Marriages

(Allen)

I am currently sharing a two bedroom make shift flat with three other guys at the Deccan College. Two are MA students and the other is a lecturer. Topics of love, marriage, and cultural differences come up often.

One is planning to elope with his girlfriend of 10 years (who he gets to see once or twice each year) against the wishes of her parents. She lives in the village next to his and his parents think that she is a fine girl.

Another (the lecturer) has gone to a village to see a potential bride that his parents have found for him and will be back in a few days. This is the 9th bride he has gone to see. After meeting her and her family for 1 or 2 days, he will be asked if she is a suitable life partner or not and the wedding will happen within a few months. Apparently, he wasn't satisfied with the first 8 options. I can only imagine the pressure behind such a decision. I hem and haw over which pair of sandals to buy!

The third has no idea about when his parents will arrange his marriage and is simply waiting to see what they tell him.

I think marriage and family life is easily the most identifiable and stark cultural difference between the U.S. and India (along with gender relations more generally speaking) and it never ceases to blow my mind.

Thoughts?