Current mood:	thoughtful
Entry tags:	random, real life

The dominoes are falling
So last night I talked to my dad on the phone.

This is not a rare occurrence - indeed, you might even describe it as a fairly regular one. What was unusual was the topic of conversation. Apparently one of my cousins (on my father's side) got engaged recently. This would not normally be a problem, except for two things:

1. He got engaged with someone of his own choosing rather than his parents' and


2. The girl isn't of the same caste.

His parents (my dad's elder brother and his wife) are apparently quite upset about the whole thing. Even my dad is a little surprised that his elder brother responded so negatively. In his own words, times have changed, and people have to adapt. Naturally I agree with him fully. If anything, this incident has reinforced for me that in spite of India's rapid economic growth these past few years, there are still way too many ancient prejudices and outdated customs that hold it back.

However, this isn't a post about my opinion of Indian society (I have plenty to write on that subject, but not today). What did get me thinking was something my dad asked me after we had finished discussing my cousin's marriage.

My dad: So it looks like your cousins are getting married one by one, haha.
Me: Yeah, I guess so.
My dad: When it's your turn, are you going to find your own wife or do you need Amma (Tamil for "mother") to look for you?
Me: ..... o_O;

Needless to say, the question pretty much floored me. lol
Everyone who reads this blog knows that I'm very serious when it comes to "work" stuff, often to the extent of sacrificing leisure time ("Ryu" from szyl_kalimsshar, "So Studious" from noirshiny, or sycia's "Sir Science"...take your pick :P). Something I don't often think about is the fact that all this work I put into my studies has pretty much precluded my participation in...shall we say, the "dating game." Or, if you want to be more harsh, "a social life."

It doesn't really help that I can be summed up as a fat Indian guy with very un-Indian hobbies. I can see it right now:
Girl: So, what are your hobbies?
Me: I like playing video games and watching ani-
Girl: Check please!

:P

I'm going to be 23 this year, and to be honest, I'm starting to wonder if this is something I need to start paying attention to. Unfortunately, I wouldn't rate my own chances of finding a companion too highly. To compound this I'm not exactly enamoured with ye olde Indian matchmaking system either. :P

One thing I can say for sure: this isn't one of the things I was expecting to deal with once I started work...