Saturday, April 23, 2005

marriage market A program on Chinese TV showed a marriage market in Beijing. Not a place where young men and women could meet eachother, but a place where their parents went to find suitable partners for their kids. One mother said: [base "]My kid works for a foreign company, and works such long hours that she has no time to find a boyfriend. I really worry about her and that[base ']s why I am here to look for a suitable future husband.[per thou] Parents carry big boards describing their son or daughther and exchange contact details in case there might be a possible match. To me it seems that parents are often much more concerned about their off-spring not finding a marriage partner in time than the kids themselves. Especially the men seem not to be too worried. The women often have much more peer pressure, especially when they are close to or over thirty. It[base ']s a pity, because many people end up in semi-arranged marriages in this way. Love often does not play a role, but a steady job, a good income, and having an apartment are the major factors determining whether someone is a suitable candidate or not. 10:08:55 PM    comment []