What is actually a big issue?
One day I had to accompany Jerina having a meeting with a big publishing company. The meeting took place at the office of that company. It’s not so far from Deloitte Office but still, unpredictable traffic jam made us stucked in the taxi for more than an half hour. I felt really tired of traffic jam, espesially since I had to worked for 7 to 7 almost everyday, but in other side, I loved it for giving me more time to talk personally with my partner. Like what happened that time. Me and Jerina, we were talking about many different situations of our each country. Our conversation started with Jerina that told me that she sent her picture with me to her boyfriend. She said that she talked about me much to his boyfriend so his boyfriend said that it would be really nice if I could come to Belgium or France and spend sometime there with them.
Jerina: You know, you really have to come to europe.. I’ll show you good place in Belgium, or we can even go to paris, where my boyfriend is now..
Me: I’d really love to Jerina, someday I’ll come... but please tell me, is it okay for someone like me, who wears hijab, to be there? I just want to make sure since here’s a belgian with me
Jerina: Of course it’s totally okay, nothing’s wrong with your er..jihab.. (its hard for her to mention hijab, hehe). You know, even in my university, there are many, yea, not much, but there’re people who wear er.. hibab.. (I’m laughing because she didnt mention it right), ah again I already forgot how it spell (I tell her the right spell), yea, hijab.. some moslem students from different country wore that in university in brussel and it’s not a big issue for us, we’re all adult, right?
Me: you know, I’m so glad hearing that news from you, because for some people, hijab’s still a matter.
Jerina: For adult in our country, I don’t think it’s an issue, but for children, we have a regulation. You can’t wear that er.. hibab..hijab.. We have a complicated experience with hijab in school. There was a moslem kid who wore hijab to public school. For most children, it’s really uncommon. And because they’re kids, they thought it was a trend. Every kid started to pursue their parents to let them wearing hijab too.. it was a hard time, yea.. you know.. it’s complicated, it’s not that kid wearing that for religion understanding because other kids that are not moslem started thinking that it was a trend.. yea, um.. it’s so much complicated but trust me its not an issue for adult..
Me: Oh, I see.. I can understand that complicated matter, Jerina, thankyou for telling me, I’m doing my best for my europe resolution
Jerina: Great! I will also show you our beach, it’s nothing compared to beaches here wida..
Me: Wow! Really? I’ll be glad to.. but is it okay to not wearing bikini to the beach there? Yea, I mean, will I look weird?
Jerina: Um.. no, you won’t look weird. You still can go to the beach with a full covered beach cloth, it’s okay, but, yea.. there’ll be just someone who will stare at you for some seconds and then it’s not a matter at all.
Me: Okay then, I do hope I could visit your country..
Then we continued talking until we reached the place we were aiming for. Since it’s one of the biggest publishing company in Indonesia, the office looks really nice. Everyone there was proffesional. I loved being there. While waiting for them preparing the meeting, I even talked to Jerina that if there’s any chance, I wanted to work there.
Well, finally we’re on our meeting with a promotion staff, young nice smart lady was serving us. Jerina presented her company profile and told her company’s offer. That young lady seriously listened to her. In some part they couldn’t understand each other, I would be very happy to connect them. After about an hour, we’re finally done. Each of us was given a cup of nice tea. While enjoying our cup, we talked about everything. That young lady also asked about my education background. I told her about my latest tittle, my 1 month interpreter work, and also my goal to get a fix job soon. Suddenly, Jerina promoted me to the lady from the company. I was a bit shocked.
Jerina: Well, miss, you know, this girl, wida, she’s actually not my interpreter. She’s more like teammate for me, she’s done really well with every job. She’s a good person. Is there any possibilities for someone like her working here?
Young Lady: Um.. of course everyone can work here. But you know, here, we have a policy too..
Jerina: but what? I mean what policy?
Young Lady: It’s actually not my right to say this but since we’re all here talking together, and I know you both are nice, I tell you.. for someone like her, who wears hijab, it will be useless to apply for some position here. Here’s a policy that someone like wida can not join our company.
Jerina: (surprised) What??? Why??? Isn’t it weird??? You also wear er..hijab.. and yet you still work here, so what’s the matter with her? (aiming at me)
Young Lady: Yea, as I told you before, this will be hard to explain, miss. When I first worked here, I didn’t wear hijab, and if now I’m wearing it, it’s not a problem. And it’s absolutely different situation for her.
Jerina: wh.. why... I still don’t understand...
Young Lady: I don’t know. If I’m the one who make the decision, I’d be glad to work with someone like her but, yea, I’m just a staff here.. I’m not frightening her, if she wants to try, please, we’re welcoming every applicant but it will be just useless.. I’m sorry to say..
Jerina: hm.. I’m now confuse..
Me: Jerina, I think I’m quite understanding. You have to know that some company have a different policies and it is really okay with me.
Jerina: I thought.. but.. oh okay.. great...
After that meeting, Jerina still talked to me about the things we talked before with the young lady from the company.
Jerina: I really don’t understand, wida.. I’ve read in many sources that your country is the biggest moslems country in this world. You know, I thought that little thing shouldn’t be a matter here. While we’re in belgium were feeling okay, why a hijab should be an issue here? I don’t get it. You know, you might not work there, but trust me, you’ll gonna find a job that suit you well and has no matter with your er..hijab.
Well, Jerina, I do hope so...
Ps: I didn’t record our conversation and it might not be exactly the same with that but so far I could remember that was how we talk.
One day I had to accompany Jerina having a meeting with a big publishing company. The meeting took place at the office of that company. It’s not so far from Deloitte Office but still, unpredictable traffic jam made us stucked in the taxi for more than an half hour. I felt really tired of traffic jam, espesially since I had to worked for 7 to 7 almost everyday, but in other side, I loved it for giving me more time to talk personally with my partner. Like what happened that time. Me and Jerina, we were talking about many different situations of our each country. Our conversation started with Jerina that told me that she sent her picture with me to her boyfriend. She said that she talked about me much to his boyfriend so his boyfriend said that it would be really nice if I could come to Belgium or France and spend sometime there with them.
Jerina: You know, you really have to come to europe.. I’ll show you good place in Belgium, or we can even go to paris, where my boyfriend is now..
Me: I’d really love to Jerina, someday I’ll come... but please tell me, is it okay for someone like me, who wears hijab, to be there? I just want to make sure since here’s a belgian with me
Jerina: Of course it’s totally okay, nothing’s wrong with your er..jihab.. (its hard for her to mention hijab, hehe). You know, even in my university, there are many, yea, not much, but there’re people who wear er.. hibab.. (I’m laughing because she didnt mention it right), ah again I already forgot how it spell (I tell her the right spell), yea, hijab.. some moslem students from different country wore that in university in brussel and it’s not a big issue for us, we’re all adult, right?
Me: you know, I’m so glad hearing that news from you, because for some people, hijab’s still a matter.
Jerina: For adult in our country, I don’t think it’s an issue, but for children, we have a regulation. You can’t wear that er.. hibab..hijab.. We have a complicated experience with hijab in school. There was a moslem kid who wore hijab to public school. For most children, it’s really uncommon. And because they’re kids, they thought it was a trend. Every kid started to pursue their parents to let them wearing hijab too.. it was a hard time, yea.. you know.. it’s complicated, it’s not that kid wearing that for religion understanding because other kids that are not moslem started thinking that it was a trend.. yea, um.. it’s so much complicated but trust me its not an issue for adult..
Me: Oh, I see.. I can understand that complicated matter, Jerina, thankyou for telling me, I’m doing my best for my europe resolution
Jerina: Great! I will also show you our beach, it’s nothing compared to beaches here wida..
Me: Wow! Really? I’ll be glad to.. but is it okay to not wearing bikini to the beach there? Yea, I mean, will I look weird?
Jerina: Um.. no, you won’t look weird. You still can go to the beach with a full covered beach cloth, it’s okay, but, yea.. there’ll be just someone who will stare at you for some seconds and then it’s not a matter at all.
Me: Okay then, I do hope I could visit your country..
Then we continued talking until we reached the place we were aiming for. Since it’s one of the biggest publishing company in Indonesia, the office looks really nice. Everyone there was proffesional. I loved being there. While waiting for them preparing the meeting, I even talked to Jerina that if there’s any chance, I wanted to work there.
Well, finally we’re on our meeting with a promotion staff, young nice smart lady was serving us. Jerina presented her company profile and told her company’s offer. That young lady seriously listened to her. In some part they couldn’t understand each other, I would be very happy to connect them. After about an hour, we’re finally done. Each of us was given a cup of nice tea. While enjoying our cup, we talked about everything. That young lady also asked about my education background. I told her about my latest tittle, my 1 month interpreter work, and also my goal to get a fix job soon. Suddenly, Jerina promoted me to the lady from the company. I was a bit shocked.
Jerina: Well, miss, you know, this girl, wida, she’s actually not my interpreter. She’s more like teammate for me, she’s done really well with every job. She’s a good person. Is there any possibilities for someone like her working here?
Young Lady: Um.. of course everyone can work here. But you know, here, we have a policy too..
Jerina: but what? I mean what policy?
Young Lady: It’s actually not my right to say this but since we’re all here talking together, and I know you both are nice, I tell you.. for someone like her, who wears hijab, it will be useless to apply for some position here. Here’s a policy that someone like wida can not join our company.
Jerina: (surprised) What??? Why??? Isn’t it weird??? You also wear er..hijab.. and yet you still work here, so what’s the matter with her? (aiming at me)
Young Lady: Yea, as I told you before, this will be hard to explain, miss. When I first worked here, I didn’t wear hijab, and if now I’m wearing it, it’s not a problem. And it’s absolutely different situation for her.
Jerina: wh.. why... I still don’t understand...
Young Lady: I don’t know. If I’m the one who make the decision, I’d be glad to work with someone like her but, yea, I’m just a staff here.. I’m not frightening her, if she wants to try, please, we’re welcoming every applicant but it will be just useless.. I’m sorry to say..
Jerina: hm.. I’m now confuse..
Me: Jerina, I think I’m quite understanding. You have to know that some company have a different policies and it is really okay with me.
Jerina: I thought.. but.. oh okay.. great...
After that meeting, Jerina still talked to me about the things we talked before with the young lady from the company.
Jerina: I really don’t understand, wida.. I’ve read in many sources that your country is the biggest moslems country in this world. You know, I thought that little thing shouldn’t be a matter here. While we’re in belgium were feeling okay, why a hijab should be an issue here? I don’t get it. You know, you might not work there, but trust me, you’ll gonna find a job that suit you well and has no matter with your er..hijab.
Well, Jerina, I do hope so...
Ps: I didn’t record our conversation and it might not be exactly the same with that but so far I could remember that was how we talk.
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