Journals from the week ending April 4, 1997
Saudi Arabian Society
Charlotte Redway, 3/29/97, aboard ship...In Saudi Arabia, men and women are separated for everything- even we were while visiting. We weren't allowed to talk when we left the hotel. Within the hotel, we were separated by sexes by putting us on separate floors. If a woman was caught in a man's room, or vice versa, the hotel would be shut down. Because of the separation, the experiences we had were very different from that of the boys. I was told that the boys and men in our group were shown the business aspects of Saudi life, whereas the women saw more of a social side to things. We were invited to more parties and exposed to more art. At one of the parties I met a woman who was engaged to a man, but had never heard his voice. She had seen him twice from her window and once when he walked into a room where she was sitting, but then she had to look away and not speak because in Saudi Arabian society that is the socially acceptable thing to do. If she had appeared any more aggressive he may have taken back his engagement. In three months, they will be allowed to speak and in six months they will marry.
Islam- Saudi Arabia's religion- is very important to them. It is also the law. The Qu'ran tells the Muslims how they are expected to live their lives. Women have to cover their bodies. We had to wear long sleeve¾ankle length robes called abaayas. We also had to wear misfas¾head scarves that covered all of our hair. After a while we got used to it. Wearing them was like wearing a coat. I had never been to a country where women were treated so differently before going to Saudi Arabia. I'm not sure yet what I think of it, but it's definitely been an experience.
Suez Canal at Night
Meredith Shake, 4/4/97, aboard ship...
Passing through the Suez Canal was quite an experience. Due to the fact that my Psychology mid-term was due the next day and I was only halfway done, I was lucky enough to look outside all night.
One of the first things we saw was a large white mosque right on the waterfront. There were two tall towers on either side of the dome and they had strips of stained glass along their whole length. The dome was light blue and the entire building was beautifully lit up. Most of the time, we could only see sandy walls against the water. Lights from the distant city twinkled but there were few buildings close to the water. However, about 4:30 am, Ron called those of us who were awake outside to show us something. Lined up in a straight row were dark tanks with their guns pointed toward us. Ron let us borrow his binoculars, which made them even more clear. We could now see little men moving around, and sitting outside their tents. It was kind of scary, but we passed them pretty quickly, so it wasn’t too bad. Those were the only tanks we saw at night, but we saw a couple the next day. All in all, it was an experience that I will never forget.