by Dixiane Hallaj (Author) Young and impulsive, Dixiane dove heart-first into a cross cultural marriage four months after meeting the man who was to become her life's companion, Muhammad Hallaj. In the fairy tale version, they would have ridden off into the sunset and lived happily ever after. However, life seldom adheres to the fairy tale script.They had always planned to live in the Middle East, but their first reservations were cancelled by the June War of 1967. They rearranged their lives to be able to provide financial support for Muhammad's family should the need arise. In 1970 they tried again. Escalating unrest in Jordan did not derail their plans a second time.