Warning: Angry post ahead.. read at your own risk.
Yesterday, I had dinner with a few people from work. We went to this traditional kebab place in Agouza called El-Me3'arbel (food is really good by the way) but the evening was ruined for me. 3 of us entered slightly later than the rest of the group; we sat at the end of a long table. It was a crowded little place so all the tables where sort of crammed together in a small area. By now you'd say.. so what's new.. it's not like you haven't been to such a place before, why was the evening ruined. Well, from the moment we walked in , a young guy with his friend on the table on my left and a complete moron who was sitting alone on a table on my right decided that somehow I would be the entertainment of the evening.
At first I tried the, yasmine-it's-just-in-your-head but then who was I kidding. Then I tried the ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away approach/ if you don't make eye contact they will get bored and stop it, but that didn't work neither. Then , I went to give-them-a-dirty-look approach, which I hardly ever need to use, but that didn't work either. Well, the young dude with his friends was a bit taken off.. so he'd be staring until I give him the look so he looks away... but that went on all night.. what the #$%^! However, the disgusting older guy, with a big zebeebet sala, was just pure rude. He was just watching me.. nothing, no dirty-look or what-the-hell-do-you-think-you're-looking-at look would take his eyes off me. And it was so humiliating.. I really felt naked and venerable. I mean.. I wasn't wearing anything attractive at all, really! My jeans with a LONG plain top that goes to my knees, no make -up, nothing.. I swear... It was really so uncomfortable. I was sitting with 7 gentlemen on the table , one of which noticed and gave him a good share of lemm-nafsak/behave look and he was just rude enough to keep staring.
I was so tense, I felt like crying, and I could feel myself getting more tense by the second. With the first person going out for a smoke, I left the table and went for some fresh air. The guys eyes followed me out the door.. it was insane .. he wasn't embarrassed, he wasn't even trying to hide it. Then we go back in , and he still follows me to the table. I was so self conscious that I kept watching the way I ate, the way I walked, the way I breathed... what was I doing wrong. And the situation isn't an easy one to escape; do I become the party-pooper and just leave what otherwise could have been a lovely evening, at least for other people!? Do I mention it to my friends and make a scene? What about going back to my car; will he follow? I mean the guy was there before we arrived and paid his check just as we ordered our own. It's terrible when you actually feel scared and unsafe , which I shouldn't feel since I have like I said 7 of my male friends with me. But then again, I can't go playing the damsel in distress with people I work with, right? Plus, we're not in highschool anymore where guys always ran to guys for help from the ugly world out there. On the other hand, I couldn't, while the guys sitting there, go and 2rda7/ argue with the guy, right?!
Just one of those evenings! If any of you fine readers have a suggestion as to what I should have done in such a situation, seriously, please share!
Yesterday, I had dinner with a few people from work. We went to this traditional kebab place in Agouza called El-Me3'arbel (food is really good by the way) but the evening was ruined for me. 3 of us entered slightly later than the rest of the group; we sat at the end of a long table. It was a crowded little place so all the tables where sort of crammed together in a small area. By now you'd say.. so what's new.. it's not like you haven't been to such a place before, why was the evening ruined. Well, from the moment we walked in , a young guy with his friend on the table on my left and a complete moron who was sitting alone on a table on my right decided that somehow I would be the entertainment of the evening.
At first I tried the, yasmine-it's-just-in-your-head but then who was I kidding. Then I tried the ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away approach/ if you don't make eye contact they will get bored and stop it, but that didn't work neither. Then , I went to give-them-a-dirty-look approach, which I hardly ever need to use, but that didn't work either. Well, the young dude with his friends was a bit taken off.. so he'd be staring until I give him the look so he looks away... but that went on all night.. what the #$%^! However, the disgusting older guy, with a big zebeebet sala, was just pure rude. He was just watching me.. nothing, no dirty-look or what-the-hell-do-you-think-you're-looking-at look would take his eyes off me. And it was so humiliating.. I really felt naked and venerable. I mean.. I wasn't wearing anything attractive at all, really! My jeans with a LONG plain top that goes to my knees, no make -up, nothing.. I swear... It was really so uncomfortable. I was sitting with 7 gentlemen on the table , one of which noticed and gave him a good share of lemm-nafsak/behave look and he was just rude enough to keep staring.
I was so tense, I felt like crying, and I could feel myself getting more tense by the second. With the first person going out for a smoke, I left the table and went for some fresh air. The guys eyes followed me out the door.. it was insane .. he wasn't embarrassed, he wasn't even trying to hide it. Then we go back in , and he still follows me to the table. I was so self conscious that I kept watching the way I ate, the way I walked, the way I breathed... what was I doing wrong. And the situation isn't an easy one to escape; do I become the party-pooper and just leave what otherwise could have been a lovely evening, at least for other people!? Do I mention it to my friends and make a scene? What about going back to my car; will he follow? I mean the guy was there before we arrived and paid his check just as we ordered our own. It's terrible when you actually feel scared and unsafe , which I shouldn't feel since I have like I said 7 of my male friends with me. But then again, I can't go playing the damsel in distress with people I work with, right? Plus, we're not in highschool anymore where guys always ran to guys for help from the ugly world out there. On the other hand, I couldn't, while the guys sitting there, go and 2rda7/ argue with the guy, right?!
Just one of those evenings! If any of you fine readers have a suggestion as to what I should have done in such a situation, seriously, please share!
Comments
Some people are rude enough to stare, but being so distressed about it as to ruin a good evening has more to it than staring.
i second the idea of making fun of them.
I would suggest that you would have informed your colleagues somehow or draw attention to the situation, one/two of your colleagues would need to step up and talk with both tables in a good and decent way, yet firm and clear.
Next step if that didn't work? ...."Pepper spray" ;), that way you'll have plenty of time to have fun as they won't be able to look at anything for some time :) [I'm not usually pro violence, on the contrary, I believe in "ادعو الى سبيل ربك بالحكمة والموعظه الحسنه" but for some people -unfortunately- that's just not their language]
Rabena ma3aki