011 Pleasant Conversations That Reveal More About You

Musa was stunned for a long moment before bursting into a clear, hearty laugh. His laughter was not exaggerated; combined with his deep voice, it gradually softened and melted away the excitement I had just felt. For a moment, I could almost imagine the warm, smiling expression behind the phone, his eyelashes fluttering with kindness. But at this very moment, was he still dressed in that confining white robe?

At the thought, my heart skipped a beat, and I quickly regained my composure. I asked, “What are you laughing at? Is my question really that funny?”

Musa gradually stifled his laughter but still sounded intrigued. “The question isn’t funny. I’m laughing because you’ve imagined Dubai as far more intimidating than it really is.”

“That’s how it’s portrayed back home,” I admitted. Before coming to Dubai, I had looked up some information. But from Musa’s tone, it seemed otherwise. Puzzled, I asked, “Is it not like that?”

“If this were Saudi Arabia or Iran, it might be true. I know a Saudi man who didn’t even know whether his bride was round-faced or flat before marriage. The first time he saw her face was on the wedding night, and he immediately wanted a divorce. But Cece, this is Dubai. Many Muslim girls don’t even cover their faces here. Even the most conservative locals allow you to at least see the bride’s face before marriage.”

Musa seemed eager to convince me of Dubai’s openness and tolerance, but his words didn’t quite have the effect he intended. I licked my dry lips and hesitantly asked, “So, you can only… see the face?”

“You can also have supervised contact under your parents’ watch.”

I was taken aback. “Supervised by parents?”

My barrage of questions caused him to pause for a moment. Then, in a solemn tone, he said, “To uphold Allah’s teachings, that is how it should be.”

His words stifled the thoughts that had risen to my throat. I realized that whenever a Muslim mentioned “Allah,” “faith,” or similar terms, I instantly found myself at a loss for words. Not because I didn’t know what to say, but because I feared accidentally offending the sacred beliefs held in their hearts.

Still, today’s insights were significant. At least I now knew that in Dubai, one could see the wife’s face before marriage. Even Pian wouldn’t feel disheartened over the idea of “a handsome man accidentally marrying an ugly woman.”

Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but chuckle. In a world where early romances bloom everywhere, there was still someone like Musa, who had hardly interacted with women. I sighed, “You Muslims really live a restrained life.”

“I don’t feel restricted because my faith is in my heart,” Musa said, rejecting my view. After a pause, he added, “Actually, many Muslims whose faith isn’t strong don’t follow these rules. You should know that over eighty percent of Dubai’s population are foreigners, so locals inevitably get influenced.”

I didn’t quite understand and asked, “What kind of influence? Can you give me an example?”

He didn’t answer directly, just said, “Go to Jumeirah Beach this weekend and you’ll understand what I mean.”

I had naturally heard of Jumeirah Beach, famous for the world’s only seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab, and the renowned beach itself.

I nodded. “Alright, I’ll try to visit.”

Though I agreed, my curiosity couldn’t be contained, and I blurted out, “What about you? How have you been influenced?”

After chatting so long, my initial anger and fear had dissipated, and my tone became casual. Only after speaking did I realize my question was somewhat abrupt, and I quickly covered my mouth.

Fortunately, Musa didn’t mind. He paused thoughtfully for a few seconds and then slowly answered, “I drink alcohol.”

His calm and trusting tone eased my heart and made me feel the friendliness and warmth of Muslims. He added, “Actually, this doesn’t conflict with my faith because I mostly drink wine.”

I had heard before that the Quran strictly forbids alcohol, but it tacitly allows wine made from dates and grapes. The primary aim of the prohibition is to prevent drunkenness and praying while intoxicated. Thus, controlled drinking, while technically against the Quran’s rules, isn’t considered a grave sin. This once more matched my analysis of Musa’s contradictory nature. He was traditional and respectful of customs, yet could blend into the glittering nightlife as if separated by a thin paper window, gently poking a small hole in that barrier.

At that time, I didn’t know that in the future, I would make him tear that paper window wide open, multiplying the size of that hole a thousandfold.