At Chai Latte Diaries, a woman asks me what she should ask him, he who is engaging her for reasons of marriage. A simple Q, in response to which I tell her that ‘talk doesn’t cook rice’, assign her some homework, mention a watermelon, and finally offer up my Top Ten Qs For Purposes of Marriage. But not before I reflect on how behaviour trumps answers, such as:  

1) How they treat the homeless person whom they walk past.
2) How they deal with service staff / anyone working with them.
3) How they respond to pressure.
4) How they deal with mild disagreement – such as political disagreement during a conversation with friends. (Do they become bullies? Do they hit below the belt? Raise their voice? Do they listen to and consider dissenting opinion? Is their goal to force their opinion down the throat of everyone and their mother? Are they courteous? Etc.)
5) Are they chronically late, illustrating that they do not respect your (or anyone else’s) time?

Comments here closed; all (private and public) comments welcome over at Chai Latte Diaries.

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Photo is from 2012, of Wu Conghan (then aged 101), and his wife Wu Sognshi (then aged 103). Though married in 1924, they had not had a wedding photo until 2012. I hope this photo makes you as happy as it does me.