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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Speaking of Children


In my previous blog I said that Omanis are generally shocked that we don't have children, or even plan to soon. I, however, am always shocked to see their children running around in what are basically abandoned construction lots barefoot. I guess it's just a different philosophy of children. You have 8 so 4 will pass into adulthood. Still though, who wants to see their 5 year old's foot get impaled by a rusty nail? Maybe Americans are too obsessive about their children's well-being, but still something to think about. Makes me nervous. 

2 comments:

umm qahtan said...

Hi Clare,

Here in khaleej - arabian gulf you wil see alot fo different ways of people living. Having been here myself 20 odd years & lived in many different countries ive come across alot of things which in the west we would see as dangerous but to the locals, especially the bedoo and gebali ( mountain) people they dont see it as dangerous, not from ignorance but because of the way they have lived their life for soo long and the generations before them have done the same thing..example " no shoes" when going outside. My husband is a gebali man and his nails look like they ahve been through war a couple of hundred times, i did comment once as to why he didnt use shoes as a kid and he smiled and said " ana gebali,im mountain man, i dont need shoes" Since i married this man i have fond myself to get tougher foot skin and also walk barefoot in many areas that i know my mother would probably havea western fit about..bless her cotton socks.lol. When i was newly wed, i went back to the mountains with hubby in the full traditional dress of his tribal women and flipflops, we climbed down the mountains to a cave where my sweet father in law was born..i was a lil weakling and was worried bout my feet getting hurt lol..alhumdulillah that walk to the cave and seeing the lil stone area where father in law was born made me appreciate their ways alot more than i did in the past. I shall how ever be having some sort of sandles on our children, this first child that sits in my tummy as i type this will definitly see both sides of life, hayat ul gebali + hayat ul ajnabi. lol.

Have urself a good day & dont have a heart attack on seeing lil kids walk barefoot.They will shout if they get seriously hurt but they are so used to the lil knocks and cutts they just kep walking.

Clare said...

Hi again Umm Qahtan,
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your imput. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from originally? I find what you have to say very interesting.