House or romance? That is a question

LIFESTYLE: Irrationally high housing price in China’s large cities is bringing about a change to urbanites’ ways of living and, in an implicit way, is putting some of, if not most of, young people in an awkward situation - a choice between houses and love.

A recent online poll found that nearly half of women chose to become “material girls” - picking men already owning apartments as their husbands.

The poll, by portal website sohu.com, was intended to test women’s preference in choosing fiances and husbands.

Not long ago, real estate magnate Feng Lun asserted “women of marriage age are driving up housing price” in China, where traditions require men to get ready of everything before marrying a goodwife. Having an apartment is becoming a decisive and competitive factor for men.

Blogger Wu Yiren wrote she believed a man should fight against rivals to win his lady’s heart and making money to buy an apartment is a man’s fight in modern society.

But this “fight” could be bloodier than that between cavaliers. Price of new apartments in Beijing, according to Golden Keys housing research centre, rose 15.2 percent in February over January, a continual buoyant increase since the Millennium.

In the eyes of Blueprint Housing general manager Fu Wenhui, pure love only exists in poems or among innocent kids. “It’s a pity, but marriage means tangible responsibilities and materials.”

“How can you trust him if the man even cannot buy you an apartment?” she argued.

Asking for a big house from the boyfriend is no longer deemed as unkind or too material-oriented, which used to be sniffed at by gentle women.

Home is something to house a couple, but for many ladies, where home is doesn’t really matter as long as they are with the Romeo.

“We are young and promising. If I love him, I will marry him even if he doesn’t own an apartment, I believe he is the potential stock,” Yan Yan said, adding that she disliked those who expected to change their living status through marriage.

Despite being sneered as Platonic, some called on young women to cherish their love in a blatant and uncertain society with various temptations, as “a man who truly loves you weighs heavier than where you live”

Even though scared off by women’s “house desire”, some young men participating in the debate tend to be on the back of the practical camp.

In the online survey at Sohu, nonetheless, nearly 56 percent of female netizens prefer to marry the man they truly love, even if he doesn’t have money to buy an apartment.

This time, the delicate affection narrowly wins in a battle against stone-cold apartment blocks, but how long its advantage could last? Who knows. China Daily

White man on grease pole

AVURUDU: The Sinhala New year festivities in London took an interesting turn this year with a host of British participants in the traditional Avurudu games organised by the Sri Lankan community in old Blighty.

According to a media report there was also a British competitor in the popular lissana gaha event, who scaled the grease pole along with the rest in their quest to grab the Sri Lanka flag at the summit.There is no indication if he succeeded.

It would have been interesting to observe the reactions of Lankans back home had he grabbed the flag. It would no doubt have stirred a hornet’s nest and backlash of the proportions of an earthquake among the more militant elements.

Strong objections would have ensued on the British having to do anything with the Sri Lankan flag which was treated with disdain during the time the country was under the jackboot of the British raj.

They are also bound to have recalled the famous incident where the patriot monk Ven. Wariyapola Sri Sumangala was shot dead by the British when he tried to unfurl the Union Jack during the height of the anti British struggle in the country.

Feelings therefore would have run high when it was known that a Britisher had aspired to down our National flag even through the harmless medium of a national game.

On the other hand it would have given our locals some smug satisfaction had the white man failed in his quest to run away with our National flag and got liberally daubed in grease for his trouble.

There may be justifiable objections to involving foreigners especially the British in our national pastimes given the colonial hang up still lingering with a majority of our population.

More so since Sri Lanka has surpassed the British in many spheres and had gone on to beat them at their own game with the Lankan cricket team notching up a succession of victories against the poms.

We are not told if the BBC covered the Sinhala Avurudu event lest it commented on the primitive practices in Sri Lanka as it is wont to do during its coverage of events pertaining to Sri Lanka.

The Lissana gaha event in London may have raised the ire of many but to the discerning Lankans it would also have given them a lot of satisfaction to know how many times the Britisher slipped down the greasy pole during his quest.

It would have been a symbolic indicator of Britian’s failure to dictate terms to Sri Lanka and the recent defeats inflicted on it on the playing field try as it might to get the better of Sri Lanka.

The futile attempts may have also represented the consecutive defeats England suffered at the hands of their former subjects in the game of cricket. They would also cite the recent gaffe of the British envoy in Colombo as a solid indication on how the British have slipped up in matters of diplomacy and not along a grease pole either.

We are yet to hear of any howls of protest by our radical elements about this latest desecration of our Avurudu traditions by giving it a British hue.

Maybe we will see demos opposite the British High Commission in the coming days. It would not be surprising if they urge the Government to recall our Ambassador over there for enlisting host countrymen in matters national.

- Rambler

Indian villages ban “meaningless game” of cricket

NEW DELHI: Sick of the hullabaloo over India’s dismal performance at the cricket World Cup, a string of villages in the north of the country have banned the game.

Elders from 28 villages in Jind district decided enough was enough, The Asian Age reported.

They met at Uchana, north of New Delhi, as the media ripped into the failed players and coaching staff and unanimously declared cricket a “meaningless game,” the daily said.

Cricket, a national obsession in the subcontinent, was “no different from alcoholism or the DJs (disc jockeys) who dish out noisy and senseless Bollywood songs and western music,” the panchayat or council said.

It went on to decree that “noboby would be permitted to either play cricket or even watch matches on TV,” in the district of Haryana state.

“Any villager who opposes the ban will be ostracised,” the council said, warning that cricket had led youngsters into gambling rather than instilling a sense of sportsmanship.

Council secretary Jogi Ram said cricket was a foreign sport imported by the English and had lingered too long in India.

India, one of the pre-tournament favourites, were upset by Bangladesh in the first match and knocked out in the preliminary stage last month after a second loss to Sri Lanka. AFP