Saturday, May 13, 2006

About me..

My flight had to be delayed.

So much for my dramatic exit below ay?




My medical school committee interview is in a few days. One of the requirements is to write a personal essay about your motivation for medicine. I, of course, was at a loss. It was due and finally I typed up something a few hours before (thanks to meesh for the final paragraph). Nothing fancy.. simply a chronicle of how I ended up here trying my hand at cutting people up.

A few days ago a savvy young feller added me on messenger. He complimented my little blog and asked why I never write about saudi culture and issues. It got me to thinking.

I'm going through this phase where I'm almost unconsciously rejecting the saudi part of me. It started when I was writing that essay and recounted being discriminated against as I was applying to university. Mind you, as you've heard, KSU is no gem. But it's the concept.
My father is a foreigner, something I'm completely at ease with (though I refrain from detailing anything too personal in this blog for privacy purposes) however the fact that I spent all of my childhood with my mom in Riyadh has gotten me in quite the.. pickle.. years later. I have very little belonging to my father's side, and with Saudi being a less than diversity-embracing society I find myself in an odd middle zone. Limbo.

Anyhow, for those of you clueless about this little factoid, having a Saudi mother allows you citizenship if you're a male. If you're a female, however, .. well there's no outright law that says you don't.. but you simply don't. Without citizenship you're denied certain majors in college (Medicine, dentistry..etc) as well as equal treatment in the job market.
Citizenship amounts to little else besides that for me. Perhaps to some it is a matter of identity, I don't see mine being validated by their little green booklet and with or without it you wont find me claiming "saudiness".
Then of course there's the "why'd your mother marry a foreigner in the first place?" to which I am forced to roll my eyes .. validating that blatant intrusion on people's lives, and a biased one at that, with a reply is something I'm adamently against. I believe the ignorant should be left to speak to the walls and the likes of them. Let them fester and grow moldy within one another.

Point is.. as I was writing that essay I realized that I no longer have a home in Saudi. Not back when I wanted to attend school there to stay close to my mother, and not years later if I ever consider working there to be with her in old age. As I'm travelling "home" every year lugging my crap back and forth, I wonder, where is "Lamm il Shaml" when it comes to simple matters like this? .. oh the hypocrisy of it all.
It's odd, I thought.. these upcoming years I need to find myself a new home. How insane.

.. So that, Mr.Savvy Feller, is the reason I don't bother to write about Saudi issues or culture. It doesn't pertain to me, its petty issues (think along the lines of "whyyy must we cover, whyyy are we locked up, and whyyy can't we watch movies in theatres" ... etc) bore me when the most basic issues are left dangling and disregarded. But perhaps most of all, it's because of the blatant disregard to basic humanity and rights. I see no compassion... and as far as outright cruelty when most refer to a minority, even on a small scale here in blog-land, and it makes my skin crawl.

| 16 CoMmEnTs| -- Posted by [[ On My Own ]]--|Permanent Link|

16 Comments:

Avril Lavigne (No Body's home)
I LOVE this song...

& Of course I LOVED your post..

""Without citizenship you're denied certain majors in college (Medicine, dentistry..etc) as well as equal treatment in the job market""
IS there a treatment in the job market for any worker!!!! For god's sake, I am getting paid like the Receptionist in the company, and I am a SAUDI with a Bachelor degree!!
There is nothing in the Land of Contradiction called Equality, and now I say ""TREATMENT" no one is treated right, so there will be equal treatment lol...

Good Luck Leeno
xoxoxo

By  Mystique, at 14 May, 2006 05:48  

Hmm yea i know what u mean. I'm not saudi or even arab for that matter.
I may have it better cuz im a guy, but to tell u the truth, i havent faced very many awkward situations involving my ethnicity. Probably because i look arab:p but u get what i mean.
I have heard of really bad stories where ppl have been ignorant or downright racist, but its definitely not widespread.
May Allah protect us from burden of ignorance.

btw good luck at uni!

By  ren_crow, at 14 May, 2006 10:34  

Hmm. Interesting.

Nice post. I can relate, a little. Just a little, but thats something I suppose.

By  illogicist, at 14 May, 2006 11:18  

Good luck at the interview. You'll kick ass once you are insid and realize that they are HUMAN BEINGS too. Really not all that scary.

As for KSU.. fuck em! It probably worked out for the best.. yes, you miss mama now, but you'll be a better doctor (inshallah) at the end of it!

By  confused arab chick, at 15 May, 2006 03:26  

"Savvy" I just luv this word!!

Wow, I never thought of asking you if you were "Saudi" cuz I aways thought you were =\ anyways you're a rocking chick!

-a late happy birthday girl, hope you had a blast on your 21st ;)

By  Nouph, at 15 May, 2006 12:11  

LOL @ "Let them fester and grow moldy within one another."

Very nice description!

I got a cousin in the same exact situation. It is very upsetting :(

What a naive question by that guy. I'm a 'citizen' and I also think that 'saudi issues' are hackneyed topics.

Umm..tell him to get a life and to get out of the bubble? We are citizens of the world now.

By  SunShine, at 15 May, 2006 19:12  

Why do they (whoever they are) have to complicate things?
A couple of mo. ago I've been following the Citizenship for Me & My Children program back here. The Women's Supreme Council is doing their best for the 400 plus women with foreign hubbies to get the "red" passport for their kids. "Red" being Bahraini. What I hate seeing is a Sikh proudly carrying a red passport not knowing zilch of Arabic whilst ladies that I know who are 1/2 Scottish, Dutch, or Paki are stripped away from their mothers' nationality. No resentment engrossed, but I'm trying to state the facts.

I think we khaleejis/Arabs can do better. We need to broaden that .. hmm..

I see a lot of intelligent, opionated, tough, stubborn (good thing) Saudis here (Mashalla); surely there must be a way to break a barrier & force the authoritative councilors to at least think of embracing the idea of Saudi mothers passing their citizenship to their foreign children (boys and girls). Maybe a campaign to change citizenship laws?

By  N.A., at 16 May, 2006 05:38  

Mystique:
The acoustic version is pretty decent.

That's because unfortunately job criteria are poorly defined, while qualifications and standards are capricious at best.

Thanks hun.


Raf:
Yes, I'll go in there with an ax. I can then heroically replace their tibias illustrating my passion and dedication to medicine.

Progressive.. Saudi. Scary. Actually, I would think many countries give consideration to extraneous circumstances.. custody battles, death of the father.. etc. And if they're instating a law, they can at least pretend not to be gender biased. Fuck, what century is this.

Limbo is good to me. We have an understanding.


Ren:
It differs so much by region. I think Riyadh is a pretty closed society, circumferenced by desert and not a port in sight... it was never given a chance.

Thanks.


illogicist:
Too bad. Even a little is too much.


adaydreamer:
You should all know by now that I'm a failed drama queen dropout. It's this damn blog yo, every time I'm about to leave my flight get screwed up. Remember Spring break?

Yes unfortunately we are very racist.

Thank you hun, I'm hoping it'll go well.


Hope:
Some things just aren't meant to be easy. I truly believe in fate, could you imagine me at KSU? .. I would have liked the choice that's all.

Thanks! I know it'll go great.


Abdulla:
I like the nomadic existence. It's what I've always wanted. But I realize without a home, one is never at ease.. it's sorta like a constant anxiety.
Unfortunately my mind isn't as easily fooled as I'd like. One day I'll be completely at home somewhere... patience ay?
Good luck ok?

By  Trevelyana, at 16 May, 2006 12:50  

CAC:
Ya I'm optimistic. If there's one thing I can do it's charm the hell(or pants..whatever haha) offa people.

Ya my mommy and I are pretty close. I'll simply have to kidnap her out here.


Feras:
I hear horror stories. My aunts are professors there.
Like I said. It's the concept that's all.

Inshalla I'll be home soon.. reclining back and being pampered. Kabsa every other day.. mmmm!


Shadyq80:
Is it not the scariest thing that there are no guarantees?


Foof:
20!!! Lets not make me any older here jeez!
..and if anyone asks, I'm not a day over 18.

Are we gyming this summer? coz I plan to eat like a pig. I haven't had a decent home cooked meal in forever.


Sunshine:
Reviewing my microbiology heh.

Citizen of the world.. I like that. I'd love to travel the world for the rest of my life.


N.A:
Veery interesting. I imagined it would be a bigger issue in other gulfern countries because no matter what, Saudi women still tend to marry within. To read about such a well organized campaign is refreshing.

I, as well, am very impressed by the thoughts and opinions of people around here.


Meesh:
Billah 3alaik wish yitouro bas?

By  Trevelyana, at 16 May, 2006 13:48  

Woman why go into medicine if you can write like that? *sigh* mashalla you have a way with words...

By  Sedna, at 16 May, 2006 17:07  

Meesh:
Hah. 5 minutes in that blazing desert, tharbi6 shams mo7tarama.. and the poor fools are scorched corpses. That's a nice war tactic though. More flies with honey and all..

Sedna:
ah. Look who's talking.
It's just procrastination freeing up brain cells heh.


JS:
That's not you?
I thought you restarted. It sounds SO much like you.
I was online earlier, only I was "away" getting dressed for my interview (that killed me btw.. they brought up 9/11 for christ's sake) and you were "busy".
I'm in the U, S of fuckin A. My passport is hostaged at the esteemed embassy.

By  Trevelyana, at 17 May, 2006 09:42  

Interviews where they bring up 9/11 and passports held hostage- things seem to have been pretty interesting in Leen Land recently...

... I assume you still kicked ass at the interview?

By  confused arab chick, at 17 May, 2006 13:01  

Hardly interesting.

I semi-kicked ass. blagh.. I'm not sure. I should blog it.. parts were hilarious.

By  Trevelyana, at 18 May, 2006 10:09  

Leeno, 20 :S girl you're so far behind and I dont like that!!

And I am Gyming 24/7 nowadays.. So tell your mom to cook her best ;)

By  Nouph, at 18 May, 2006 12:28  

Oh, yeah- I kept meaning to.. and kept forgetting.

Happy Birthday... 20.. It's all downhill from here :P

By  confused arab chick, at 18 May, 2006 17:56  

Raf:

.. and relive the horror?
well not quite, I'm just being critical.


Fo0f:
Where at?


CAC:
Aw thanks hun.
It IS all downhill.. I could swear I'm having myself a full blown out quarter life crisis.

By  Trevelyana, at 21 May, 2006 10:22  

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