Hellooooo everyone! Assalamualaikum and good day to all of you beautiful people :D
Just want to let
you know that we just went out with our international friend the other day, and
it was so much fun! hihi
Here's us being awesome :P
Wanna know how
it went?
Well, we pretty
much just talked, talked and talked for hours, rambling about everything from
the weather, food, Izzati’s flying motorcycle incident (don’t ask), course work
and so much more.
I guess that’s what
girls do lol
It’s very
interesting though, knowing about the cultures and lifestyle of the people who
live at the other side of the world.
It helps us to
open up our minds to the bigger world out there.
Anyway, while we
were chatting with Reema during our short outing, we managed to ask her a
little bit about her experience in Malaysia so far.
She told us that
she really love it here, all of the people are friendly and welcoming, and that
she does not have any major problems aside from the hot weather.
This got us
wondering about the differences between the culture in her country and in
Malaysia, so we asked her.
According to
Reema, there are not that many differences in terms of people’s behaviour or
the environment as both, in Yemen and in IIUM, the Islamic environment is
present. Thus, it is somehow similar.
IIUM Mosque
However, she did
mentioned about the clothes, the interactions between boys and girls and most
importantly, the food.
In Yemen, it is
actually compulsory for women to wear Abaya
every time they went out, and most women cover their faces. But in
Malaysia, Reema said the dress code is much more lenient.
About the food
on the other hand, she was so fascinated by the fact that Malaysians eat rice
for like, three times a day. According to her, people in Yemen don’t really eat
rice that much as their daily food is usually bread.
After talking
for a while, we moved on to a slightly heavier issue which is about the culture
of man and woman in both countries. Reema told us that in Yemen, the
interactions between the opposite genders are strictly guarded. People don’t
really talk to the opposite gender unless it’s necessary.
This has the upsides,
and the downsides.
The upside of it
is that, the limitations or boundaries between man and woman are highly
protected. Nevertheless, this is bad in a sense that the opposite gender
becomes veerrryyyyy ‘alien’ to each other. Reema said that it is because of
those restrictions that the guys in Yemen are considered as ‘dangerous’.
Why?
Because they
hardly get to see any girls, like, ever. Thus, once they saw one, they are so…
interested in them…but not in a good way, if you know what I mean.
In Malaysia,
however, the culture is totally different.
She told us that
she was a bit shocked seeing how the interactions between man and woman are in
Malaysia, specifically IIUM. According to her, even though it is still guarded,
the interactions are much much more unrestricted here.
Since she came
from a foreign country and people can clearly see that she’s not from here, we
were interested to know whether she had any experience of being prejudiced or
discriminated here.
Again, due to
the Islamic environment in IIUM, she claimed that those kinds of bad experience
have never really happened to her so far, so Alhamdulillah :D
There are actually a loottttt more that we talked about the other day, but most of it was just some random and girly stuff. It's nice to find a new friend of the same gender but from a completely different background, got a lot more to talk about, hihi.
Well, that’s
basically it for now. Quite interesting isn’t it, hmm..
Thank you so much for reading and don’t forget to come back!
Hi and Assalam Izzati and Tasha!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the strict ikhtilat observing background she comes from, how is she adapting in Malaysia? Does she still stick to the Yemeni style, or has she gradually changed a little? I'm not saying either one is better than the other, but just genuinely curious. :)
Personally, I've been in her situation. Before joining ENCOM, my previous course/classmates consisted of all girls. I thought it was nothing. However, once I stepped into the ENCOM world, I had a culture shock. Most of the guys are just really friendly and they're not scared to approach you especially when you're new. At first, I was at that awkward stage. Later, I realised, I can't be a communication student that is too shy to speak to the opposite gender. They're human, too. So, I'd like to think ENCOM has changed me. I've somewhat started to talk to guys normally. What I'm trying to say is, the ikhtilat differences can be within the same country, within the same university as well. :)
Hi and Assalam Izzati and Tasha!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the strict ikhtilat observing background she comes from, how is she adapting in Malaysia? Does she still stick to the Yemeni style, or has she gradually changed a little? I'm not saying either one is better than the other, but just genuinely curious. :)
Personally, I've been in her situation. Before joining ENCOM, my previous course/classmates consisted of all girls. I thought it was nothing. However, once I stepped into the ENCOM world, I had a culture shock. Most of the guys are just really friendly and they're not scared to approach you especially when you're new. At first, I was at that awkward stage. Later, I realised, I can't be a communication student that is too shy to speak to the opposite gender. They're human, too. So, I'd like to think ENCOM has changed me. I've somewhat started to talk to guys normally. What I'm trying to say is, the ikhtilat differences can be within the same country, within the same university as well. :)
Waalaikumussalam, hey girls!
DeleteRegarding your question, according to Reema, she is slowly adapting herself to the Malaysia's surrounding where the interactions between males and females are not as heavily restricted as back in her home country. She even wears casual clothes on a daily basis as wearing the black abaya is her country’s law and culture but now being in a foreign country, she feels more comfortable not wearing them as it can attract more unwanted attention.
Since there is not much constraint, Reema likes the fact that the males here are not as ‘wild’ as the guys back home whenever they see girls. Everyone can just be friends and have normal conversations without the fear that the opposite gender might have bad intentions towards you.
I personally think restrictions are of course needed between genders, but maybe if the society is too rigid, it can cause other sorts of problem because we can become too fascinated with the opposite gender.
Waalaikumussalam, hey girls!
DeleteRegarding your question, according to Reema, she is slowly adapting herself to the Malaysia's surrounding where the interactions between males and females are not as heavily restricted as back in her home country. She even wears casual clothes on a daily basis as wearing the black abaya is her country’s law and culture but now being in a foreign country, she feels more comfortable not wearing them as it can attract more unwanted attention.
Since there is not much constraint, Reema likes the fact that the males here are not as ‘wild’ as the guys back home whenever they see girls. Everyone can just be friends and have normal conversations without the fear that the opposite gender might have bad intentions towards you.
I personally think restrictions are of course needed between genders, but maybe if the society is too rigid, it can cause other sorts of problem because we can become too fascinated with the opposite gender.
Hi Zaty & Tasha! We're just wondering with the ikhtilat issue in Yemen. Their environment does resemble the IIUM environment. The interactions between man and woman are really restricted in Yemen, but who watch over this rule? Does it include in the country's law or just because of the public awareness?
ReplyDeleteHey there Izzati & Tasha! Thank you for sharing with us the culture between men and women in Yemen! I (Atirah) have never imagined Yemeni men are THAT scary huhuhu. I wonder was it because women there are all covered, which can actually lead the men to be sort of...how do I say this, overly excited whenever they see women? I'm sure coming here is a good opportunity for Reema to practice communicating with the opposite gender without feeling awkward hihi! However, I have always been wondering why most of the Yemeni women marry at a very young age? Is it part of their culture, or is it because once a man is interested with a woman, they will quickly marry the woman without even considering their age?
ReplyDelete