It’s been about three weeks since I arrived in Doha, Qatar in August. Apart from the initial chaos of settling in and trying to fix the ugly class schedule (which is what happens when you are a senior with tons of unfulfilled requirements), things have proceeded without too much surprise – at least on the surface. Slowly, however, I realized that there are as much happening underneath, with the unspoken and unexplained oftentimes trumping the stated and the obvious, which is intriguingly how things run in this part of the world.
It did not take long for both me and my other exchange friends to realize that instead of relying on clear-cut rules, sometimes instincts are more helpful to “figuring things out” by ourselves in this foreign country. A case in point is with regard to dress code. Before flying over, I have heard many different versions of what is permitted and what is not in Qatar, mostly from people who have either been to the country or are familiar with the Gulf region. To seek clarification, I emailed a local advisor, and was given a somewhat vague answer that “it depends on the circumstances and locations.” Just to be safe, I decided to pack all loose-fitting long sleeves and long pants into my one and only tiny suitcase.
What I saw in Doha turned out to be interesting (and made the dress code question even harder to answer). True as my local advisor said, instincts and flexibility override any clear-cut instructions. While sleeveless shirts and above-knee pants/skirts are uncommon, they are not outright disallowed, and are rather popular among beauty-conscious young girls in the Education City. Tight jeans are also somehow seen as a “fashion statement.” All these, however, are premised on the condition that they are not outrageously rule-flouting (again, the rules themselves are hard to define), and more importantly, as long as they are within the parameters of the Education City, which is more or less a “safe zone” in the (arguably) strictly religious country. The need to use personal acumen to determine dress code becomes more imperative when one is dealing with the authority or engaged with the public realm (e.g. in the souq (local market), in the mosque, etc). Unlike the freedom and protection afforded by the private space, the symbolic values of public display mean simple issues such as what one is wearing are subjected to greater scrutiny and more rigid judgment.
Another dimension that illustrates this well is the concept of “Arab time”. During the orientation program, it was subtly mentioned to us that the concept of time here is different from that at home. The pace of life is slower, much more relaxed, and one hardly feels the cut-throat pressure that can sometimes permeate college life in the States. Partly as a result, the idea of being on time is often not strictly adhered by. As one says, being “fashionably late” is expected – that is, being on the Arab time. I have heard an interesting story from a fellow exchange student. Eager to pay her housing fee, she arrived at the Residential Office 10 minutes after it was supposed to open but found it closed. Out of curiosity, she inquired with the front desk, and was met with an exclamation “Jesus, it’s only been 10 minutes!” A little shocked, she then realized that she had come too early – according to the Arab time.
It is very interesting to see how cultural differences are often embodied in these small things and lived out in our daily lives. While I am still adapting to many of these subtle differences (in addition to adapting to the tropical weather) and trying to figure out all the hidden rules in this unique part of the world, I guess that is where the fun of studying abroad lies.