Ladies Only!

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away lived gorgeous ladies, all clad in black from head to toe. When in the confines of their house, they would loose their so-called Abaya and wear designer clothes, all in the latest fashionable colors and cuts. However, as soon as they left their houses, they had to cover with their black Abaya, in order to follow the Kindgom's laws and regulations.

Life under that Abaya is not all the time that sweet. Imagine going up and down escalators, not only having to watch your step, but making sure your Abaya does not get caught in the moving stairs. Walking down stairs can oftentimes be tricky too. It really bring s on a new meaning to the often heard expression "Watch your step"! At the mall, you will see groups after groups of the ladies in their Abayas. As a child, how would you recognize your mom as ALL the other moms are dressed the same? I figured that before leaving for the store, the moms make sure to point out the shoes they are wearing and the handbag they will be carrying that day. After a hard day of shopping, A great coffee seems well incicated: imagine having to sip your delectable hot beverage through a straw in order to not let strangers peak at your face ... Forget about eye contact when having a conversation, if the lady is wearing the full burka ... Sometimes, you will be able to view her beautifully made-up eyes through a slit of black fabric. Another huge caveat of the Abaya is its color, in the hot Arabian Summer Sun ... Black as we all remember from our science classes absorbs the heat ... so imagine yourself wearing a synthetic fabric abaya in 50 degrees F heat!

Now, what about some of the advantages of being a woman in Saudi Arabia ... For one, you don't drive so no need to worry about knowing the way to get somewhere ... you just tell the driver where you want to go and you chat with your gal pals all the way there. Also, you never have to worry about finding a parking place. Your shoes will not get damaged from hitting the floor when pushing on the pedals ... At the restaurant, you go to the Ladies / family section, away from the stares of single guys and you can enjoy your time alone / with the family / with the girlfriends without worrying about being harassed / accosted or addressed by strangers .... One of the newest malls here has a LADIES ONLY level, where ladies can uncover and enjoy coffee, shopping and pampering all among ladies. Even wait staff and store workers are ladies .. none of them wearing the Abaya. Some malls also have ladies only stores where the staff is not covered and where you are more than welcomed to take the Abaya off when browsing.

I've discovered a ladies only Spa, Salon and Boutique Hotel ... Haven't had a chance to get pampered there yet, but I will before I leave the city ... The staff is so welcoming and the atmosphere is just relaxing. Again, that will be an adventure to be shared with several girlfriends and we'll make it a day trip ... in the middle of town geographically but miles away from the sometimes gender-biased atmosphere.

But my favorite so-far is going to a specific bank and its ladies section. I've visited that branch twice, to cash my paycheck and get brand new Abdullaziz .... Again today, upon entering the branch, I was greeted with smiles and truly felt welcomed. The entire bank staff is female and none of them are wearing the Abaya. I was seated at a desk, handed my check to the teller. Meanwhile, while the teller is entering the millions of numbers and codes needed to cash a check, I was served a delicious perfectly sugared and milked coffee, with a tall glass of water AND a scrumptious chocolate. I'd go to that bank daily if I could ... but gosh, I have to work to earn the paycheck so that I can go cash at my favorite bank at the end of the month!!! Oh, and the best of all, my dear driver (Worth not to name him) was patiently waiting in the car, under the hot sun, listening to Arabic radio station, without a sip of water in sight while I was having my Ladies Only banking adventure. There is some justice in this world!