UNIT 8 ♦ YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR
4. LISTENING TWO: Traditional Dress in Kuwait 

A. Expanding the Topic


Interviewer: Abdullah, thanks for speaking with us today.
Abdullah: You're welcome.
Interviewer: Could you describe the traditional clothing in your country?
Abdullah: Well, the men wear a dishdasha. It's like a long shirt with long sleeves. For the summer we wear white ones, and for winter we have other colors, like brown and so on. And on our heads we wear a quitra, which is a piece of cloth, and an igal, which is a piece of rope that you put around your head to keep the quitra on.
Interviewer: And do men wear traditional clothes a lot?
Abdullah: Yes. I'd say most of the men do.
Interviewer: For both formal and informal occasions?
Abdullah: Sure. It's a way for us to show pride in our culture.
Interviewer: How about the women? What do they wear?
Abdullah: Most women don't have traditional clothing anymore.
Interviewer: Oh really?
Abdullah: They used to wear something like a big, black coat to cover themselves. It's called an abaya, and it covers you completely, but now that's disappearing.
Interviewer: So what do women wear now?
Abdullah: Oh, jeans and dresses and things like that. Only the most traditional women wear the abaya.
Interviewer: Really! Hmmm. . . We've been talking about wearing traditional clothes in Kuwait. How about in the U.S.? Do you ever wear a dishdasha in the U.S.?
Abdullah: Not really. Maybe once in a while if there's a special holiday at my family's house, but just to go out with my American friends . . . no.
Interviewer: Why not?
Abdullah: I guess it feels strange. If I wear it I feel like everyone's looking at me . . . like I'm some kind of exotic animal or something. I prefer to wear jeans with my American friends. It's more comfortable for me.


5. REVIEWING LANGUAGE
A. Exploring Language: Thought Croups

1. Most of the older women, like my grandmother, wear a sari every day.
2. Saris are great for formal occasions, but if you're going out with your friends you want to be more modern.
3. Previous family history can influence the way you dress.
4. The men used to wear a sarong, which is a long piece of cloth that's wrapped around the waist.
5. People who have office jobs wear pants and shirts and even ties.
6. A dishdasha is like a long shirt with long sleeves.
7. For the summer we wear white ones and for the winter we have other colors.
8. On our heads we wear a quitra, which is a piece of cloth, and an igal, which is a piece of rope.
9. It's called an abaya, and it covers you completely.
10. If I wear it, I feel like everyone's looking at me.


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