If you've been keeping up with my posts, then you know I'm writing an article on women's health care in Yemen and that I recently conducted an interview with a female gynecologist in Sana'a. For those of you who haven't been on the edge of your seat awaiting my next entry, consider yourselves officially informed.
Dr. Kayali, originally from Syria, has been practicing and living in Yemen with her husband and children for around fifteen years now. She was kind enough to invite me over to her home in Sana'a last week to be interviewed. Despite my very distant relationship with Arab culture growing up, I see similarities in random places. I always connected the extreme warmth my mother (born and raised in Louisiana, but of Syrian descent) showed guests was a southern trait and from what I know from my experiences down south, it is. However, Arab hospitality surpasses even that of the south and I have to wonder if for my mother, her influence wasn't a combination of the two.
I probably gained fifteen pounds during the three hours I spent at Dr. Kayali's home for an interview that could have been wrapped up in one third of the time; though I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Between the tea with mint, coffee, juice, and grand assortment of Syrian baklava, candied almonds, and chocolates that were consistently being refurbished on my plate, I had enough sugar to last me the rest of the month. Dr. Kayali seems to be a warm and genuine individual. I was particularly convinced of this when she received a phone call from one of her patients after the interview on her personal phone. Apparently, the woman who called is being treated for an ailment outside of gynecology, but Dr.Kayali says she sometimes treats her patients in general medicine since they often feel uncomfortable going elsewhere. As it turns out, the woman on the phone was calling for moral support in anticipation of a possible surgery.
On a professional level, Dr. Kayali shared some insightful comments on women's health care. While her English is very good and while she is a very intelligent women, there were times where she had difficulty expressing her precise thoughts. This posed little problem as I only needed to ask her to clarify what she meant, and though it may not have been presented in the most graceful language, she was always able to clearly get her point across. I've edited the interview (minimally, just for more clarity) and will post it next for those interested in hearing her thoughts.
At the end of the interview Dr. Kayali and I continued to talk for almost an hour further. She expressed some additional insights in regards to health care in Yemen that I wish I had been more prepared to take down (since they came after the interview had ended) so I had to rush home and jot them down later.
I ended up meeting her husband and daughter and received an invitation to join for a traditional Syrian dinner during January when her son will be home which I eagerly accepted. She was especially pleased when I told her at the end of the interview that my mother is of Syrian descent. After which she told me that she would love to have me to her home in Syria as they still have most of their family there. She urged that if I end up going to let her know so she could have her family assist me if she, herself, would not be there. When I finally left, she was insistent that I be driven home instead of having to pay for a taxi.
Dr. Kayali and her family were incredibly kind to me while I was in their home, but people in Yemen and in the Middle East in general tend to be this way. I didn't experience any kind of culture shock when I came to the Middle East, but I can't help but wonder if I might not experience one when I return home, where people tend to look at you like you have a problem when you say hello for no reason in particular.
Dr. Kayali, originally from Syria, has been practicing and living in Yemen with her husband and children for around fifteen years now. She was kind enough to invite me over to her home in Sana'a last week to be interviewed. Despite my very distant relationship with Arab culture growing up, I see similarities in random places. I always connected the extreme warmth my mother (born and raised in Louisiana, but of Syrian descent) showed guests was a southern trait and from what I know from my experiences down south, it is. However, Arab hospitality surpasses even that of the south and I have to wonder if for my mother, her influence wasn't a combination of the two.
I probably gained fifteen pounds during the three hours I spent at Dr. Kayali's home for an interview that could have been wrapped up in one third of the time; though I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Between the tea with mint, coffee, juice, and grand assortment of Syrian baklava, candied almonds, and chocolates that were consistently being refurbished on my plate, I had enough sugar to last me the rest of the month. Dr. Kayali seems to be a warm and genuine individual. I was particularly convinced of this when she received a phone call from one of her patients after the interview on her personal phone. Apparently, the woman who called is being treated for an ailment outside of gynecology, but Dr.Kayali says she sometimes treats her patients in general medicine since they often feel uncomfortable going elsewhere. As it turns out, the woman on the phone was calling for moral support in anticipation of a possible surgery.
On a professional level, Dr. Kayali shared some insightful comments on women's health care. While her English is very good and while she is a very intelligent women, there were times where she had difficulty expressing her precise thoughts. This posed little problem as I only needed to ask her to clarify what she meant, and though it may not have been presented in the most graceful language, she was always able to clearly get her point across. I've edited the interview (minimally, just for more clarity) and will post it next for those interested in hearing her thoughts.
At the end of the interview Dr. Kayali and I continued to talk for almost an hour further. She expressed some additional insights in regards to health care in Yemen that I wish I had been more prepared to take down (since they came after the interview had ended) so I had to rush home and jot them down later.
I ended up meeting her husband and daughter and received an invitation to join for a traditional Syrian dinner during January when her son will be home which I eagerly accepted. She was especially pleased when I told her at the end of the interview that my mother is of Syrian descent. After which she told me that she would love to have me to her home in Syria as they still have most of their family there. She urged that if I end up going to let her know so she could have her family assist me if she, herself, would not be there. When I finally left, she was insistent that I be driven home instead of having to pay for a taxi.
Dr. Kayali and her family were incredibly kind to me while I was in their home, but people in Yemen and in the Middle East in general tend to be this way. I didn't experience any kind of culture shock when I came to the Middle East, but I can't help but wonder if I might not experience one when I return home, where people tend to look at you like you have a problem when you say hello for no reason in particular.
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