Last night we had the pleasure of meeting 15 different women at a local spa. One of the ladies had recently moved back to Saudi after being in America for the past 8 years.
I asked Huba how she felt moving back to Saudi after so many years in the west. “I love it. I am Saudi. This will always be my home,” she told me.
The only thing that she seemed to find frustrating was her inability to hop in a car and go anywhere she wants, any time. “The abayas are so pretty now. Not like before. I like wearing it and have many to choose from every day,” she tells us.
When asked how she has changed she quickly pointed out to me that “I must be beautiful here. In America I sometimes pull my hair back, wear exercise pants. Here I must always look good. Must always wear makeup and nice shoes.”
Saudi is a very small community despite the size of the country. For Huba, she could go days in America and not run into someone unexpectedly that she did not want to see. Even if she did, she was never worried about how she looked.
Here in Saudi however, everyone knows everyone. “You don’t want them to comment that you don’t look well or that you look unkept. You never know when you will meet someone you know.”
Sure enough, three minutes later, one of Huba’s old friends , totally covered in her veil, walked into our group, removed her abaya and instantly gave Huba a warm hug with many kisses.
She turned to me and said “see … we must always look good under the veil because you never know who you will see.”
Opportunity: Give Them An Opportunity To Impress
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