Leave it to the imagination

I've been in non-Western clothing for 6 hours, and I'm actually kind of liking it. For awhile before I left, I entertained the notion that I would come back and only want to wear "traditional" Sri Lankan clothing. I could parade around Whittier in sarongs and saris, attract a lot of attention and questions, and be all the better for it. While it's probably too soon to tell, I don't really see that happening any more.

I was going to say that the clothing is uncomfortable, but that's just my jeans (which are too tight). The shirt that Lily let me borrow is loose and comfortable, and the leggings that I see her wear all the time look comfortable too. I wish I could wear my yoga pants with the shirt, but they're not full-length, so that won't be happening.

Rosemary told us that while we're on campus we should wear sleeves past our elbows, skirts past our knees, or full-length pants. If they're tight pants, our top should go to our thighs, or they should be loose pants. Kelsi seemed the least prepared for such restrictions--she was walking around the neighborhood in shorts yesterday.

Is it up to women to cover up parts of their bodies that excite men? Is that placing the blame or fault of mens' desires on women? What about men who wear clothes who fit well, like shapely jeans and a close-fitting polo? I've admired my share of Sri Lankan men, and in comparison to Sri Lankan women, a lot of them dress more provacatively. If the situation were quid pro quo, should the men as well dress in loose clothing, that cover their muscles and leave their packages to the imagination? Are they deliberately showing off? Do women deliberately show off?

I think in America, we get used to women showing off so much that we don't think of it as showing off any more. Wearing tight pants that show a woman's curves has become so normative that it's as commonplace as seeing a woman's nose. It's not provocative to us any more. But in a country like Sri Lanka, wearing tight pants is incredibly provocative. I was lying on the grass in front of the ISLE Center, wearing my yoga pants and a t-shirt, reading. At one point, I looked around, and saw three men standing some ways away from the driveway gate, clearly staring and talking about me. I wasn't sure how to feel, so I sat up into a cross-legged position. When I looked back, they were gone. Was their attention my fault because I was wearing tight pants? Or their fault, for having such desires?

Desire is the human condition. The immam at the mosque told us this yesterday. But the more conscious we are of god, the better our spriritual condition is. That is why they fast during Ramadan--to control our human desire for food, and become closer to god. Desire for food is unlike our other desires: the longer we ignore it, the more conscious we are of it. Sexual desire can be suppressed, as can other desires. That's why during Ramadan, they deny their desire for food. But I'm not super clear on the connection between it being the only one we can't ignore and why that makes it a good choice for becoming closer to god.