american at the mall

As I've mentioned in this post, I've tried my best to talk to as many women here as I can manage, simply because I'm so interested in their views of things.  One day last week, we went to a local mall to pick up a few necessities and I had a bit of a situation that really surprised me.

I was in a store that sold a lot of different household items and was waiting to pay for an eyeliner sharpener.  At the register, I noticed another woman with blonde hair holding a brand of shampoo and conditioner that I use at home.  Since I managed to forget mine and had been stuck with the hotel stuff, I asked her where she found it.  As the words came out of my mouth, I saw the head of a woman fully covered in an abaya snap around to stare at me.  She said something in Arabic to another abaya-clad woman standing near the counter and they both overtly looked me up and down.  Soon both of them were unabashedly staring at me.  Another woman cut in front of me as her two friends moved to watch me from a spot near the counter.  The group continued look at me, as their friend in front gathered numerous bags of pillows and linens she had purchased in the shop.  She spoke in sharp tones to the young Filipino saleswoman behind the register, who looked at me with a sad, resigned look, then slowly placed the purchases in plastic bags.  I noticed the Emirati's cascade of black ruffles down the back of her abaya.  It occurred to me how pretty it looked.  As she snatched several packages away from the saleswoman, she turned to look at me, then tossed her head and said something else to her friends, who laughed.  I looked around for my teammates but could no longer see them in the shop.

Finally, it was my turn to pay.  I stepped forward to the counter and smiled broadly at the Filipino girl and asked her how she was doing.  Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled slightly.  Then another young Emirati woman stood on my left side, while talking to the gaggle of others to my right.  She nearly touched my left side and stretched her hand right in front of me where she twirled a small card in her fingers, right in my face.  I felt my entire body tense.  She continued to menacingly twirl the card, while I tried to focus on the girl who was now putting my items in a small plastic bag.  As the Emirati woman continued to stand right beside me, brushing me with her twirling arm, I was surprised at the intensity of my annoyance.  I looked down at her but could only see eyes staring back at me.  It was easy to imagine any number of facial expressions, all obscured by the black fabric.  The eyes suggested she might have been smirking.  Eventually my purchase was complete and I stepped away from her, past her friends, and back out to my teammates who were waiting in the mall.  #ibmcsc uae