Love story that turned a Chinese girl into an Emirati

Dubai - Just one week after moving to Dubai in October of 1997, 22-year-old Reem Hong met her future husband.

Over 20 years ago, a young Chinese woman came to the UAE with a purpose to practise English, but little did she know that the journey would change her life.

Just one week after moving to Dubai in October of 1997, 22-year-old Reem Hong met her future husband, and she likes to call it destiny.

More than 20 years later, Hong not only became an Emirati mother of four, but also established a successful business that aims to bridge the gap between the Far East and the Middle East.

More than 20 years later, Hong not only became an Emirati mother of four, but also established a successful business that aims to bridge the gap between the far east and the Middle East.

Hong, who converted to Islam almost two years before marrying her architect husband, told Khaleej Times that her life drastically changed after moving to the UAE.

At that time her husband was working in his uncle's business, which had trading relations with her father, who had a business here.

Hong said although she and her husband seemed to come from two different worlds, there was something unique connecting them together. "I was born in a very traditional Chinese family. When it comes to family, we are extremely similar to Emiratis, in terms of respect, serving the elderly and taking care of children, this is the way we were brought up."

"I didn't find a lot of challenges and barriers, apart from wearing the traditional abaya in the beginning. I wasn't used to wearing it, but now I wear it with pleasure, I find it convenient and extremely elegant."

She recalled the time when she broke the news to her family about wanting to marry an Emirati. Hong said at first, her family was reluctant because they did not wish to have their only daughter live far away - but everything soon changed.

Hong and her husband now have four children, and all speak Arabic, English and Mandarin.

She pointed out that her children have the best of both worlds, and the parents have done what they can to combine the Chinese heritage with the Emirati culture in their children's lives, as cohesively as possible. The family visits China once every two years.

"I find myself in between both cultures. I was educated in China, from a traditional Chinese family and I came to Dubai and found so many similarities between Chinese traditional values and the Islamic traditional values."

"After all this time, I took on so much from the Emirati culture that I feel I became not only localised, but I became a much better human being."

jasmine@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Dubai