One of the trainees in my firm recently got engaged, and unsurprisingly it sparked a merry debate over my favourite topic - marriage (and kids).
Unsurprisingly, there was widespread bafflement after I (non-voluntarily) shared my views on this merry topic. But surprisingly, the conversation that followed was thoroughly hilarious (at least to me, other people took it more seriously), involving mentions of Chernobyl and eco-ism and patriotism. I'd be more than happy to share my thoughts on the subject if it leads to these kinds of conversations!
For reasons unknown, I have started watching the incredibly popular Chinese matchmaking game show, 非诚勿扰. Every week, 24 single ladies stand on stage and male guests appear one by one to try to win their hearts through a series of questions and video clips. The results are highly theatrical, totally unrealistic and yet inexplicably entertaining.
Because I can never control myself when it comes to watching TV series, I whizzed through about 30 to 40 episodes of the show over the past week. (Luckily, I think I've reached the point of 'show-fatigue' so am slowing down the pace a little.)
Of course, being made for TV and an audience of millions and millions, it was highly staged and heavily edited (the government apparently 'disapproved' of certain viewpoints expressed in the show and tried to tweak it to their liking - which makes for some very fascinating reading on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fei_Cheng_Wu_Rao). But having dedicated so many hours of my life to it, I'm beginning to discern when the genuine thoughts/feelings of the participants and hosts peek through the 'official line'.
For all that it makes me want to pick up my laptop and chuck it out of the window in rage, the show is an eye-opener. A direct gateway to how at least some of my contemporary peers view relationships and marriage, and how far apart on the spectrum my thoughts are from theirs.
Way to enhance the feeling of 'thought isolation'. Yay.
Someone once said to me, "Good luck finding a guy who agrees with you." The person who said this certainly won no favours with me then, but thinking about it now, I wouldn't mind taking all the luck I can get.
I don't think I'm so unique that the only one in the world bearing these views is me.
I just need a little luck in finding my 'thought peers'.
Like those 24 ladies that stand on stage week after week, hoping against all odds that some day the right person will appear.
