Rude people with staring problems

Calm down I would say it happens to all of us expats here (well, women, anyway.  I can't speak for the guys) because this is such a closed, homogeneous society. Another thing is that there is so little to do here, people are bored and just stare at anything or anybody different. It really isn't anything personal.

If it's any consolation, it's far worse in China lol

How I deal with the staring:

1. Wave at them and smile (if not wearing niqab)
2. Tell them to knock it off
3. Use my phone to take their photo
4. Ignore it and leave

Which one I do depends entirely on the situation and who is doing the staring (and if they are also pointing and giggling).

Xenolol wrote:

How I deal with the staring:

1. Wave at them and smile (if not wearing niqab)
2. Tell them to knock it off
3. Use my phone to take their photo
4. Ignore it and leave

Which one I do depends entirely on the situation and who is doing the staring (and if they are also pointing and giggling).

Who does the most staring, do you think?  Women or men?

As for how I react, I'll meet their eyes for a few seconds and then continue about my business.  But in China, I've actually walked up to people and said, 'BOO'!  It was fun--they didn't know what the hell to do, usually looked embarrassed--but admittedly it's not something you can do here

LOL, Well when I go out, I pretty much blend in with everyone. Women even stare at women! It's freaky like, "Oh, you like my Abaya?, Keep on lookin." But with men it's like "Dude, wth is your problem? Am I that hot?" Meh I'm not tripping though, it's just awkward.

Sounds legit.. I might try the picture if I'm in a car. Or the hand waving thing.

Haha! I'd like to see that!

For me, we get stared at more by women in the city and a toss up when out. Though if a woman notices us and has a man with her she will immediately make him stare too! Usually it is all in good curiosity and we get to chatting or I get complimented (directly by the women, if a man they tell my husband while I stand there).

Honestly I had more trouble with other expats in Asia as they always want to be the only expats there (so out comes the stink eye and pretending they don't see you). I don't think everyone should be best friends when traveling or living abroad, but crossing the street and making a run for it because one is afraid locals will notice one is not the only one, well... Marco Polo syndrome!

I've been to 30 countries and lived in five, I am pretty ugly so I get stared at a lot. (Thankfully my kids are cute and take after their father!) I've developed a sense of humor about it all! You just have to laugh at most things in life or you go mad.

To justsomegirl, next time someone stares and makes you uncomfortable pretend to pick your nose and flick boogers (or something equally silly). It may help diffuse the experience for you and have you laugh instead of feel uneasy.

Justsomegirl wrote:

LOL, Well when I go out, I pretty much blend in with everyone. Women even stare at women! It's freaky like, "Oh, you like my Abaya?, Keep on lookin." But with men it's like "Dude, wth is your problem? Am I that hot?" Meh I'm not tripping though, it's just awkward.

I've never made any attempt to blend in, other than the abaya.  I guess that's why I don't really care if people stare--I know I look different.

Justsomegirl wrote:

Sounds legit.. I might try the picture if I'm in a car. Or the hand waving thing.

Well, although I am a guy, but still I hate staring and people who stare, a lot. It feel really awkward and stupid. But it also depends how someone is staring at you. If it is like someone is trying to recognize you, it is fine, but observing without any reason gives a feeling that the person is ill-mannered.

It happens to us guys too. Well i know it happens to me just because i dress differently in my jeans and t-shirts and have funky hair. They an tell your a foreigner, well i think they can. Anyway, if its a saudi staring at me i'd usually wave and say "hello!! Can i help you?!" In a loud and sarcastic manner lol. If its an indian/pakistani/bengali then i would usually stare back, if that doesnt solve it then i'll do the sarcastic hello, can i help you. Usually works, but i agree they all have a staring problem.

Ofcourse you would look, and it maybe a little longer than normal. However, if that person looked towards you, you would quickly turn your head away. People here would just continue to stare at you no matter how hard you stare back lol. I've been here nearly 3 months now, so I'm used to it now. Wouldn't have this kind of problem back in the UK.

alot of people here are uneducated properly so its easy to get them amazed about anything different they see, so they will stare at whatever they like untill they get bored lol.

im a guy and when i went to Lebanon at one Museum my father was wearing the Saudi dress with ghutra and people were staring at us the whole time, even some people came asking to take photos of us lol.

to me its normal to find people stare at you like this

and the best solution to this in my opinion is "ignoring" them.

Altas wrote:

Haha. Try having blonde hair and blue eyes

I do and I make no attempt to hide it lol

You're right about 'being human'--once in Mexico City, I was in a park on a bench, just relaxing and people watching.  I became bored very quickly because people watching just isn't fun in a homogeneous society! 

Where we are from, everybody is different:  tall/short, blonde/red/brown/black hair, blue/green/hazel/brown/grey eyes, heavy/thin, light skin-dark skin and everything in between, etc.  But here, in Saudia, it's pretty much all the same not only due to the homogeneous factor but also due to the 'national dress code' (which, in my experience, I've not found anywhere else in the world).

So, when people here see somebody different? Okay, maybe they look a little too long, stare a little too hard. But I've never gotten the impression that they mean any harm by it and as Xen said earlier, if you do end up having a chat they are generally quite nice and really interested in who we are and what we're doing in Riyadh.

They stare, because they care (don't ask, it just rhymed)

But seriously, I'm sure everyone faces this everywhere. Regardless of our gender and nationality; we all get that awkward feeling when people stare at us. And they give the look as if we've taken all their money and left them out in the sun.

ghanshyampdave wrote:

They stare, because they care (don't ask, it just rhymed)

But seriously, I'm sure everyone faces this everywhere. Regardless of our gender and nationality; we all get that awkward feeling when people stare at us. And they give the look as if we've taken all their money and left them out in the sun.

I tell myself they're staring because I'm so beautiful   Not true, of course, but way to make yourself feel good!

No autographs, please.

Alliecat wrote:

...
No autographs, please.

That makes you Rude people with no staring problems 

(just kidding, you're not rude)

ghanshyampdave wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

...
No autographs, please.

That makes you Rude people with no staring problems 

(just kidding, you're not rude)

I'll give you my autograph, Dave (just not on the bottom of a check ).

Alliecat wrote:

I'll give you my autograph, Dave (just not on the bottom of a check ).

Yay !! My first cat autograph

ghanshyampdave wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

I'll give you my autograph, Dave (just not on the bottom of a check ).

Yay !! My first cat autograph

Here ya go

Alliecat wrote:

ghanshyampdave wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

I'll give you my autograph, Dave (just not on the bottom of a check ).

Yay !! My first cat autograph

Here ya go

http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.49240993 … 7&pid=15.1

Let me take it, before the muttawas step in.

I see you have met a section of our society that we call "gos'man'ji'yah " (because people from qaseem are nosy)

don't worry about them. when I'm out and about I do tend to stare a bit at western women, because I don't see them around here a lot, but I didn't stare when I was in the US.

think of your self as something exotic to many people here.

meeting a white lady for some Saudis is a new experience and it worths focusing to see the differences between you and the white actresses  in movies