Occasional digression #4

Catchy song find of the month -

Cool
by Gwen Stefani (lyrics)


It's hard to remember how it felt before
Now I found the love of my life
Passes things, get more comfortable
Everything is going right

And after all the obstacles
It's good to see you now with someone else
And it's such a miracle that you and me are still good friends
After all that we've been through
I know we're cool
I know we're cool

We used to think it was impossible
Now you call me by my new last name
Memories seem like so long ago
Time always kills the pain

Remember Harbor Boulevard
The dreaming days where the mess was made
Look how all the kids have grown, oh
We have changed but we're still the same
After all that we've been through
I know we're cool
I know we're cool

Yeah, I know we're cool

And I'll be happy for you
If you can be happy for me
Circles and triangles
And now we're hanging out with your new girlfriend
So far from where we've been
I know we're cool
I know we're cool

C-cool, I know we're cool
I know we're cool

Pass the popcorn

Movies. They are the quintessential form of past time entertainment. For couples, they are an opportunity to spend some fun time together. Before getting married, the choice for movies was pretty much left in my hands. I got free rein to select the movie for every our Friday night outing. Back then (more than 10 years ago); movies were cheap before hitting $10. Our most memorable movie nights included the release of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Mission Impossible to name few movies both of us liked. Just as movie prices have increased over the years, so have our individual choices in movies whether it’s a DVD or movie at the theater. Take for instance, a trip to the video store where finding a movie sometimes takes just as long as the movie itself. It’s a choice between chick flicks such as British romantic comedies (e.g., Bridget Jones’ Diary, Love Actually, etc.) and guy flicks such as “action-driven or comedies with no story plot” films that include (e.g., Corky Romano, Little Nicky, etc.). As each of us makes our way into the video store with the hopes of watching a good movie, the end of the line isn’t always what it seems. It ends up with any of the following: a coin-toss, a lottery, or a mutually agreed upon film. The most ironic aspect of the experience is when you actually get to watch the movie together, and one of us falls asleep during the movie!

Nevertheless, when looking for the right movie, thank goodness that the web is filled with useful sources filled with reviews and commentaries:

Flixster
MRQE
NPR
Rotten Tomatoes
The New Yorker
Yahoo Movie

Pack rats unite

My previous post on losing wedding rings got me thinking about why we choose to acquire and collect things that hold personal and sentimental value. It becomes even more interesting as one goes from a single to a married individual because you not only come into a relationship with your own set of valuable things, but you now have to combine that with your spouse’s. Once people live together as husband and wife, I find it extremely puzzling and amusing as to how things seem to accumulate at a faster rate. When Spring comes around, the glamorous task of cleaning up transforms into a playful battle between “junk” vs. “memento” where pack rat and cleaner are adversaries in a duo to fix up the basement or attic before summer hits. Once summer arrives, the basement or attic is either clean or a stockpile of things waiting to be donated to a charity, found at a garage sale, or sold at an online auction. Even worse is seeing these things being hastily put into large black plastic bags – nameless and doomed from the beginning. Unless a compromise is reached, the loser (for the lack of a better term) must sit back and watch his or her favorite summer issue of Rolling Stone's magazine most likely recycled at their neighborhood library.

There's help, recycle or donate:

To recyle: go here

To donate: go here

Caveat emptor

Penny wise, pound foolish or just painfully wise? There are many things in life that as consumers we refuse to buy or are reluctant to buy unless the item is either on sale or available at a discount. Take clothes for school, many of us will wait for a back to school sale before heading off to the retail sunset. However, when it comes to making wedding purchases, there are some people who are using online auction places like eBay to buy everything from the wedding gown to the favors.

While I personally have not made any purchases from eBay, my husband and a few friends have bought things from eBay like computer peripherals and designer handbags. The most common comment from them is that as a buyer on eBay, you have to be extra careful about knowing who is the seller of an item, whether they have been a good or a bad seller based on their community rating. The rating and feedback system is helpful, however, the risk ultimately rests with the buyer. Among the risks involved, one must be aware of the return and exchange policies of the seller plus if the seller should obtain your credit card info, is the buyer made aware as to when the item will be shipped out and does the seller charge the card before shipping it out?

And, when it comes to buying from wedding vendors, brides and all people alike must be prudent about saving, but never sacrifice quality. After all, a wedding is a chance not only to make a good impression, but also a meaningful and lasting memory. In the end, I’d love to save a buck or two, but I’d be extra careful when buying through places like eBay. Besides that, would I want to tell my girl friends that I got my gown at eBay? Most likely not because the gown buying experience may be one of the challenging aspects of planning a wedding, but also the kind of experience you wish to share with close friends and family (e.g., mom, sister, or bestfriend). It's not only about buying, it's about the experience of sharing these memories with those we love. Buying it from eBay would just cheapen the whole thing for me. That's just me:)

Lord of a ring

Jewerly is to be worn, but is it something you wear when cooking? Specifically, when making cookie dough? There is nothing worse than watching someone dip their fingers into cookie dough with their rings still on their fingers. Most if not all of the cooks or chefs on TV do not take their rings off whether it's a wedding ring, class ring, or partner ring. It's just gross. And if you do have to take your ring off, chances are it either falls into the sink or somehwere else.

Clearly, I'm not a big fan of jewerly especially rings - I would certainly NOT mind a beautiful solitaire diamond ring from Tiffany, but I'd be too darn worried about it. What if it gets lost or stolen? What if I get kidnapped or nabbed? What if my finger gets cut off? Okay, that's a bit extreme, but worse case scenario.

Take it from a girl who actually lost her engagement ring during a snow day while attending a wedding! Yes, it was found by person thrice her age.

Do I wear my wedding ring now? Certainly not. It's tucked away in a safe where I won't lose it.



On a side note, this is an amazing story about a lost, but found wedding ring. It's really quite a remarkable story.

And, to add another lost ring story. While packaging care packages for troops in Iraq, a volunteer loses her wedding ring as it slipped off her finger.

When men turn into husbands..

Before I got married, a trip to the mall was a leisurely activity with my now-husband. But now, it seems that going to the mall means getting exactly what we need to get. For example, if we need to buy a pair of jeans, my husband knows exactly where he's going to go at the mall. A record day at the mall becomes a 30 minute run. Anything more would be considered a waste of time. A stressful event at that. You can imagine what Christmas is like. There is no Christmas shopping season because we buy our gifts right after Labor Day and then some between October and Thanksgiving. Shopping on the Net has also become an alternative we have often explored. Convenient, yes, but it takes the fun out of going from shop to shop and just looking! Perhaps I am like this because I am such a tactile person as opposed to other people who are comfortable with online shopping.

To err is human, but...

Is forgiveness something you can measure? Can it be gauged according to the degree of the offense? How does one manage to forgive when one’s trust has been betrayed? These are difficult questions that often require unique and personal interpretations. My last blog entry about Jude Law’s infidelity got me thinking about the prevalence of affairs among spouses, partners, and etc. Whether to lust or some other variable, statistics seem to indicate that roughly 20% of married men have had affairs at least once in their married lives . It’s not really that startling if you ponder life for a second. Our lives have just become so mired in the day-to-day mechanics of living (e.g., earning a living, taking care of kids and family, paying taxes, running errands, etc.).

Granted that life is hard and boy it is hard. Many marriages that fail out of infidelity are really the most tragic ones because trust has been broken. The question is how do some couples manage to move on, while others result in divorce or separation. Take my aunt-in-law for instance; after she found out that her husband was seeing their carpool partner, she decided to separate from him, despite a plea for forgiveness. There were no children involved, so it was a less complex situation. The more serious problem lies when there are children.

I don’t know whether to commend or feel sorry for men or women who choose to stay together even after an affair is discovered. Although one has decided to forgive for the sake of the marriage and family, I believe that the relationship is painfully scarred. Things may seem the same, but hidden level of resentment and pain becomes permanently embedded within the relationship. I suppose one’s capacity to forgive is what really determines this outcome. In the end, I still ask myself if forgiveness is something that can’t or can be measured in terms of the offense, especially when trust is in question.

A Wedding Gone Awry

There was a wedding in Cancun that was like a fun cartoon
where the groom turned into a broom
and the bride sailed away with her cat at her side.

There were wedding guests that got favors, but they all turned out to be traitors
where the bestman turned into a laughing herdsman
and the bridesmaids holding their flowers turned into simple showers.

There was a chocolate wedding cake, but the baker brought it to a lake
where there was another wake that nobody went to because everybody was late.

Bizarre, Weird, but True

In the world of weddings, anything is fair game.

Wedding Vows

When a bride and groom recite their vows, it is always important to say the correct name of the groom, but sometimes that does not always happen. Take a woman in India who is unsure whether she is now married to the groom or to his brother. The funny thing now is whom is she going to divorce to rectify the situation. And, if she were to remarry who is going to give away the bride?

Budget weddings

On the other side of the globe, a Romanian groom manages to get another bride in just 24 hours after his fiancé. Talk about fast. I guess he didn’t want to waste all that money considering all the invited guests! Looks like this wedding will be both an engagement and wedding party rolled into one grand celebration.

Wedding entertainment

Meanwhile, a wedding reception is normally a fun and peaceful event, however, not at this one. In Cairo, the father of the bride decided to turn the affair into a political demonstration as he began shouting anti-Mubarak slogans. You would think that he could have waited till after the first dance!

Occasional digression #3

Today. Blah. I feel like blah. It is blahday. It is one of those days when your brain and everything around you feels like blah. Nothing is appealing except sleep in a quite room. Anybody feel the same way?

What's It All About - Alfie

Jude Jude Jude. Someone’s been a bad boy.

We've all heard of people cheating on spouses and partners. However, when you cheat on your fiancé, that's a little bit too low especially, when the other woman is a nanny to your kids.

Whether guilt or conscience set in, an apology is a little bit too late when one has already proposed and began planning a wedding. Besides, what can Sienna do with an apology? She can’t shove it back at him? All she has now is a cancelled wedding.

Honestly, I didn't even know that Jude Law was married in the first place, let alone had kids! I thought that he was still a swingin' bachelor. Boy, was I wrong!? While I am not a big fan of Jude Law per say, I think his acting is not bad, BUT he's a bit too effeminate for me. I even thought that he was gay; not that being gay is bad (I have a lot of gay guy friends that are just darlings). Jude just seemed to have that kind of appeal (i.e., too handsome to be straight).

A + B = AB?

Cher went out with Sonny, Michael went out with Priscilla, and Julia went out with Lyle. While none of these marriages lasted long after the wedding, from what it appears, opposites do attract or at least some polarity seems to pull vastly different people together.

Experts claim that like-minded people tend to end up together, but somehow I find it very hard to believe. For one thing, if I married a person who knew exacly what I was thinking, since they think the same way, then nothing would probably get accomplished. We would always be coming up with same solutions, eat at the very same places, and watch the same movies. While some may argue that this weeds out a lot of miscommunication, I find that it would be just plain boring to end up with someone exactly like me. Where would all the excitement be, if we thought the same?

I forgot to mention, Sharon and Ozzy.

Dancing Queen

Fred Astaire could tap dance, Mikhael Baryshnikov could do a killer pirouette, and Ricky Martin could shake his bom bom. My husband or former fiancé specializes in no dancing. While he may occasionally exhibit a sideway jiggle, that’s about all the moves you will get. To spare ourselves the embarrassment and for the sake of our wedding guests, there was no first dance on our special day, which wasn’t so bad after all considering that more than half the guests would have been too shy to do the Macarena. While I don’t proclaim to be a virtuoso dancer myself, I have to admit that I’m a closet dancer. No, no, no. There’s no lap dancing nor exotic Brazilian dance moves going on – just plain imaginative dance moves (whatever that entails). To spare the world, I choose the bathroom or the closet as I listen to David Bowie’s famous song: “Let’s Dance.”

My stalker

All of us have that little bubble called our personal space – the invisible protective shield against the outside the world. Whether you’re in a bookstore, mall, or standing in line at the grocery, that bubble is always around you.

While browsing at the Glendale Border’s bookstore last night with my husband, I went over to the English literature section – just lookin’ around for something interesting. A little signal went on in my brain telling me that somehow somebody or something was watching me. I look around nonchalantly and I began to notice this guy – probably in his mid to late 30s, nerdy-looking, wearing a gray cotton shirt, white shorts, and a white cap started staring at me and smiling from the bench where he was seating. You could say it was about a 5 to 8 feet distance between us. For a second, I thought perhaps he’s focusing on somebody else, so I make nothing of it and ignore it.

Minutes later, I end up in the cooking section, and he’s right there! I turn my back and he’s like right behind me (excuse, the Valley-girl talk). Now, I’m thinking sexual predator/female stalker/weirdo is following me in a bookstore – what did I do or wear to attract such unwanted attention?

Guess what he says when he’s right across from me? He smilingly asks, “is there anything good here?” In my mind, I’m saying “everything was good up until you came and freaked me out – you fu***&&* weirdo!” My mommy told me when I was young to never talk to strangers, and I’m not about to do that right at this very moment! Get the hell out of my way! Seriously, I am just freaked out right now and my heart is flip-flopping and I’m looking around the store for my husband.

Creepy. Yes. Am I flattered or freaked out? Hell, of course, I’m freaked out. Would I have been flattered if he looked anything different and it were to happen in a different setting like a college-bookstore, and the guy looked like a Johnny Depp, or Keanu Reeves, perhaps that would have been different. I left the bookstore thinking that night about one thing: even though I was wearing a wedding ring, dressed like crap, wore no makeup, and had completely limp hair, what attracted that weirdo to me left me puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

The latest on Hilton's nuptial plans

In simple terms, "no" is the answer she received. Looks like Paris will have to settle for another wedding venue, despite begging Prince Charles for a change of heart.

5 minute assessment of Dr. Phil

Why 5 minutes? That's all he really deserves!

A boring Friday night plus utter restlessness lends itself to mindless channel surfing. Amidst the continuous action of jumping from channel to channel, I land on an episode of Dr. Phil. In his usual way, he provides "advice" in the manner of a psyhologist turned celebrity talk show host. For this episode, the couple he was counseling had a "major" problem, though one that seemed typical of most marriages. Husband goes out with friends, while wife stays home - living in silent desperation and hoping that one day her husband would notice just how much work she is doing as he goes out and have fun. Dr. Phil reprimands the husband using his most effective tactics: mainly condescension and public humiliation. What surprises me the most is why do these couples subject themselves to the public for such private issues, which are really readily solved by simple and open communication between the two. Granted that there is some money involved for appearing on the show, but c'mon is it really necessary. There are countless other strategies to solve marriage problems such as simple and civil conversation. In the end, do these couples realize that by the time they decide to go on a show such as Dr. Phil, exposing one's dirty laundry to the world pretty much spells doom for the relationship.

Plump and juicy

Stay together, grow old together, get fat together? I've pretty much managed to weigh the same all my life (i.e., from college till now), but now that I'm pushing into the 30 and above club - I think my metabolism is slowly acting like it wants to be in Hawaii. It's like it wants a slower pace of life - downing pina coladas all the time. While I've tried to enjoy food and still watch what I eat, I'm afraid that in 10 years, I probably will not be able to fit into my wedding gown anymore. A close friend of mine once said the I need to watch out for creeping weight (e.g., if you gain a pound every year - in 30 years you'll be 30 lbs. heavier). Scary thought! Even worse. When I see thin married women with kids, I often wonder if that's really natural or are these women just really diligent at keep fit? Though I am hardly a waif, but neither zaftig, I noticed that through the years, once people get married, that husbands and wives seem to expand at a parallel pace. It's been rare for me to see one spouse stay thin, while the other expands. In the end, I guess it does not really matter whether I gain a pound, or may be two times five more as long as I can stay healthy and live long - happily married at that:)

On a side note, my fav foods are:

sushi, thin-crust pizza with just the right amount of pepperoni, Mcflurries (yeah, they're really fattening), and of course, Godiva chocolate (if you're going to eat chocolate, it might as well be worth the calories!), Cape cod vinegar chips

You Are Rocky Road Ice Cream

Unpredictable and wild, you know how to have fun. You're also a trendsetter who takes risks with new things. You know about the latest and greatest - and may have invented it. You are most compatible with vanilla ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

The hose

Panty hose in the summer – an oxymoronic statement, but one that admittedly deserves attention. I vividly remember that my own wedding was a summer engagement overlooking a beach. While I had romantic visions of walking down the aisle, my own idealistic ways gave way to more than one impractical decision. Though I wore a gown that was fit for the hot and humid day, I didn’t take into account at how ridiculously uncomfortable wearing panty hose is when wearing a wedding gown. For vanity’s sake, it was one of those control top hose that make you appear to have shed pounds even though you have not excercised for ages. Believe me, I advise all women: do not wear panty hose in the summer unless you have a truly good reason!

Is that a habit?

There are habits. Good and Bad. Problem is most of us tend to notice the bad as the good ones go unnoticed. Regardless of the time spent living together, why is it that behind a peaceful coexistence, that every now and then, there seems to be a silent battle of tolerating little annoyances in the form of bad habits. This applies to both men and women - be it a fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, or partner. Granted they are only bad because one thinks they are bad, but in reality it could just be a normal habit as opposed to a bad one.

A typical scenario in my household used to be the toothpaste tube. Every now and then, squeezing it from the center instead of the top of the tube is branded as a bad habit. Of course, this was easily taken care of by innovative product design in the form of toothpaste dispensers typically made specifically for kids, but usable by adults, as well. Or, another scenario is the toilet paper dispenser. Normally, changing a roll is a mindless task that one often forgets the minute it’s changed. However, what happens when one should forget to change it? It becomes a big deal! An annoying one! Sympathizers would say that these lingering bad habits might be due to sheer absent-mindedness not some vile and evil intention to annoy another person. But, in actuality, aren't annoyingly bad habits that pop up every now and then in the home, just a part of living together? They don't really go away - we just learn to tolerate and sometimes even forget that they are annoying in the first place.

Till death do us part....

How would you feel if for the past 50 years, the person with whom you’ve been married to were to die of cancer or any other disease? It is certainly a difficult question for me to answer. After visiting my grandfather’s sister-in-law last weekend, this question kept nagging at me, since her husband had just passed away 4 months ago of cancer. She didn’t look too well, at all, which is understandable, but it indicated to me at how intertwined their lives had become. They were doctors and had practiced medicine at their own clinic. It’s almost like a symbiosis of two beings wherein once one dies, the other soon follows. Now living as a widower with her children, I can’t help, but wonder at how much she must miss him. She has a picture of him in the living room with a glass vase of a dozen roses. It also seemed that she didn’t move any of her husband’s stuff out. This whole experience made me think about what it would feel like to suddenly be alone! I know that you must face reality, but when faced with that situation, all rationality seems to go out the door and emotions kick in.

You're Invited

Would you invite your ex-husband to your wedding? Evidently, reports say that Tom Cruise would like Nicole Kidman to attend his wedding. I understand that he wants to show his children a good example, but given the circumstances, it would be plain awkward for Nicole to accept an invitation. For whatever reason people divorce or split in the first place, I would find it extremely uncomfortable to be attending my ex's wedding, be it a boyfriend or husband, or have times changed that much already?

Cash anyone?

While waiting in line to return a pair socks at Target, there was couple with a list of items with them together with two full carts of what looked like appliances and other household items. At first, it appeared as if they had made some bad choices and simply wanted to return the goods and get their money back. However, looking at them a little bit more closely revealed that they were actually returning their wedding gifts back to Target. Wise or foolishly ungrateful? Looking back at my own gifts, in my storage room still sits that quad toaster and microwave oven that I’ve never opened and used. For all the gifts that we received on our wedding day, it may sound crazy, but it seemed that cash gifts were the ones that I really got appreciated – if you know what I mean. Beyond the china and silverware, I must say that if it were I standing in line to return those gifts for cash, then that would not be so bad at all!

Meet Jan and Hank

Recent attacks in the UK

While I normally blog about weddings and marriages, I can't help, but also express a deep sympathy for the victims of the recent bomb explosions in London. My thoughts and prayers go to them and their families. It makes me realize that it's only a matter of time before we see something as malevolent happen in our own country. Everyone keep safe and be careful!

From princess to mrs.

The sudden obsession with royalty and weddings in my blog is purely out of ordinary boredom. Being a commoner just feels so much better when you’re an outsider and you don’t have to content with all that “royaltyism.” From my previous post about Monaco’s Prince Albert, today we turn to Japan where female members of the royalty are always on the losing end. Take Masako for instance, she’s probably suffering from depression as the pressure to produce an heir continues to loom. Poor gal – it’s not her fault! On another note, the daughter of the Emperor, Princess Sayako is reportedly getting married to Yoshiki Kuroda who works as an urban planner. Traditionally, members of the monarchy do not attend weddings of any female family member, but that appears to be changing as the Emperor and Empress plan to attend their daughter’s wedding this coming November. While they are planning to be guests at the wedding, as you would expect of any parent, one thing that still does not change is the stripping of Princess Sayako’s title. In Japan, the daughter of an emperor automatically becomes a commoner once she gets married!

Love child

When you're part of royalty, there are certain responsibilities that come with having a prestigious title. Whether princess or prince, one is expected to marry well, have a royal wedding, invite foreign dignataries, and produce an heir to the throne. Should one marry within the same social circle brings about much praise. We all know that Prince Charles married Camilla as countless other members of the royalty have married commoners (i.e., ordinary people without titles except maybe mr. or miss). But, when a member of a royal family has a love child with a French stewardess, one cannot help, but ooh and aah at the rumor. More so when the rumor is actually for real.

Makeover madness

Beyond my wedding day, I cannot remember the last time I had seriously paid any attention to my makeup and hair. Funny that although it was nearly two years ago, I still vividly remember at how meticulous I was towards achieving that perfect wedding look. The kind of look you see posted on the latest issue of Instyle Weddings or Brides’ mag. The look you want to capture for keeping your photos – a true admission of vanity indeed. In retrospect, the days leading up to that special day felt more like reenacting my prom night minus the zealousness and teenage-like giddiness that characterizes girls at that age. It’s equally more amusing now when I gawk at my wedding photos every time I want to be reminded of how old I am now or how much I have changed – that is to say, I no longer wear any makeup at all. I fear that post-wedding life has made me into somewhat of a frumpy pale chick. Kind of like those women you see on Oprah’s makeover episodes. Is their any help in sight for women whose hectic lives have been so quickly transformed soon after their nuptials? Is a simple lip gloss (i.e., actually Chapstick) the only cosmetic device left for me? Am I not still as beautiful as I was on my wedding day? As my husband would say, did you get a black eye or are you wearing eye shadow?

From Garter to Barter

The Garter Toss

Many brides still choose to have this tradition at their weddings. Its roots go back to the medieval days when guests would tear a piece of the bride's dress as a token of good luck. In lieu of being stripped completely, it is said that the bride would give off part of her stockings and garters - throwing them to the guests. I opted to forego this whole tacky experience, but my cousin had an interesting way of handling the whole ritual. Instead of having the garter placed on her leg, she had the recipient of the bouquet toss as the "lucky" person to receive the garter. Funny thing is that the person who caught the bouquet wasn't exactly dressed for it (i.e., the putting of the garter).

Long live the Queen

Money can buy anything except class, but if Paris Hilton should have her way, a "royal" wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey or Windsor Castle would be a dream come true. The only problem is that these places are only open to royals. That is, members of the royal family in England. Not Spain, not Brunei, nor any other country, including the US. It is said that Paris Hilton has made a special request to Buckingham Palace. In a letter to Prince Charles, Paris has asked for special permission to hold a wedding at those places sometime in the winter. She does make a good case, though, based on two accounts. One, that she is somewhat like American royalty, and two, that she is marrying a Greek, similar to the Queen and Prince Phillip – she married a Greek, too. England - with its romantic castles and royal charm would certainly be the perfect backdrop to a wintertime wedding extravaganza! Would the Queen approve of such a celebration? We all know what her answer will be, but does Paris?

Meanwhile, while Paris is planning her royal wedding, some less popular celebrity wedding news include the recent Caribbean wedding of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner - I'm just glad that Ben got to his senses. Wonder what happened to that whopper Harry Winston engagement ring that J. Lo got? While not as exotic, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are said to be planning a Scientology service next August at their LA headquarters.

Fourth of July Dream

This fourth of July weekend, we will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary. I will be spending a relaxing weekend with my perfect husband at our beautiful garden villa overlooking Lake Cuomo.

This is dream....Only a dream...

Checklists

Checklists. Ah. They are grocery checklists, task checklists, and wedding checklists. Up until yesterday, I had never heard of a “breakup checklist.” Sounds hilarious at first, but evidently in the UK, there is a website dedicated to helping cohabiting couples understand their rights. In a nation with about 25% of unmarried adults living together, it’s really quite intriguing as the website helps dispel the myth of common law marriage. I looked over this checklist and actually found it to be quite practical especially as more and more of my own friends have opted to live together even more before the wedding bells start ringing. Is this kind of arrangement healthy for the relationship? I really wonder how does cohabiting impact a couple’s chances of eventually tying the knot. Judging from my own experience and observations, choosing to cohabit should really be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, since all couples are different. For some, the mere idea of living together would come not only as a shock to them, but more so to their families as being socially unacceptable. In an age where more people want to “try before they buy,” though, I believe that we should see cohabiting increase over the years.

Now, the question is, would I want my daughter or son living together before they get married? That’s a tough one…