Dana P. -CP #1

I met, D____, for the first time, the past week. We spoke briefly via phone to determine where we would meet. I suggested "Tea Time" as this was the only place I knew and it seemed to be a comfortable environment. However, I heard some hesitation in her voice so I said I was open to any place she desired. She suggested out front of the building near the benches. She said there were too many people and it was busy on the fourth floor. It seemed she may have wanted less people or a quieter area to meet?? However, I found the quiet atmosphere to be helpful since she was very soft-spoken and a bit shy, at first. Her English was very good; her pronunciation and ability to put thoughts into sentences quickly was as if she studied English from a young age. Turns out, she started learning English (in Saudi Arabia) in elementary school. I commented how I wish my Arabic was as good as her English. She told me she was still learning Arabic; she said the formal Arabic is much more complex than the street version! I found her to be fascinating, maybe it's because Saudi Arabia seems like another world that I know nothing of except what I read. I have these images of beautiful, mysterious women,wealthy citizens, royalty, golden deserts..obviously a very romantic view. I can be a bit dreamy, I suppose. She did have a wonderful, film-like story about how her mother, in only a mother's way, made her father believe she was entering into an arranged marriage. The truth is she knew the man ( and had been dating) for 5 yrs prior. I discovered our two world have so much in common, one being religion...yes, religion. I asked her if the other girls looked at her differently since she never wore a hijab or head covering. She said it is just like people in the US you are Christians; some are very formal while others take it with ease. We also talked about how liquor is restricted but the kids will buy it via underground markets. I told her the US,at one time in history, also prohibited alcohol but we found a way around that law! Human nature,for the most part, is exactly the same. The only thing I found to be of an issue is her confidence in speaking, or maybe she is simply less talkative than myself. I guess I will discover soon.