Tonight, after a very long day of sightseeing, I decided to splurge on a taxi. He was a friendly gentleman from Pakistan. We chatted about my stay in Dubai, where I am from, etc. Then, he began with the "50 personal questions that are none of my business, but I'm gonna ask" game. He wanted to know why I was alone. If I am married. Then, why not. Do I have a boyfriend. Why not? And so forth. He then told me that if I am not married by the time I am 35, with 40 being the absolute max, and have kids, that my life is essentially over. I immediately laughed out loud at this one. He chuckled too, but I think it was just a reaction. I proceed to tell him that in America, women are allowed to live full, educated and productive lives that do not necessarily involve a man or children. We (American women) are choosing to marry later in life and have children later in life - if at all.
We had a civilized conversation about cultural differences and he was very polite at all times, but he kept smiling and saying how important family was. Had this been some arrogant individual who "knew better than me" about marriage, etc., I would have been irritated. But, this guy was genuinely sincere. He never once criticized my beliefs. And, he wished me an enjoyable vacation when I departed. This doesn't bother me at all. :)
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