Cross-Pollination

Hello all. So I'm currently a little bit distracted from blogging by things like brotherly (and friendly) visits and exams (eek!).

So I'll let you know about something that I've noticed on the streets of Jerusalem recently.

First of all there is a woman who takes my bus who wears a hijab. No biggie except that she's JEWISH! I know this because she davens shacharit on the bus every morning. Honestly, if she's so frum that she wears a hijab you'd think she could wake up the extra half hour earlier to daven at home. But then we wouldn't know she's Jewish... so it's probably on purpose. Additionally however, there are plenty of Jewish hijab wearers around. I've seen a couple in the tachana ha merkazit and at the kotel. Obviously I'm not a fan of this.

Another thing that I've noticed recently, are Arab girls in Jerusalem not wearing hijabs but instead wearing turtlenecks and mitpachot (head-scarves) in the style of married settler women. They do them really nicely, with different coloured scarves and styles. I'm sure it's probably considered scandalous within their communities, because they are adopting foreign culture and fashion. It's probably also considered promiscuous because you can see more skin in this style.

Basically I find these two observations interesting because its strange two see two groups of women who generally do not interact and when they do they tend to express antipathy towards one another yet in some aspects they are really influenced by one another.

Good thing?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Doing Gila Mandelson Proud

I spend my whole day checking out women. I know it sounds like I have some repression sexuality spectrum issues but it's true.

I watch women.

I watch to see what they are wearing.

You see, adoring public, as a skirt/sleeve/neckline wearer of the orthodox female variety every piece of clothing has to be evaluated from both a fashion and a tsniut perspective.

As such, I'm consistently checking out the other girls at university to see if I could wear what they are wearing or what additional items are required to hide my nakedness.

In Israel if I find a girl whose entire outfit I could wear, it normally means that she's also religious.

In Australia however, I extracted much joy from discovering random Asians, Indians, Africans who seem to have gotten their outfits straight from halichos bas yisroel (it's where I get all my fashion trips from). Granted, the frequency of these sightings decreases as summer approaches.

Case in note random adorable Asian girl in the top left hand corner from http://facehunter.blogspot.com/

I could wear this outfit very easily, it even includes stockings, flat shoes and to-the-elbow sleeves! How the bearded and hatted would approve! Not to mention that she looks like she's just my size! Ahhhhh she's the frum Asian me!

As a final note on this topic to young single kippa wearers. I strongly recommended that you appreciate the skill required to hide those knees but still look like a normal human being. You might want to consider compliments as a way of positive reinforcement.

Thanx boys.