With only a few days left of winter break, I decided to call one of my new coworkers and invite her to lunch. It is amazing to me how ignorant we show ourselves to be before we get to know people. Let me first give you some background: I think that many Indian women are beautiful, have long dark hair, brown coffee skin, and of medium build. There are many natives from India here in Qatar but the ones I’ve noticed, bobble their heads when speaking, have a recognizable body odor, and are mostly low income. This was my impression until I met Omaimah. Omaimah is from the northern part of India and when I first met her, Indian did not come to mind. When she told me she was from India and I responded with, “Really, I would have never suspected”, she said, “Why, is it because I don’t bobble my head?” I was so embarrassed, as I should have been. Which leaves me to question: How often do we judge people or a group of people before we get to know them?
This is Omaimah, fair skinned, big eyes, long dark hair (got that right), smells nice, does not bobble her head, is pretty well off and a teacher from India. She’s beautiful and thoughtful and she has taught me, and she doesn’t even know it, not to judge a group of people before I get to know at least one of them. Everyone from one country do not all fit in the same box. I want to apologize to the universe and say thank you Omaimah.
Has something similar ever happened to you?
Read my next post to find out how lunch went, with a real Indian, at a real Indian restaurant…
Teaching Abroad- American Teacher Overseas 