Today the Arab staff treated us to a close up look at some of their customs.
What a treat!
They dressed me in a burka (face mask), with a shayla (head scarf).
Side note - I'm not sure of the spelling of shayla, so I'm spelling it phonetically and hoping for the best.
I was then rubbed with traditional perfume around the sides of my face. It looked like tomato sauce. My eyes were lined with a natural black paste that looked like shoe polish.
Yes, it was a sight to see. Sorry, no pictures yet. I was having such a good time getting all dolled up, I didn't stop to take pictures. Lots of teachers took photographs though, so I'm hopeful to get some to share.
There were teachers who brought traditional dishes, and others who brought hot plates and cooked everything there, showing us how to do it.
There was a teepee-looking structure with goat hide hanging from it that was tied at both ends. The hide contained milk that was being processed into a soft cheese, like cottage cheese. The substance that was pored out of it looked like a really thick milk - like buttermilk. I didn't taste it because regular milk upsets my stomach.
There were displays of baskets with fruits and leaves used as spices, teas, and henna. These baskets were made from dried palm leaves.
There were about six large round mats, also made of dried palm leaves, that were laid on the rug, that was rolled out on the floor, and this is where the dishes were laid. The food was in super large containers, keeping it warm, and when it was time to eat, they were opened up and everyone picked up a plate, and dished out what they wanted. There were at least 8-10 folks serving themselves around the container at one time.
There were big clay water jugs, that when filled with water, keeps it cool, even outside in the extreme heat. I tasted some of the water, and it was cool.
There were examples of the clothes they wear at home - it looked like the abaya (black robe-like outfit), but they were very colorful, contrary to their usual attire.
There were teachers who were wearing different colored shaylas (scarves). They typically only wear black. There even was a teacher (Egyptian), whose shayla fell off as she was getting painted with henna and it stayed off. Her hair was dyed blond with highlights! We weren't expecting that. Interestingly, she looked much younger with her hair revealed, which makes me wonder what the others would look like without their shaylas.
There were women who were braiding silk thread that would be used as trim around the collar and/or hem of their garments. The thread was pinned to an oblong pillow and the pillow sat on the floor in front of them. The thread was still attached to the spools and they just rolled more off of the spools, as needed.
There was an African woman who was doing the henna painting. It was very elaborate and intricate. Beautifully done! I learned that each country that does henna painting, does it a little differently. Henna is like nail polish. You have to wait for it to dry and it takes at least a half an hour. I had a small area painted, but I'm so dark, you have to strain to see it.
Oftentimes you see the Arab teachers with their fingertips painted in henna, without the fancy designs. This is the traditional way to wear it in the UAE. Interestingly, the native females do not wear nail polish because they have to be free of chemicals on their body when they wash for prayer.
Only the Arab teachers were taking pictures because they don't allow you to photograph them uncovered, usually. That's another reason I didn't take any pictures. I didn't want to offend, by accidentally taking one of their pictures.
They really did go all out in helping us to see and understand what many of their customs are. It was a delightful day full of fun and lots and lots of learning.
What a treat!
They dressed me in a burka (face mask), with a shayla (head scarf).
Side note - I'm not sure of the spelling of shayla, so I'm spelling it phonetically and hoping for the best.
I was then rubbed with traditional perfume around the sides of my face. It looked like tomato sauce. My eyes were lined with a natural black paste that looked like shoe polish.
Yes, it was a sight to see. Sorry, no pictures yet. I was having such a good time getting all dolled up, I didn't stop to take pictures. Lots of teachers took photographs though, so I'm hopeful to get some to share.
There were teachers who brought traditional dishes, and others who brought hot plates and cooked everything there, showing us how to do it.
There was a teepee-looking structure with goat hide hanging from it that was tied at both ends. The hide contained milk that was being processed into a soft cheese, like cottage cheese. The substance that was pored out of it looked like a really thick milk - like buttermilk. I didn't taste it because regular milk upsets my stomach.
There were displays of baskets with fruits and leaves used as spices, teas, and henna. These baskets were made from dried palm leaves.
There were about six large round mats, also made of dried palm leaves, that were laid on the rug, that was rolled out on the floor, and this is where the dishes were laid. The food was in super large containers, keeping it warm, and when it was time to eat, they were opened up and everyone picked up a plate, and dished out what they wanted. There were at least 8-10 folks serving themselves around the container at one time.
There were big clay water jugs, that when filled with water, keeps it cool, even outside in the extreme heat. I tasted some of the water, and it was cool.
There were examples of the clothes they wear at home - it looked like the abaya (black robe-like outfit), but they were very colorful, contrary to their usual attire.
There were teachers who were wearing different colored shaylas (scarves). They typically only wear black. There even was a teacher (Egyptian), whose shayla fell off as she was getting painted with henna and it stayed off. Her hair was dyed blond with highlights! We weren't expecting that. Interestingly, she looked much younger with her hair revealed, which makes me wonder what the others would look like without their shaylas.
There were women who were braiding silk thread that would be used as trim around the collar and/or hem of their garments. The thread was pinned to an oblong pillow and the pillow sat on the floor in front of them. The thread was still attached to the spools and they just rolled more off of the spools, as needed.
There was an African woman who was doing the henna painting. It was very elaborate and intricate. Beautifully done! I learned that each country that does henna painting, does it a little differently. Henna is like nail polish. You have to wait for it to dry and it takes at least a half an hour. I had a small area painted, but I'm so dark, you have to strain to see it.
Oftentimes you see the Arab teachers with their fingertips painted in henna, without the fancy designs. This is the traditional way to wear it in the UAE. Interestingly, the native females do not wear nail polish because they have to be free of chemicals on their body when they wash for prayer.
Only the Arab teachers were taking pictures because they don't allow you to photograph them uncovered, usually. That's another reason I didn't take any pictures. I didn't want to offend, by accidentally taking one of their pictures.
They really did go all out in helping us to see and understand what many of their customs are. It was a delightful day full of fun and lots and lots of learning.
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