Five Women in Saudi Arabia: A Cultural Awakening
One thing that made the move to Haiti I shared in my last post a relatively easy decision was spending the prior three years traveling the globe as a flight attendant for Transamerica Airlines. A charter line, Transamerica contracted primarily international flights, as well as MAC (Military Airlift Command) and SAM (Special Air Mission) flights for the Department of Defense. Imagine a DC-10 filled with army personnel—250-400 passengers—with full army gear. To say the least, a remarkable experience.
Transamerica was a great airline to work for: I got to do a lot of traveling in my early twenties. My very first trip, right out of training, was to Maui—an island I had dreamed about visiting. After that, it was Frankfurt, Paris, Shannon (Ireland), Amsterdam (yes, there’s a marijuana-laced brownie story), the Philippines, and others. I had landed a dream job and relished every moment of it.
I visited cities around the world and, because these were chartered flights, we would typically stay anywhere from three to seven days in company-selected hotels. Our days were spent enjoying the culture, the people, and sightseeing to our hearts content until it was time for the return trip.
Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
One working trip that left an indelible impression was to the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. The Hajj is a holy pilgrimage to Mecca, required for Muslims at least once in their lifetimes, if they are physically and financially able. Millions take the pilgrimage each year. The flight crew was stationed in Lagos, Nigeria and from there we worked the trip to Jeddah with plane-load after plane-load of people. We stayed in Lagos for a month making the trip back and forth. On one of the trips, we stayed in Jeddah for a few days.
As we did in any other city, we decided to head out and explore. A group of four or five of us, all women, ventured out. After our shopping spree, we were casually walking back towards the hotel when angry shouts took us by surprise. Across the street from where we were strolling, a group of men yelled and gestured at us with fury. As we walked faster and faster, trying to ignore the onslaught of obvious disapproval, the intensity of their exclamations escalated, and we became suddenly afraid. Something was hurled at us from across the street. In a panic, we looked for somewhere to find safety. We ran into a jewelry store. We felt palpable dread because of the imminent danger. We weren’t sure what to do. We stayed in the store until the men finally left, and then dashed back to the hotel as fast as we could.
We didn’t leave the hotel again until our return flight to Lagos.
Transamerica opened my eyes to the value and beauty of diversity. Exploring new cities, experiencing unique customs, and connecting with people of different traditions and languages developed and expanded my appreciation for and love of global cultures.
The Jeddah incident was an emotional rollercoaster filled with disbelief, confusion, shock, and fear. We were visitors in a foreign land and seemingly posed no threat to anyone. As a group of young Western women, we thought nothing of strolling through a patriarchal, Islamic city wearing our typical attire of pants and skirts, with our hair free of any covering. There are distinct rules that govern how a Muslim woman should conduct herself when out in public: the Hijab covers her entire body with the exception of her face and hands; lack of eye contact and modesty in behavior and speech are the norm.
In our youthful naiveté, we had not taken the time to become aware of local customs. We were oblivious to the impact our attire and conduct would have. Whether we agreed with their traditions or not, recognizing and respecting the cultural norms different from our lived experience would have been the appropriate thing to do.
It was an awakening—a deepening of my knowledge and a shift in my understanding that would undoubtedly inform future behavior if I had the opportunity to go back to an Arab country. Some might view the adoption of a new or different custom as an infringement on their freedom. I view such situations as temporary adjustments for special circumstances and a responsibility I need to take to heart.
