I've had to go the mall a few times in the past week. This is unusual for me, as I am a very manly shopper in that I go to look for what I need, I find it or a don't, get it if I found it, and then I'm done. Since I don't have a car here, my trips are tied to the bus schedule so I usually have more time on site than I need. Still, I don't wander around looking in every window to see what catches my eye like some differently gendered people might do (ok, half of you readers, you know who you are).
But I do enjoy watching the people at the mall. It's always entertaining, sometimes amusing and occasionally quite surprising. It doesn't matter what country you're in, you get the same mix of people and similar generalized behavior. So here are a few observations from my recent trips.
Kids are kids. I saw two brothers fighting. Dad was trying to get them corralled and on the move, the little one was determined to go in one direction and his big brother was determined to help dad out and bring the younger one along. It was nearly a serious skirmish. Dad looked highly exasperated until he caught my eye and saw me grinning, then he smiled. I said "they're the same all over the world!" and he laughed, went and got a boy in each hand, and off they went. Now that you have a mental picture of all that, this took place in Saudi Arabia and dad was a Saudi man wearing classic thobe and guptha (white robe and headgear).
They love malls in the Middle East, the bigger and snazzier the better. The malls in my area are fairly simple compared to the big cities, but these aren't bad. They love big domes with complex decorations and panes of glass, and they always look great on the inside. From the outside, typically, they are dirty brown and covered in sand and dust that just never seems to go away.
I saw a young Saudi couple, him in white and her in black head to toe, get up to leave a table at the food court. The father picked up their infant child, swaddled tightly, and cradled and rocked the sleeping child just as any father around the world would do. They left together with her pushing the stroller but with one hand on his arm, and him carrying that baby like it was the most precious thing in the world. Very endearing.
I've seen more and more couples holding hands in public, which is quite a paradigm change. It is normal to see two men or two women (or a whole gang of women) embrace or walk hand in hand or arm in arm in public. Totally normal here. But forever it has been taboo for men and women, married or otherwise, to touch or embrace or even walk too closely together in public.This is more a social constraint than religious, like women being covered head to toe. The Koran requires that women dress modestly. It is family and social pressure that hides them from sight.
You might notice that I rarely have people in the images I post from here. In general, that's because cameras are still officially a no-no, and the Saudis are wary of them. If I used my phone or, worse, a real camera to take a picture of a Saudi woman, I would likely have it dashed to the ground by the first group of men to reach me and I would find myself in serious trouble! I am respectful and mindful of that with every shot I take!
They are so concerned about covering women here, that the mall is very affected by it. The place is full of European and American brand stores, but the ad photos do not show women's faces, and the mannequins have no heads. This ad for a new store caught my eye. These are 5-foot tall signs on a base that are spread out all over the place. If you click on the image to see it larger, you'll see the man's features are in sharp focus, but the woman's face is pixelated so her detail is gone. This is the first one I've seen like this. Others I've seen have had the woman's face covered by paint or paper glued on, or cut off with a knife or slashed beyond recognition. It's usually done by male patrons, not by the stores. I really don't know where protectionism ends and misogyny begins.
They love corn here!! In most mall there is a corn vendor every 100 meters or so, and oh my goodness when you approach one it smells like summer kitchen boiling corn for dinner! They sell it off the cob in little cups, and you can always see someone walking along enjoying a serving!
This window display caught my eye, being a wedding photographer and all. This is the first wedding dress I've seen displayed, and it's a doozy. With a lovely floral number for an attendant. And a matching tiny one for a flower girl, of course!
They do have weddings here, just like at home! The men get all duded up (and that's some serious business here!), and the ladies put on fancy dresses and do fantastic hair and makeup. The similarities more or less stop there. Because then the ladies put on their black abayas and veils and hair coverings, they all get together for the ceremony, and then the boys go one way and the girls another. When the girls are safely behind closed doors the robes comes off and they can show off for each other at their own party. This is another shop display I saw tonight, and these are pretty tame compared to many other dresses on display.
It's all about the clothes, right ladies? I had one other pretty cool experience tonight at the mall, but this post has already gone on too long so I'll hit that next time. Here's one more shot I got in Bahrain over the weekend, the Ritz Carlton Hotel. No, didn't stay there - just went to pick someone up and had to scour the place to find him, so I saw a pretty scene and took my best shot. Best to all! Mark
#DhahranMall #SaudiArabia #RitzCarlton #Bahrain
But I do enjoy watching the people at the mall. It's always entertaining, sometimes amusing and occasionally quite surprising. It doesn't matter what country you're in, you get the same mix of people and similar generalized behavior. So here are a few observations from my recent trips.
Kids are kids. I saw two brothers fighting. Dad was trying to get them corralled and on the move, the little one was determined to go in one direction and his big brother was determined to help dad out and bring the younger one along. It was nearly a serious skirmish. Dad looked highly exasperated until he caught my eye and saw me grinning, then he smiled. I said "they're the same all over the world!" and he laughed, went and got a boy in each hand, and off they went. Now that you have a mental picture of all that, this took place in Saudi Arabia and dad was a Saudi man wearing classic thobe and guptha (white robe and headgear).
They love malls in the Middle East, the bigger and snazzier the better. The malls in my area are fairly simple compared to the big cities, but these aren't bad. They love big domes with complex decorations and panes of glass, and they always look great on the inside. From the outside, typically, they are dirty brown and covered in sand and dust that just never seems to go away.
I saw a young Saudi couple, him in white and her in black head to toe, get up to leave a table at the food court. The father picked up their infant child, swaddled tightly, and cradled and rocked the sleeping child just as any father around the world would do. They left together with her pushing the stroller but with one hand on his arm, and him carrying that baby like it was the most precious thing in the world. Very endearing.
I've seen more and more couples holding hands in public, which is quite a paradigm change. It is normal to see two men or two women (or a whole gang of women) embrace or walk hand in hand or arm in arm in public. Totally normal here. But forever it has been taboo for men and women, married or otherwise, to touch or embrace or even walk too closely together in public.This is more a social constraint than religious, like women being covered head to toe. The Koran requires that women dress modestly. It is family and social pressure that hides them from sight.
You might notice that I rarely have people in the images I post from here. In general, that's because cameras are still officially a no-no, and the Saudis are wary of them. If I used my phone or, worse, a real camera to take a picture of a Saudi woman, I would likely have it dashed to the ground by the first group of men to reach me and I would find myself in serious trouble! I am respectful and mindful of that with every shot I take!
They are so concerned about covering women here, that the mall is very affected by it. The place is full of European and American brand stores, but the ad photos do not show women's faces, and the mannequins have no heads. This ad for a new store caught my eye. These are 5-foot tall signs on a base that are spread out all over the place. If you click on the image to see it larger, you'll see the man's features are in sharp focus, but the woman's face is pixelated so her detail is gone. This is the first one I've seen like this. Others I've seen have had the woman's face covered by paint or paper glued on, or cut off with a knife or slashed beyond recognition. It's usually done by male patrons, not by the stores. I really don't know where protectionism ends and misogyny begins.
They love corn here!! In most mall there is a corn vendor every 100 meters or so, and oh my goodness when you approach one it smells like summer kitchen boiling corn for dinner! They sell it off the cob in little cups, and you can always see someone walking along enjoying a serving!
This window display caught my eye, being a wedding photographer and all. This is the first wedding dress I've seen displayed, and it's a doozy. With a lovely floral number for an attendant. And a matching tiny one for a flower girl, of course!
They do have weddings here, just like at home! The men get all duded up (and that's some serious business here!), and the ladies put on fancy dresses and do fantastic hair and makeup. The similarities more or less stop there. Because then the ladies put on their black abayas and veils and hair coverings, they all get together for the ceremony, and then the boys go one way and the girls another. When the girls are safely behind closed doors the robes comes off and they can show off for each other at their own party. This is another shop display I saw tonight, and these are pretty tame compared to many other dresses on display.
It's all about the clothes, right ladies? I had one other pretty cool experience tonight at the mall, but this post has already gone on too long so I'll hit that next time. Here's one more shot I got in Bahrain over the weekend, the Ritz Carlton Hotel. No, didn't stay there - just went to pick someone up and had to scour the place to find him, so I saw a pretty scene and took my best shot. Best to all! Mark
#DhahranMall #SaudiArabia #RitzCarlton #Bahrain
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