Throwback Thursday is when we trawl through the That's archives for a work of dazzling genius written at some point in our past. We then republish it. On a Thursday.
By Piao Luo
I believe every person’s heart holds a beautiful fantasy where one day, just like in a fairytale, they will live happily ever after. I’m no exception; I have even more imagination than most. I’m getting older, I have job security now, and I’ve waited many years, but still no princess has appeared.
Gradually I’ve become familiar with this city and slowly I’ve made friends here. Quite unexpectedly one day a friend said, “How about I introduce you to someone?” He asked me if I had dating requirements. I couldn’t think of any, so I told him, “No requirements, close enough suits me fine.” My friend introduced me to a young Shanghainese from another department in our company. After the introduction, we began texting each other and on weekends we’d go out strolling. A month passed and we realized we still didn’t really know each other.
Then I met the girl’s mom – one of those Shanghai mothers of lore. She inquired about my savings and eventually turned the conversation to my housing situation. I really can’t afford to buy here, but for Shanghai mothers a house is a must. The girl and I broke up, but actually it was as if we’d never even started.
"Then I met the girl’s mom – one of those legendary Shanghai mothers. She asked about my savings at first and eventually turned the conversation to my housing situation."
Later, another friend introduced me to a classmate in his doctoral program, a waidi [outside] girl. She was born in the same kind of tiny, remote village as I was. We had a good feeling about each other, but it wasn’t a love-at-first-sight thing. She was busy with school, so we’d occasionally go out for dinner or talk on the phone, but it was hard to find things to talk about. Half a year went by and we both still had this weird feeling as if we weren’t really a couple. So we decided to take a break and give one another time to figure out if we’re really right for each other.
Then I heard that People’s Square has a marriage market. I went to check it out with my colleagues. But everyone at the market had some sort of prestigious advanced degree or had recently returned from studying abroad. My colleagues and I looked really out of place - neither of us is the kind of guy girls like that would date.
Actually, I don’t think I’m such a bad prospect. My colleagues keep telling me about other girls (teachers, bankers, civil servants) that they want to introduce me to, but I keep refusing. Perhaps my heart retains a glimmer of hope: I still believe that fate will bring people together naturally. In fact my requirements for love are very basic. It doesn’t matter if she’s Shanghainese or waidi ren, so long as I can make her the center of my life and we can live a simple, ordinary, happy life together.
This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue of That's Shanghai. To see more Throwback Thursday posts, click here.
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