Natalia was born a stone's throw from the Queen's racetrack in Ascot, UK and has been trying to get a ticket to the races and a fabulous hat to go with it ever since. She was born to a Peruvian mother and an Irish father who kept her on her toes, moving her to Spain, Ireland and back to the UK before settling her in New York for the length of middle and high school. She is still uncertain of what she did to deserve that.
She fled to Boston for college and then Washington, D.C. to marry her wonderful husband, who she met in her freshman year at college. As a military man, he was able to keep her in the migratory lifestyle to which she had become accustomed. Within 5 months of marriage, they were off to Japan where they stayed for a wonderful 2 and one half years before coming home to roost. Baby Xavier was born in New York in 2011 and has not slept since.
A joy and an inspiration, it was Xavier who moved Natalia to entrepreneurship and the launch of CultureBaby. She has loved forging her own path and is excited for the next step for her family and CultureBaby.
Natalia believes in the potential for peace that all children carry within them and the importance of raising them as global citizens. She loves language, history, art and culture as well as Vietnamese Pho, Argentinian Malbec, English winters, Spanish summers and Japanese department stores...and she still hopes one day to catch the number 9 race with Queen Liz.
You can find her personal blog, The Culture Mum Chronicles.
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This is a very interesting dilemma, Natalia. I guess, where there was a strict dress code, I’d go along with it just to avoid harassment. The real problem (as you point out in this post) is what to do where there isn’t a CLEAR directive as to how you should dress! Personally, I’ve never been to those countries and in South Africa nobody bats an eyelid if you wear a burka or sari, or you go to the shop in your nightgown and slippers!! (I promise you, I’ve seen this myself). I guess, at the end of the day you must dress in the way that you’re comfortable dressing. I would never go out of my house in PJ and slippers, but many do! 🙂
Interesting question! While I see your point of a shift in the country’s male behavior as the broader issue, I don’t know I, as a visitor, would feel like the best person to start that ball rolling by my choice of dress. I think the local community of women would be the best ones to touch that subject for lasting change. Your post offers good food for thought, and I hope you enjoyed your trip!
In Japan, the necklines are much higher than in the US, where I’m from, but the hemlines these days are much shorter! Interesting dilemma, indeed. I’m very modest by Americans standards, but I find my chest area getting too much attention here. Japanese clothes in general don’t fit me, so I have to buy from foreign stores with their “inappropriate in Japan” styles. For me, the solution is often layering. I wear a camisole under my décolletage baring T-shirts and blouses, but in the summer that is unbearable!
My 5yo daughter wants to buy shorts and skirts that I feel are too short…. I know in my head that here no one would consider it inappropriate, but it really bothers me. The school uniforms here often have shockingly short skirts, but one can easily identify the “bad girls” by their long skirts!
In the end, I think, as a “foreigner” you have to strike a balance between respecting your host country and being true to yourself. Even after living somewhere for years, that can be difficult. As a tourist, it would probably be impossible.
This is such a fascinating issue and a great post. Personally, as a visitor I feel it is appropriate to respect the dress codes of the culture you are visiting. That I am there as a guest and want to show respect, and at the same time stay safe and not call attention to myself as a foreigner. I also went to Saudi Arabia last year and felt much safer in my abaya and with a scarf covering my head. I think locals also appreciate the effort shown. Cultural shifts need to come from within the country, not by outsiders, and although it is tough not to judge, as you describe, the cultural aspects of dress are multi-layered.
I completely agree with Elizabeth’s comment.
Funny, when I was in Jordan I didn’t experience anything of this sort – but of course maybe that’s because I’m so clearly middle-aged…I too wore long loose trousers & t-shirts w/the occasional shawl, but nothing that felt too “covered.” I too have am curious about visiting Saudi and hope to do that one of these days…and I’ve noticed that this summer, back in NYC, I am *amazed* & not entirely comfortable, frankly, with the amount of skin that people show as they walk around. Not sure, though if that discomfort is b/c I am old & crotchety or b/c of living for the last 2 years in the Gulf. Hmm…your post raises some good questions.
My grandparents were Hasidic Jews, so growing up every time I visited them or they visited us, I had to dress differently than I was used to. I do try and respect the place I am visiting dress wise. That aside, I think people who are so judgmental of what others wear have probably not gotten to know the person or take time to consider that the way they are dressed was not meant as a personal affront to them.
There are some places in the world where dressing I appropriately can be a serious physical danger from the local culture.
And you rocked your head covering when you came to synagogue with me. 🙂