a new culture lesson for me
By Grace on May 14, 2008 in personal thoughts
My Indian colleague went back to his home country for his annual vacation. As I have mentioned before, expats in Dubai are entitled to 30 days of paid vacation after one year of service. He left last May 1.
He had been talking about getting married but without a girlfriend, asked for his parent’s “help”. While couples of the West are nonchalant about marriages brought forward by parties other than the bride and the groom, arranged marriages are still very common in India today. Yesterday, I heard from my colleagues that MR (the one who left for vacation) will get married this weekend, just two weeks after his homecoming and just a few days after his parents found a girl for him.
I have Indian friends (women) who got married through the arranged marriage system. Some of them even only saw their husbands on the wedding day itself. Honestly, I am amazed by their courage because I don’t think I can do the same. How about you?
Some information of arranged marriage in India can be found here.
I’ve worked with so many Indian colleagues and it never fails to surprise me at how quickly they can find husbands (my colleagues are mostly female Indian nationals) after they go home for their annual leave. They even post ads in the paper to find themselves a partner. I guess, from our perspective, we couldn’t imagine ourselves finding our husbands (or wives) in that way. But if we were brought up in a culture such as theirs then we probably wouldn’t even bat an eyelash!
CQ’s last blog post..Disco Fever
CQ | May 15, 2008 | Reply
There is a guy on my job who had his marriage arranged. They’ve been married for quite some time and have a child together.
For me, I never saw the point of marriage. Let alone marrying someone you didn’t know. It isn’t my culture but I cannot look at someone else’s situation and say “What are you thinking?”
Happy for them if it works for them.
Urban Thought’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Apple Date
Urban Thought | May 15, 2008 | Reply
maybe i should go to india … hahaha
i’m not that desperate yet hehehe
sunjun’s last blog post..Monk Service (Luang Prabang, Laos)
sunjun | May 15, 2008 | Reply
Look I don’t know how they do that. Just go living with someone you don’t know? Have sex with some stranger. I don’t know about that. Imagine THAT first night! But…that being said…if that is your culture then that is what you are used to and I don’t think it bothers you too much
Melany’s last blog post..A whore in the bedroom
Melany | May 20, 2008 | Reply