Because of the modesty stricture, I had packed mostly long sleeved, high neck blouses and long-sleeved jackets. And this was June! On day one, I left my air-conditioned hotel room cool and business-like, but by the end of a day spent in taxis, in meetings and on the factory floor, I was hot, slightly dishevelled and very red in the face. I’m sure the people I was auditing thought I was most unhappy with everything they showed me, when really, all I was thinking about was taking a cold shower!

As we left the hotel for dinner that evening, I asked my companion if it would be acceptable for me to at least undo one of the buttons on my high-necked blouse the next day. She smiled gently and patted my arm. “Of course you can,” she said, “and in fact, you will be a lot cooler if you wear something with short sleeves and leave your suit jacket in the hotel too!” And then, as we climbed into the taxi, she asked the question that had obviously been preying on her mind since she first met me. “Tell me, Elizabeth, is it really true that all Western women are unfaithful to their husbands?”