Challenging Parts of Living Abroad



Living abroad is full of new experiences and challenges, and one of the most common challenge is cultural differences. In this post I want to mention three challenges I have faced while I am living in the US.

Prayer room


As a Muslim I have to pray many times a day, and I prefer to pray on time. My problem is there is no prayer room close to my classrooms. I had tried to walk to a nearby masjid (Muslim church) and pray there, but that caused me to be late for my listening and speaking class. The best choice was to find an empty classroom and pray, although I was praying with no full comfort. This semster I do not struggle because I am home when it is prayer time.

Dogs

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Dogs are cute, Are not they? well, not in my culture!
Wait! do not judge us! We do not hate dogs, many of us just do not like to see them, touch them, or having them in our homes! 😜
In Arab and Islamic culture, it is uncommon to have dogs as pets, because the dog is a symbol of dirtiness. Many of my neighbors, here in Austin, have dogs. It is okay, but my problem is they do not keep their dogs away from me when they approach me. I do not want to embarrass both the dog and his/her owner, so I try to be normal and just go away. 

Restrooms

I am not sure if it is appropriate to mention this, but I’ll do it any way.

My big problem, and the problem of most Arabs and Muslims as well, in traveling or living abroad is using restrooms.

Let me introduce this life-saver invention: HAND-HELD BIDET.

Image result for HAND-HELD BIDET


Simply, we use this hose to clean ourselves. Using toilet paper is not enough, especially for Muslims, who are directed to wash their private parts with water after using toilets. Hand held bidet is environment friendly and the best choice for personal hygiene. Unfortunately, it is not popular in the US and many European countries.

The first change I have done to my apartment in Austin installing hand held bidet. Also, I always carry a small bottle in my handbag to use it if I need it.


What about your country? Do people use hand held bidet?

Comments

  1. Olivia YayaApril 13, 2019 at 9:59 AM

    I'm interested in the hand held bidet. could you teach me how to install in toilet?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Robinson PlacekApril 14, 2019 at 7:26 PM

    wow i have never heard about the hand held bidet. it sounds pretty interesting. haha i love dogs i have two.

    ReplyDelete
  3. yedamApril 14, 2019 at 11:40 PM

    wow, im so impressed how spiritual you are in Lord! I need to learn to pray on time. I hope to you get a pray room near the campus.

    ReplyDelete
  4. KosukeApril 15, 2019 at 6:37 AM

    Almost all Japanese toilets have similar function of Hand-Held Bidet. lol
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8KyBlGWI2k

    ReplyDelete
  5. ChristineSpring2019April 16, 2019 at 3:28 PM

    I saw an article in the Ut's student newspaper, "The daily texan," a couple of weeks ago requesting more prayer rooms at UT, as it's very inconvenient to try to pray in hallways, stairwells, or other empty spaces. I hope UT will find a way to accommodate students' needs. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

    ReplyDelete

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