As promised, another of my new abayas, again with an attached scarf. This one is by the same designer as the first, and despite the lacy sleeves, is far more simple. I really dislike pictures of myself; maybe I should just take pictures of them on hangers!

I wore this abaya grocery shopping this evening after going to the designer’s shop and actually felt quite elegant, although the wide, loose sleeves made it hard to do practical things, like finding the best produce or reaching for things on high shelves or rummaging through freezers. It was interesting to observe other women in this fairly large market – some were dressed very conservatively in all black with eyes only visible, while others, mainly foreign women, had a lot of colorful trim on their abayas and non-all-encompassing headscarves. I have come to the conclusion, though, that while I like these non-traditional garments (which I believe still fulfill the basic requirements), I still need to buy a very simple, all black abaya for some outings to places like souks in conservative neighborhoods. I don’t think something like this would be well received.

I’m again behind on commenting but will try to catch up tomorrow morning before work. This move has really disrupted my schedule and left me with very little free time. After an admittedly idyllic existence in Budapest, I now have to not only work long hours (and finish much later than I did in Budapest), but also do all the normal things a person does around the house, like cook. I’m sure I’ll get it all worked out once we’re more settled here, but for now it is proving quite a challenge.