Yes but in western culture there are minimal issues with a guy and girl seen at a restaurant or cafe.
the idea of a booth in a restaurant is limited, not many places have booths with doors, so u can be seen, and the point of privacy is not from random strangers but to be seen by someone you know. we actually saw someone get busted on a date, altough it was dumb of those guys to be at sabri anyone, one of her aunties showed up by chance :)
yes, meeting in a place like a hotel room has higher issues if you are caught, however the probability of that happening is low. and that is what someone must decide.
In the end it is not a black and white here, it has its issues but it can be the only place someone can meet face to face away from prying eyes, If there are other places, then so be it. Ideally I suppose it can be a situation where its some group outing where the two can be left alone for a bit, and that is usually what ends up happening in most situations I think.
The issue here is that from the get go everyone had jumped on the guy's intentions and what nots, without knowing zilch. The advise was not that oh it would look bad, like you are saying but..why would he want to be with you in a hotel room, he defintely has other motives.
X2 Bhai,
I've also giving the guy the "benefit of the doubt" by saying that even if the guy has sincere intentions and even if nothing happens between the two.......at least keep the potential of gossip in mind.
Yes, you are right that chances of gossip might be low if "nobody" sees the guy and the girl. ** BUT**.......gossip can still spread if either the boy or the girl is not careful when talking to their friends. For example....the guy might tell one of his bestest buds that him and the girl were in a hotel room. And even if the guy and the girl are just friends and no physical intimacy took place between them......what if his friend leaks the information? Maybe not on purpose...but by accident....without thinking? Similarly what if the girl tells her closest friends that she met with him in a hotel room......and her friend leaks the information?
Your closest friends can sometimes slip when talking to others. And I have found that even your closest friends can be jealous of you. And a jealous friend or a spiteful friend might betray you and play a role in destroying your own reputation. As they say.....the people closest to you can make the worst enemies.
And as i said.....even if "nothing" happened between the two, when people find out such things, they automatically assume things because of the connotations associated with being in a "hotel room."
My point about the doubled-edged knife was to imply that things can blur. And X2, I've already mentioned in a previous post that it's best to opt for the most practical/less risky/safer method.
Is it wise to go on a date to Sabri, a place where other desis go as well? No! You know what, I used to live in Saudi. And I remember that in my early teens.....I would hear the girls say that you shouldn't meet up with your boyrfriend at Al-Rashid Mall on the weekend during the evening because so many people go there. Well, that's common sense. Why would you take such a risk by going to that location during that particular time? It is more prudent to go somewhere else where there is a less likelihood of being spotted by someone you know. Some, would even go to Al-Rashid Mall during the week days during the afternoon. Why? Well, because aunties can't drive there and most of them are in their homes in the afternoon during the weekdays and their husbands are at work. Or they might to go a park in the afternoon....knowing that the desi population is less likely to go there during the weekday...during that time.
You work it out X2, you opt for the most practical and safe way. Being seen in a public place (mall, park)....during a time/day when it is LEAST LIKELY that you'd be spotted by anyone from the desi community who knows you........is better.....than being in a hotel room. Why a room? Why not the the hotel lobby? Why not the reception area? Why not the lounge? These places seem better than a hotel room. You can be in a more public location where there is still LITTLE LIKELIHOOD of being spotted by someone you know. Even if the didn't have any funny business on his mind....it's common sense to contemplate his intentions (for your own safety) if he makes such a proposal and go about the situation in a way that will be prudent for both parties.