Adventures in Abayas...

I can tell it's the end of the semester, and I'm feeling a little more time to relax after (most of) my paperwork is done. I polished off a new book First they killed my father in less than a day. The biography of a woman who was 5 years old when Pol Pot evicted the citizens of Phnom Penh was heart-wrenching, but worthwhile reading before my trip to Cambodia.

Now, I've moved on to Price of Honour. While it's not a book I would normally pick up, it seemed to fit at this time. A few weeks ago, my cousin's husband posted a link on his facebook page to a National Post series. Maybe some of you have read it. It was a series by Danielle Crittenden, who decided to dress in conservative Islamic dress for a week. I found the articles interesting, since I've also wondered what it would be like to spend my days wearing an abaya. (After reading the articles, I think I'll stick with hoopskirts and bonnets if I have to choose.) Anyway, after reading a western woman's perspective on being veiled, I thought it would be balancing and prudent to get an insider's perspective. So far, although we haven't actually gotten to the veils yet, since I'm only in the first chapter, I feel I've learned a thing or two.