• The most I can tell you is that I’m in the middle of the east. Safe. So safe, in fact, we don’t have to lock our doors. In the states, I have a security system for my house. Not necessary here. It’s all good. I promise.

• I will say that upon going through customs, the passport checker asked me, “Why aren’t you happy?” Well, I had no idea what he was asking with my accent in my head and the one coming from his mouth, so I was puzzled when he gave me the cover to my passport and held on to the passport. Oh, my ass understood real quick then. Believe it!

• The first time a handful of us ladies ventured over to ‘the corner store’ alone, we were kicked out. The guy said something like, “Get your asses outta this goddamn store and don’t come back! EVER!” I don’t know the exact translation ’cause he was speaking in Arabic and I understand nothing but ‘water’ which I got to get none of. We did have an Arabic speaker among us. She put what he said to us nicely. “The store is for men only.” Though, he may as well had been saying what I translated to you.

• The second time I ventured out with another colleague, outside the gates, or barbed wire with guards of where we live, I felt free for the first time walking out somewhere without being driven. On the way back though, the driver was returning and we had to get on the bus instead of walking back.

• The third time, the same colleague and I ventured out to the store, a truck with three men kept circling us. She spoke a little Arabic and translated that they were concerned for us to be walking out alone. It was night time and we were going after prayer. On the way back, the police followed us, making sure we got back where we belonged. He never said anything though. However, when the bus was leaving the area where we live, we ran behind a pile of sand and hid so nobody would know we’d ventured out again. When it was all clear, we went back in our apartments, closing the gate behind us like well-trained prisoners.

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