There is a place I really like here. It's the immigration office. How different it is from the other parts of the city. Although women still take part in the public life here - as singers, TV stars, evening news' presenters and cashiers - public offices are the most friendly work-places for women. In this places, women usually don't have lower incomes than men and they are more welcome then in the private enterprises.
So, it's always a pleasure to go to the immigration office. All those veiled women laughing loud during their breakfast time, shouting to men on the other side of their desks and telling everybody else to obey them. Talk about empowerment of women. There is a spot in their lives where they have power - and better still, they know it.
How different was to apply to a visa during Ramadan. No bad humour, but no breakfast together, to start with. Try to picture yourself: office hours are from 8:00 to 14:00, but be sure that at eight, they're sipping their teas and eating aish baladi with something: it can be feta cheese, beans, cucumber or eggs. They're waiting for the officials to bring the documents they are going to work with, with laughter and chitchat. Not during Ramadan, of course.
Then you have a pretty silent office. All civil workers are there waiting for their papers and they don't have much to talk to each other. No smiles. The woman who attends me is even polite this time. Justice be done, it seems the ex-pats are more polite to her as well - it is as though everybody's energy went out.
Hopefully, next time, the place will be alive again. ;-)
So, it's always a pleasure to go to the immigration office. All those veiled women laughing loud during their breakfast time, shouting to men on the other side of their desks and telling everybody else to obey them. Talk about empowerment of women. There is a spot in their lives where they have power - and better still, they know it.
How different was to apply to a visa during Ramadan. No bad humour, but no breakfast together, to start with. Try to picture yourself: office hours are from 8:00 to 14:00, but be sure that at eight, they're sipping their teas and eating aish baladi with something: it can be feta cheese, beans, cucumber or eggs. They're waiting for the officials to bring the documents they are going to work with, with laughter and chitchat. Not during Ramadan, of course.
Then you have a pretty silent office. All civil workers are there waiting for their papers and they don't have much to talk to each other. No smiles. The woman who attends me is even polite this time. Justice be done, it seems the ex-pats are more polite to her as well - it is as though everybody's energy went out.
Hopefully, next time, the place will be alive again. ;-)
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