Being 'hit on' in Libya
For the last 2 years I've been in and out of the country too often to the extent that I have almost forgotten our charming boys and their methods of showing appreciation of the female genre.
Yesterday my memory was jolted abruptly, and along it I admit my ego too although the man in question will not know it (he he he) and will remember my angry scowling face instead.
Now how did that happen ? I was driving back home, and I must have overtaken some guy unwittingly, anyway I look in my rear view window and notice that a huge car is switching on and off its front lights, so I just moved out of the way expecting it to pass on my left side and be off . But no the car actually continues to cruise next to me at my own speed. When this happens in Libya and you are female, please know that the guy in the next car is interested in you. I ignore him totally and just drive my normal route and normal way. Well if Khadija's hubby is wondering at how will she manage to drive in Libya now that she got wheels, I can assure you that using indicators for turning right or left is used sparingly here. Therefore when I used them correctly the guy in the car following me imagines I'm giving him some morse code to follow me, but hell I'm not changing my safe drive and defense driving methods just so the Libyan guys don't get ideas in their heads. So when I indicate that I want to turn on the right and being in a remote area , the guy in the car following me and who thinks I have fallen for him because he got a BMW ( this one but white colour ), start having colourful dreams and follows me to my street and to my garage door. When he realises that this is my house and not some fancy 'hwaza' or farm were he will get to fulfill his fantasies , he tries to call to me from his car. Of course yours truely ignores him and I savour the look on his face when my teenage neighbours start walking up to him and asking him what's up man ? "Is this guy bothering you sister" .. I just smile sweetly while the BMW drives away in the bumpy track road. I lurv my neighbour guys they sensed my problem without me even looking their way. That's why I know that with lechers like that man around , I will still find a hero if I wish to play the damzel in distress. ..
For a glimpse of how a Maltese expat in Libya sees the 'boys and girls' issue, here is a teaser from Cyberdigger : "I once witnessed a blonde girl walking on the pavement being kerb-crawled by no less than three cars. The combined six or seven drivers and passengers were all shouting suggestive obscenities and wolf-whistling " .
Khadijateri keeps finding these most incredible Libyan bloggers or bloggers in Libya. Another one which I have picked up from her blog ( though off topic) is Bengazeeya , she already has 2 degrees and is now studying medicine in Libya and getting married - mashallah. So go read Cyberdigger and Benghazeeya (or the girl from Benghazi) .
6 comments:
Pedestrians are harrased in Libya more often and I think that it's probably safer to be in a car. Actually twice I've been flashed by weirdos and one a guy in his car followed me all the way as I walked to work - the entire time he was taking pictures of me with his cell phone while I tried to look as if I didn't notice him.
The most shocking thing is that I'm not some young cutie - I'm a middle aged woman with 6 kids! Ya'allah!
Keep up the good work Highlander - I am thrilled that Libyans are taking an interest in writing and are creating their own blogs :)
women !! does libyan boys committed crime here, why? ask yourself this question?.you are objects of temptation,the way you are dressing up that's it, don't you think grils not harrassing us boys,it happens,asking from All'aha to guide us all to his rightpath.
When I lived in Tunisia it was so common for guys to stop their cars and wait to see if you'll come or not. If you don't they just leave.
Never understood what that meant.
Once I was walking with a girlfriend and a guy said something dirty while in his car. My friend was wearing really big thick heels. She hit the car with her shoes and he drove away.
They are so stupid and they think that because they have a car or because the music is loud that the girl will get excited or something. What jerks!
Khadijateri, I hardly walk in Libya, but this business of taking pictures with the cellphone really worries me ..there are so many unscrupulous souls out there especially that I don't wear a hijab, and my dress code is let's say unusual - not fashionable ( warning to the guys -please no dirty ideas).
Adam :) you are so funny , so women are the temptress eh ? What about those who wear a jilbab like Khadija above, what about my own mother ? you'de be surprised at how many wholf whistles she gets, but then she is quite a cutie still...
Leilouta , I hear you about those cars, yes I'm not sure what the idea is either, but to be honest I've seen it in Tunis when I visited , but also in Egypt and Beirut and surprisingly in London .
Libya, Jordan, Tunis and Egypt....I am no kiddie girl in hotpants either, but walking on the streets alone you just can´t miss being noticed with crazy pickup lines such as "Hello (big smile) my friend!" or "Ahhh, sugar!" or "Can I help you (big grin)?" or "Duh yuh vahnt tahxi?" (non-Arab behind wheel).
I have never had any dude following me with his car, though. But last week here in Copenhagen, my friend who is Turkish and wears the hejab was followed in her car all the way home by another Arab-looking man. She was scared to death, and even as I teased her making jokes about it, she was scared for real. So scared she didn´t even think of using her mobile phone to call her husband.
Sometimes I speculate on those men´s behavior. Do they really think, that we women promptly will fall in love with a stranger hollering at us from his car? They seem so desperate. What do they expect? Crazy people!
Hi Safia, I'm never afraid when a dude follows me I'm so used to that, especially that it is always on my way home. So what the guy will find out where I live and that's it . Let him eat his heart out. One of those followers used to leave flowers on my car before he he he
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