone you know, you stop and have a friendly little chat.  Well, this morning, Jesse and I came up behind two ladies we see all the time who were out with their employers' dogs. This morning, the two ladies didn't see Jesse and I coming because they were seated companionably on a large rock in the common garden area just enjoying the morning.  I said, "Good morning," so Jesse and I wouldn't startle them and cause the dogs under their care to bolt. When these ladies heard me, they both jumped up and immediately broke off their conversation.  They looked at me with total terror like two children caught sneaking into the cookie jar before dinner.  I felt terrible.  They then head to opposite areas of the park/garden as if it was this horrid thing to sit and chat with a friend. 

I can't change things here in how these women are treated. I wish I could change things so that these women are treated more like employees and less like property. But, this is a mindset change. This would take a change that would completely disrupt the lifestyles of many. I know not all the women working as maids here are treated poorly. But, there are a lot who are.

These are the moments that cause me to long for home. And, this is why I love to blog. It feels so good to rant about this.  Maybe, just maybe, my ranting will help.

Peace.

Random last bit: I just read this blog post.  I can't vouch for the accuracy or anything, and his opinions are not necessarily my opinions, if you get my meaning.  But, it's a very interesting read. I feel like I'm reading a collaboration of the bits I hear chatting with other mums before afternoon school pick-up. http://thelinoleumsurfer.blogspot.com/2012/10/when-everyone-is-wrong-war-on-truth.html