burqa or bikini

I have been considering this topic with frequency over the cooler months following a number of unpleasant experiences with sun and flies last summer.  Now I am back in the hot, the fly season is starting again and this topic becomes more than just a thought, it becomes an issue which requires action.

Over the past weeks I have been attracting one fly at a time.  One unwanted hitchhiker who feels obliged to join me on my cycling journey.  He has a habit of landing on my lips, flirting with my nostrils and banging against my glasses.  Obviously looking for a nice mucous membrane to quench his thirst.  Despite this minor inconvenience it has been warm and sunny here in Derby and my skin is gaining a healthy looking cooper glow.  However in my efforts not to offend others I have been unable to expand the area of this glow. The main reasons being my less than pert aging curves, the presence of children and families at the swimming pool and the age-old truth that distance from water turns a bikini from swim wear to underwear.

In considering this issue I have three points to keep in mind:
1. I am not a big fan of the net over the hat idea, although I have no doubt it is effective (and don’t even go there with the corks on the hat option).
2. I  have issues with spraying myself with the equivalent of agent orange to discourage unwanted guests.
3. Due to our family history I have some concerns about the effect of sun damage on my poor long-suffering cleavage, shoulders and back.
4. I am a fan of getting as much as possible an all over healthy glow and this can be difficult when the pale coloured midsection rarely sees the sun.

Giving it a lot of thought over the winter months I came to the conclusion that this is not a new issue and it is likely that the solutions to my problems already exist. This is when I realised that it has been in my face all the time.  What I need is something made of loose cotton which flows loosely over my shoulders and cleavage with fly mesh over the face.  Something which gives me enough anonymity to that it doesn’t matter how far from the water I am or what people think of my body shape.

What I need is not just a scarf, niqab, sarong or veil but what is known in some other countries where there is excessive sunshine and flies as a Burqa – to wear with my bikini.  From what I have read these are worn for religious reasons and this would not sit well with a bikini – but from where I am sitting there are practical reasons to wear one and if the flies and sun become a more significant issue then the full body covering hijab, saree or thin cotton onsie may also come in handy

Burqu or bikini?  Why do we wear either of these items, are they for our men or for ourselves, for practical purposes, to conform to societal norms or for religious reasons? What happens when our desire to wear what we want offends others?   Would you walk around with me wearing my burqu and bikini?  In conclusion I have more questions than answers but it has certainly made me think.

 

*** By the way have set about designing my prototype burqu with the limited resources I have at my finger tips here in Derby.  The time I spend writing of its existence is of course delaying its eminent arrival (procrastination) but when my bright, airy, ozkiwi version of the Burqu is ready for its grand-reveal a photo will be posted to complete this blog. I suspect however  that the burqa and bikini will  only come out for private gardening and sun bathing and is not for public consumption.