Sunday, February 7, 2010

Filipina Women

I am trying to figure this out on my own, but I'm stumped. Perhaps, someone, somewhere out there, can help me "get it"?

-Shes Filipina...
-Shes usually somewhat young...
-Shes visibly the "maid" (holding an Omani child in her arms while the mother shops...) Heres where I get confused...
-She wears somewhat of a uniform...(Extra tight jeans, a very fitted top and.................hijab???).

Why is it that so many filipina women here have this uniform? Is it by choice? Is this "uniform" a request from their sponsor? Whats the deal?. Every restaurant or retail store, with or without hijab they typically wear the same kind of clothes. Last night we were parked in front of Browniz and I just sat in the car blown away. One waitress was wearing skin tight jeans and her shirt was tucked in, she served a group of Omani men who openly stared at her up and down and continued staring as she walked away, all with sheepish smiles. 

If its by choice, why do the women choose to stand out and contrast so sharply against black abayas and obvious societal conservatism? If its not by choice, why are they required to dress as so? Is it to humiliate them? Is it to entice male customers?.

This is not an issue of Islamic vs. Non-Islamic. The expats here in Salalah are very respectful and conscious of their attire, they don't typically stand out because of what they choose to wear.

Help me out people, I'm confused!!!. Its the most perplexing image these days

62 comments:

  1. come on, is it really that hard to figure out?

    like all women around the world, they dress with the goal to appeal to a potential suitor that will ride in on their white camel and whisk them away to the blissful and carefree life in their bedou camp.

    ReplyDelete
  2. the reason it perplexes you is that instinctively, whether you like it or not, they appear to you (and other women) as competitors for the suitable partner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rania
    The photo you attached is so HARD for us(boys).. I don't think I can help you unless you remove this picture, at least take it from a different angle(jk).
    But assuming there is no photo I'll say it is not always the choice of these asian girls who are coming here to earn some money to help their poor families. Mostly it is the community request for the women to cover their hair, but since most of these babysitters and housemaids know nothing about our culture but hijab, they wear normal dressing as if they are at their countries and they only add the hijab to make the people satisfied.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a fairer and wise point of view. To better understand others one has to have an open and clever mind.

      Delete
  4. u know in malaysia n mostly in the east, n west.. women dress like this.. as in a hejab is only something that covers the hair n nothing more..

    when i was in malaysia i saw a girl wearing a japanese cut top ( almost sleevless ) and a short skirt till the knee with hejab! i was shoked!

    where is the mistake here?

    house maids in the gulf should be dressed by the familes they work for.. coz they know the culture n know how they should look.. if not then dont blame the house maid coz i dont think she cares!

    i think its as simple as that..

    ReplyDelete
  5. n i just read boxster's comment..

    maaaan uhave no idea how many women from the philipines r looking for Bahraini husbands here in bahrain!!! n they go out n ask ppl to spread the news.. they dont wana go bk..n they wnt a better life

    ReplyDelete
  6. What great comments!

    Boxster: So you think I'm "perplexed" because I feel threatened? Not in this case my friend =)
    It just looks so strange. You have a parade of women who are covered from head-to-toe, and in the midst is a woman taking care of their children dressed like the above photo. It IS perplexing not threatening. I honestly never thought about them wanting to attract the local men into being with them though, insightful Boxster.

    Mahfeef, I swear I laughed so HARD reading your comment. I nearly spit out my coffee!!!! I don't understand how the employers can tolerate that attire? This is why I suggested the idea of humiliation? I don't know.

    Nosa, yeah I thought it was the responsibility of the employers too! I had NO idea they wanted to be with the local men. I have seen on more than one occasion a housemaid being treated very badly by her male employer...I figured they didn't like the local men...hmmmm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No better truth can be found about this topic than if u asked these girls respectfully and politely and get their point of view first hand from them. Communication is needed in order to understand this and not really get perplexed.

      Delete
  7. From a man's perspective-
    WOW, she looks so hot !!
    So different from the "black clouds" floating around. See the effect this photo has on your webpage, makes it so bright.
    Yes, Malaysian girls do follow similar style (though not so tight dress)
    Hope the day will come when more girls start dressing like her (of course, other than girls in my family)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rania,
    Apologies if I sound too rude, feel free to delete my earlier post if you find it in bad taste (This really is my "uncensored" reaction to your post)
    Boys will always be boys, you know.
    J

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post Rania! You finally published it!!

    Ma7feef: "This picture is so HARD for us boys!" ... BOYS? BOYS? What boys? Show me your ID card!

    Men can be such perverts sometimes

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rania:
    I told you I can't concentrate when I open this post to comment... so please remove the photo(from where did you get it? I hope it is not by Nadia's camera).
    Nadia:
    Please convince Rania to remove the picture otherwise don't blame us(boys) if we prevert.
    By the way I don't know where I lost my ID.. thank you for reminding me, once I get it I'll send you a copy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I believe the matter does appear clearly to us irrespective of the person's religion; that you can say that, these women are not using that sort of cloth for sexual porpuses.they do this in order to attract customers to spend more money in places like cafes,restaurants,and hotels.
    Regarding to Salalah households i am definitely sure, that you cannt find even one allowed of those Asian maids to wear such
    attire at their sponsor's home.
    immoral attitude is not welcome in our society.
    AHMED
    (SO LONG)

    ReplyDelete
  12. ppl from what i know ,the filipina ladies working in the restaurants are given the uniform by the owners or managment and they have to wear it, reason for tight clothes could be to attract more customers ofcourse male.

    And not just filipinas, there are moroccan ladies workin and wearin the same clothes as well


    housemaids are told to wear scarf by the employer and about tight clothes no idea

    ReplyDelete
  13. and yeah why omani lads stare at them or other expats because they cant stare at omani girls,

    reason being that sometimes dont even know who she is behind the veil and could even turn out to be their distant family, relative cousin etc.

    even if the face is not covered, they still think many times before doing it, and reason being the same that the girl might know him and could be his cousin whereas the guy doesnt know. so they tend to avoid

    i am sure other omani girls and boys will agree with me.

    I am not omani by nationality but am omani by birth and heart

    ReplyDelete
  14. yo makhfeef what do u mean by that comment??

    sick comment

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ahmad, I'm sorry to say but Filipinas aren't the only women who dress this way. A few days ago in front of the supermarket two young OMANI girls were clad in tight black jeans, yellow t-shirts and hijabs half off promoting a car.

    Anonymous, I intend to find out the requirements for attire at Browniz in particular...stay tuned.

    Mahfeef, Im not taking the photo down, lower your gaze brother :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. hahahahahahahahaha this post is hillarious and the comments even funnier.
    well if the girl doesn't know what she's doing (i.e. innocently dressing like a bimbo...well if there is such a thing) then i say may she be in ignorance forever...ignorance is bliss sometimes

    And I do agree with some of the comments, a lot of them come hunting for a husband. Don't you have the runaway syndrome in Oman?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Glad to read this post, I am a filipino working here in Muscat, for what I know, they are requested to cover their hair, but guess what? if you go to most of the mall here in Muscat you can see also lots of Omani women wearing those kinds of getup.

    ReplyDelete
  18. the skin tight attire is by choice, i guess(coz it's not only in their work places that they wear them). I've seen plenty(a looootttt) of filipina women wearing your so called "uniform" at churches too. Now that can't be forced upon!?
    Anyways my conclusion would be that they are comfortable and confident in their attire.

    ReplyDelete
  19. i'm a filipina too... i remember my brother onced inquired by one of his students "why filipinas dressed like that..? tight top and tight pants...?"

    they (as i'm a dress/skirt person) would wear it no matter what - - even there are bulging fats here and there or can be considered inappropriate to their age (too "old" to dress in such way)

    maybe its part of identity: have you ever look around and notice a lady walking down the street with this attire with a matching umbrella - - then your 98% sure she's a filipina.

    like you guys have mussar :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. why my maid ,nepaly woman, has a love affair with an omany man ,father of five ?

    ReplyDelete
  21. filipinas do wear those stupid graphic t-shirts, but her nose doesn't look flat enough

    ReplyDelete
  22. I knew it was a bad idea to merge with muscat now us locals of dhofar have deal with these FOBs. LOL !!
    Qayser,

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am really amazed how culture and perspective differ from one place to another..But sadly, oftentimes, people tend to be racist thinking that their culture and way of living is the "JUST" and "SUPERIOR" amongst others..

    Well, go to America, Europe or any Asian countries. With your attire, you can be mistaken as scare crow or the Sadaku in the horror movie that will scare little kids away.. LOL

    But seriously speaking, this way of dressing is never to seduce or attract males (OMG! lol). It is cultural differences(meaning, one may think it is too much, but for the other, it is just ok). This way of thinking is really like from ancient times, hehehe!...Think globally and intercontinentally..Travel around the world..Maybe, you will find in your heart the word RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT.. =)

    PS: I think Asian women (Filipina and others) does not like the locals. They prefer Brittish and Americans! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very well said amigo! I say I agree what is said that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
      Just funny or sad how some peoples eyes may just be too "chinky" to see (and understand) better.
      Kudos!11

      Delete
  24. Its same perception as the American's describe ALL Arabs as "TERRORIST", oh! maybe not just Americans but perhaps the WHOLE WORD. TRUE?

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am a filipina married to Arab guy and settled in Philippines with my mom in law and 3 kids. I am very much agree with the last commenter. First of all, is she really filipina? She seems Malaysian to me. You, me, all of us have our different cultures and beliefs. We all see things in different ways. It is not BIG DEAL for us to see someone like her wearing tight jeans and tight top. But instead i find her weird for being covered hair and wearing long slevees in the hottest country on EARTH. But ofcourse because we are open minded people we understands that she is required to dress like that since she works for Muslim family. People of Oman, lend me your ears "this is how we dress" and that doesnt mean we are to attract men. People think this way is to stay only in their country "only" and not to go in places like America, Europe and Asians. Doing so can cause u heart attack. Now lets put it viceversa,why do u think children from our country calls Arab women as BLACK NINJAS or oftentimes BLACK WITCHES? ONION smell people??? It is simply because u are "ARAB PEOPLE", u dress this way, and we ASIANS are not against it at all but why against in how we dress? i feel like it has something to do with JEALOUSY perhaps? That your men stare at us more than staring at your women, they find us HOT and u all are NOT??Hahahahahahahaha!...(jk)

    And to Nosa,

    maaaan u have no idea how many Arab men are looking for Filipina wives here in bahrain!!! n they go out n ask ppl to spread the news.. they dont wana go for their own race..coz they wnt a TRUE HAPPY life that they only found in ASIA

    STOP RACISM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely not Malaysian cause As a matter of fact there is no malaysian maids in the middle east. Im malaysian and i know it.

      Delete
  26. i doubt she's not Filipina. Fair skin, Big boobies, big booties and colored nail, c'mon she NO FILIPINA and definitely not a maid.

    Im guesing this is RANIA herself, Joke!..

    ReplyDelete
  27. It could have been one small honest-to-goodness post on something that jas piqued the blogger's interest... Unfortunately, in doing so, she has exposed herself for being judgmental if not too naive.

    She has in succeeding comments hinted the picture is not hers but probably was downloaded from somewhere and posted here. That's gross misrepresentation if not outright vicious to justify the sourness of the post.

    What is even unfortunate is for one Nosa to even hint about Filipinas going out of their way in Bahrain to find Bahraini husbands.

    So hypocritical and so racist...

    You both need to go around and see the world.

    ReplyDelete
  28. i did not read all the comments, to the article i can say is.. women in brownies or other places dress up
    1. to look smart and agile... image a really plus sized woman working there looking as if they will fall any minute ... do u think as customers we would like to be served by a person who cant bend down to the table.
    2.i happen to know an ex-employee from brownies .. she said the management never asked them to wear tight dresses just smart ... i dont see any thing wrong in what they wear ..
    3. did u know that many house maids in salalah after coming here dont even get 1 Friday off in a month. they r treated like bonded slaves.
    Omani women don't allow them to leave the house.
    They cant shop for themselves and ...when they go out that is with the family ...so the only time they can be seen by pl they will wear dresses where they will be noticed ....

    ReplyDelete
  29. btw ... just becoz a women wears jeans ant t-shirt doesn't make her a bimbo .... and if u go to the Philippines ... u will see such kinda clothing rare ...u will find skimpier cloths...
    Arab women and expat women married to arabs when r told to where the burka r just jealous sorry to say ...but the author of the post is really green ....

    ReplyDelete
  30. think that everyone should wear what makes them feel confortable in a conservative way
    no matter if you are in oman or in the us.

    they way you dress says a lot about who you are
    with that in mind dress up or dress down ..

    is your choice..

    jay

    ReplyDelete
  31. Actually a bit of research on the metatag data on the picture revealed that this girl is actually in indonesia and posed for a comercial/promoting
    a rsort located in north swalesi

    she is just eye candy playing both markets
    the conservative and the liberal in indonesia

    dont break your head wondering, this girl is not pinay and you can clearly see the entrance of the bunaken temple in the background.


    Jay

    ReplyDelete
  32. Wow some of the comments here im not agree.First they focus of the filipina here what she wearing.Sorry to tell you about this.think omani women not wearing tight cloths?i see a lot of omani woman in muscat wearing jeans and the top is tight they cover there head ,ya its cover everything but look at what they wear?sorry conservative country but ?but?but?but??? also men they said conservative too but why when they go in dubai go in the bars and seat the ladies in the bars that they wear seksi.you know guys dont focus and one thing only ,i think start open your mind.and what around also.lol.

    ReplyDelete
  33. This picture if you go to mall in muscat you can see omani wearing like this lol...You know guys good person dont judge other people what they wearing.you think omani women they never think that hopefully i can wear like this?.a lot omani wearing tight lol..lol....and if conservative why in the mall you can see cloths tight seksi cloths etc etc...

    ReplyDelete
  34. Is that true,be open minded .where wearing what they like to wear coz they grow up in a open minded live in asia thats why.if that omani go in asia or other country people also think that why she wearing that cloths?.its same here guys other people from differents places comes in oman they respect the omanis what they wear.but why if you are not omanis why they are not respect to other people what they wear?if omani men going to thailand why they never wear there white traditional cloths and going to party going to the bars .thats the conservative ?lol a lot of question people being conservative ....you agree or not that the truth.but depends the people if she or he travel open to other country she or he there very open minded and they understand why she wearing seksi coz shes not live in a arab country.if people there not travel and see the world thats why she or he very conservative.coz they focus in onething only what they see around them.

    ReplyDelete
  35. People, why dont we get one thing straight. Everyone is free to wear what they like. And more over it is each ones culture what they wear. if we ask an arab to always wear pant and shirt or suit and roam around, it wont be possible as he will not be comfortable in it. same are the ladies from different places are comfortable wearing what they always wear. any of the guys who are against the way the fillipina dress i tell you never leave your country and go to any european country you will all have heart fails or pressure attacks. it is not the clothes the woman wear that makes them bad. it is in the eyes of the person looking at the lady's dress what he thinks. he can look at it in a good sense or a bad sense.
    why are we people being hyprocriate. if you see most of the arab men and boys have fillipina girl friends and also many want to marry them, why then critisize them.

    ReplyDelete
  36. She isn't a Filipina. Typical Filipinas never like to have their heads covered, they even show their hair more often because that is their crowning glory.

    Malaysians, Indonisians and Filipinos are having more likely the same features. The dialect and culture differs. In Philippines, we have some Moslem sisters who wear this kind of head dress but had a more decorated upper dress and not that typical printed shirt.

    Some comments here are right but some are too offensive to read. But opinions are welcome as long as it is not offensive to anybody.

    RESPECT.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Muslim filipina here, well not all filipina is like that, maybe some. I agree that when wearing the headscarf one should not partner it with a short or thight clothes, or the like. Maybe these filipina girls who wrongly wear the hijab don't understand that hijab is not only just to cover the hair but also to cover the body with lose clothing so as not to show the figure.
    Peace to all from The Hijabers Index

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We woman must first respect ourselves to let others especially the men will respect us.

      Delete
    2. you are definitely and perfectly right....nadadaray tuloy ang iba, namay respeto sa sarili ( hwag k nalang mag hijab sister hindi bagay)

      Delete
  38. if u are in any arab or muslim country ok lang tong outfit na to but please pag nasa saudi arabia kayo esp. in riyadh this is nono... please nadadamay ang manga pinay na di nang aakit , na gegeneralized tuloy lahat na malalandi ang manga pinay ppplllleeaaassse

    ReplyDelete
  39. this is out of the topic but please paki share sa manga friends nyo na pag this saudi guy courts you..... beware... ABDULLAH OSMAN ABDULLAH AL_OBAID ang age nya talaga is 48 pero pinapabata lang nya edad nya , married na cya with 3 kids pinay ang asawa (maawa naman kyo sa kababayan natin) sa MEDIVAC nagtratrabaho, ang manga present g friend nya is from military hosp. king fahad hosp pls. wag na kayong paloloko.....

    ReplyDelete
  40. for us filipina its nothing but for them its something..... what about the brit girls wearing more revealing than that....Its how we are and its who you are in your minds..... For most Im soo proud that we speak english well, dress well and think well...



    ihateracism

    ReplyDelete
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  42. one time, there was this arab patient of mine who asked me, "sister why are u wearing a hi-jab? ur a catholic right? u know in other hospitals, filipina nurses are not required to wear that and that is the right way and thing to do, Islam is not like that".... I don't really know much about islam but I think it's great, It's just the doers or the people of islam are the real problem.

    ReplyDelete
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  46. Dear all..Why are you bother argumenting on from what country the girl is? She's definitely Indonesian..coz I'm Indonesian..so it's clear enough..since this picture uploaded & shared on google for the purpose of critizing.
    Nowadays it's easier to find girls dressing up like this in big cities of Indonesia..Some of us found it ridiculous & even annoying. And the critics mostly come from male while the female throw this as 'an minor issue'.
    Men here critize not b'coz they're seduced by the girls shape since short pant & short sleeves is no problemo..Coz Indonesia is one of tourism destinations, and European travel here in May-Septembes where for the last couple of years Ramadan occurs around this period. And during that fasting month we see westerners in light-see through shirt, u can see or even tank top walking around the street..and no one give a damn about it... The critic itself arise on the idea of how unaccaptable & an insult toward muslim dress. Many male friends of mine even posted this issue on Facebook both as the status & discussions. They said they have no idea on what the girls have in the head by combining hijab & tight outfit..For them it's simply accepted to wear hijab appropriately as it should be or just show some skin & the curve, but not in between. The men take it as a hypocrisy and we are not accustomed to be hypocrite. And usually the more open a girl dresses up..the less attractive she is to the men here.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Just like if we are in Lombok & Bali, rarely Balinese guy find a westerner in bikini attractive. Yes, Indonesia is a muslim country. But it's also a sandy beachy country with world-class tourist come every year. And even Paris Hilton hanging around the beach naked, I assume only 0.5% men become horny. So, stop being so racist & giving headache to one another. Every country has its own culture, value & perspective...PEACE

    ReplyDelete
  48. And from my point of view as Indonesian women, the more a man is expossed to 'show some skin-women' the more they feel ENOUGH abt it. But in the case of middle east situation, I believe an expat must dress properly refer to the local custom..or at least adjusted. Coz every culture & custom made to suit the local condition, psychology, nature etc

    ReplyDelete
  49. She looks good. You only look good for so long. She wants to be admired by men. Good, bad or ugly.. Its human nature.
    I seen the same thing in Kuwait. I think some of it is that filipino culture (even in muslim parts of mindanao) is more open then middle east countries.

    why do we seek filipina bride? they go out of their way to get a good man..or even a semi good one. But yeah, they should respect the culture.

    ReplyDelete
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  51. Just read this ...here's my 2 cents...|
    Not all Filipinas dress like that...there are 7 107 islands in The Philippines which means there are 7 000 plus islanders who dressed differently....there are some women who want to show off their skin,others dont... i,in behalf of conservative filipinas,dress modestly..regardless of our religion ..again,not all Filipinas dress like that.

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  53. Hi all
    It’s my pleasure to clear some points for you while i am Omani , please note that Oman is a Muslim country and we following the Islam rules , i agree with you some Omanis are not fully following the rules of Islam and culture, second think when some sponsor request a housemaid from agency he put conditions one of them she should wear Hijab, then he will accept her for the job.
    Now some of you are laughing about our traditional and culture, this is not good at all, coz we didn’t force any one to come to work in Oman. Girls most cover their bodies to avoid hatchments to protect them. And I don’t think girls in Philippine are protected from problems and rape.
    Best Regards,
    Abdullah

    ReplyDelete
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