Today has been expectedly more eventful.  The clan moved their camp about a half hour walking distance.  The whole process took from about 7am-5pm.  I can not imagine how they used to do this without trucks.  Even with motor vehicles, the task of moving camp was still quite arduous and difficult today.  Rolling up and hauling around things that covered in dust I got very dirty and had to cover my face with my hat to save my respiratory system.

The tasks that the women performed were very intriguing and surprising as they took care of many activities that I would have considered reserved for the men of the clan.  For instance, the women took care of more-or-less the entire process of breaking down the tents: a process which included pulling steaks in and out of the ground, taking down and putting up large wooden poles, and rolling up and rolling out the tents.  Keep in mind that these tents are not the basic ones you would buy at an EMS Store.  Instead they are massive structures that are equal to the size of 2-3 living rooms.  Maybe it was out of pure necessity on account of the camp’s numbers, but either way, I could never see women in the U.S. performing tasks as difficult as these.

The most interesting part of the day though had to be the way I was able to interact with the women once I began aiding the family in the move.  As we took breaks and the amount of people and tents decreased, I sat with not only the men but also the women.  The women were even breast feeding in front of me!  Keeping their hijabs on, the women seemed more concerned about exposing their hair than exposing their chests.  As the women performed rather manly tasks during the move they seemed to be treated more like equals; however, this changed once the move was over.  Once the new camp setup became solidified, so too did the traditional gender roles.  For example, as I sat in the front half of the tent, I would see the girls spot quick, curious, and timid glances into the men’s room.  By the reaction of a girl I saw not wearing her hijab, I felt as though I had walked in on her being topless.  While there are these awkward encounters, I am beginning to feel a little bit more at ease around the camp.