From: Kamal E Y [email protected]>

To: Sabrina [email protected] >

Sent: 18 September, 1999 03:44 PM

Subject: Proposals!

Dear Miss Question Girl,

So you want to know about the proposals I got and how the parents find suitable alliances for their children. Ok here goes...

First, I will explain, how arranged marriages are taking place here. There is nothing like a matchmaker here. It is our tradition that the marriage of a boy or girl is taken care of by their parents. When the boy/girl reaches the age of marriage, the parents start searching for an alliance. The relatives bring proposals from many families. The parents go through all these proposals and decide which one is suited for their child. Then they arrange an occasion for the boy and girl to meet, usually in the girl's house. If everything is OK and the boy and girl like each other, the parents will fix a date for marriage. This is how arranged marriages are done here.

Now you can understand the proposals I am getting. Since I have a good job and my family is well-placed too.

There is nothing wrong legally here in a man marrying an older woman. It is only the society that makes problems. This is not a common thing here because the people believe in arranged marriages and there the girl will always be younger. Nowadays love marriages are becoming common, but they're also ultimately the parents play a role in marriages. How is it in your country?

So you have started to work. Good. But don't work too hard. Think of your health and mind too. Now onwards there is a person who is interested in your everything, understand? Ok.

I won't get your mail tomorrow. That is bad. But OK, I understand your work and do I will wait until Monday. You must write a big letter then!!

I will stop here now since you will read my mail only tomorrow. If you are not there, how can I talk? Ok, then bye my sweetheart...

Love

Kamal