Journal Entry 2

In response to the Xanith, the life of a transvestite in Sohar sounds much more peaceful than in the United States. In the United States models are everywhere and people want to look like those models. Looking your best in the United States is an everyday thing. Everyone wants to feel loved and or attractive. Most transvestites probably don’t feel like they have beauty or can have the feeling of being loved. Transvestites have a choice either to be a woman or man. Usually they choose to be a woman and are also intimate with women instead of men. Xaniths are just treated as a third gender, and are not discriminated as they would be somewhere else. Xaniths choose to dress or act like woman because they feel more accepted. Men tend to judge people more than woman, because men always try to get with woman and appearance is the key ingredient.

In response to the Hijab story, I agree with Sultana in a way that we base many things on appearance that the value of someone is almost nothing. Its not fair to judge people based on appearance, but if you talk to that person and see who they truly are, then there is a reason. There were a couple of girls at my school who wore clothing that covered everything but their face. I didn’t think anything low of them, but i assumed they were wearing that clothing for a religious purpose. In the US today, men and woman try to look like the models or representatives they see on television or in magazines.  Sultana choose to cover her body and face up because she feels more safe and isn’t ashamed of wearing something that represents herself. Everyone wants to look hot, but what it truly comes down to is the personality. At parties people always go out and drink, maybe even hook up with “hot” people. But i tend to choose the other option. I like getting to know people and finding out what they’ve done in their life. I love meeting new people and talking to them because they respect me more when i listen to what they have to say.