If you’re a single woman over the age of 25 in the Middle East, more specifically in Jordan, you’ll probably know what I’m talking about here; for there’s a bunch of common things that bring us all together, among of them the following:
1- There’s always people wondering, or sometimes questioning, either with pity or curiously: Why aren’t you married until now? Like you’re missing an arm or a leg. And then there are two teams: Team “you’re not getting any younger” and Team “You’re still young”. Although you’re not even showing the slightest sign of being worried about the issue.
2- There’s always someone, mostly a female relative or friend, in most cases it’s either the mother or a sister who’s trying to convince you of potential suitors. “This one is a doctor… that one studied in Harvard… this one is so cool, he plays the guitar”
3- If you’re an independent working lady, sometimes people might forget or choose to ignore the fact that you’re a female.
4- At some point of your life, you might get THE phone call, if you haven’t already gotten it, and that is: a pregnant friend of yours telling you that if she died while giving birth then she wants you to marry her husband. Well, sure, because the reason I’m not married is waiting for you to die so I can resume your life, since apparently I don’t have one.
5- You start getting weird vibes from your mother when you mention that you’re going to attend a friend’s wedding, and soon enough you start worrying how to avoid telling her about those weddings.
6- When you’re on a diet or something, people could think that you’re going to get engaged soon.
7- When you speak about a male colleague or friend, some people’s eyes glitter as though they think there’s something going on, and the best part is when you mention “his wife” or something about him being from a different faith. Bummer.
8- You might be expected by some people to attend certain weddings or similar events just to prove that you’re not being jealous. That if you could care less of course.
Shu Kaman?
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Tags: humor
August 3, 2011 at 5:41 pm |
Are you serious about 4? Do women ask their friends to marry their husbands if they die? How morbid!
August 3, 2011 at 5:58 pm |
So true! I have experienced most of these while living in Jordan and even when I’m not in Jordan by family from Jordan..it’s never ending.
My favorite is #7! Every guy is a potential..:)
August 3, 2011 at 6:12 pm |
Emi: well, you kow how pregnant women get high on hormones, they ask their friends to do it out of fear for their children
August 3, 2011 at 6:12 pm |
Some of these things count if you’re a single white female in Europe as well. Though generally people there don’t really start worrying till you reach 30. Lucky me…
August 3, 2011 at 6:44 pm |
True! this is start at the age of 22 in saudi arabia ..
to be 19-year-old saudi girl is a very, very exhausting thing.
my advice to you do not in whatever situation marry a saudi guy!
Good luck
August 3, 2011 at 7:03 pm |
Ola, I know pregnant women get hormone weird. But this is a new level of weird – at least to my American perspective. I just cried a lot when I was pregnant.
August 4, 2011 at 11:12 am |
Couldn’t stop laughing at # 4, like seriously !!!
August 4, 2011 at 11:42 am |
bas ya othman
August 5, 2011 at 9:52 pm |
Been there…for the most part, not all happened to me though. But one thing I always felt when meeting people. It was like there was a question in the back of their heads that they wanted to ask me. Why aren’t you married yet?
August 5, 2011 at 11:40 pm |
[...] There’s always people wondering, or sometimes questioning, either with pity or curiously: Why aren’t you married until now? Like you’re missing an arm or a leg. And then there are two teams: Team “you’re not getting any younger” and Team “You’re still young”. Although you’re not even showing the slightest sign of being worried about the issue. Said Ola Eliwat in her blog’s post, Single Not-Very-White Female [...]
August 7, 2011 at 1:41 pm |
If you think the list (most of it anyway) is a female-only list – try being a male in the same situation. You’d be surprised how unisex this list actually is.
August 11, 2011 at 6:21 pm |
Haha loved your post:) It’s so funny and so true! BTW I think this applies to all muslim/arab/asian people:)