What Women Want

Not long ago I found myself sitting on a wooden bench in a dusty corridor of the school the young ladies will be attending next year. As I waited outside an office for a meeting, I couldn’t help noticing the various people passing through the halls. Most of the male students and faculty members were dressed in western clothes. Many of the maintenance men, gardeners and men holding similar positions wore the local dress. All of the women were in the local dress with heads covered or in full burkas.

I observed that most of the men ignored me or walked an appropriate distance from me. A couple of the younger ones seemed to try to catch my glance while nonchalantly doing other things. I felt very much at ease even though at first there were very few women. As the women walked past, they would smile and greet me. A few even asked me questions. They were friendly and curious.

After my appointment, I met up with my escorts for the day. The school is next to a huge bazaar. The shops are full of clothes, shoes, jewelry and many other things that appeal to women. As I walked though the crowded streets I was immediately aware of the number of women there. I made my way down shop-lined alleys towards my friends. Several women approached and spoke to me. Some asked questions and others told me how “smashing” I looked in their local dress.

In some places it can be challenging to meet women, but I was incredibly relieved to discover that the school and the surrounding area should provide wonderful opportunities for the young ladies to meet many curious national women for language practice and other things.