I'm Still a Bachelor, Too

It is not uncommon for my co-worker and I to spend hours past the normal work hours in office. Other than doing work related stuffs due to closing date lines, staying in the office for a few hours more is also a good time-killing... compared to the time wasted in the car, while "surfing" the traffic jam. Everybody else is going back almost sharp on time, thus, creating surge in traffic on the main street.

After a while, yesterday, after 8pm to be exact, one of my co-worker and I decided that it was time to go home. Since both of us the last person in the office, it would be our responsibility to lock the office.

There is nothing special with locking the office activities. However, I found that the conversation with my co-worker, a man that is about my age, open my mind about other culture.

Before we continue, let me tell you that he is a Chinese (and I am a Malay). He is married a few months ago. Actually he studied in the same university with me, sometimes back.

He asked me, whether I cook at home for dinner. Oohh man, I am still not married, yet. I just rent a room in a double-storey terrace house. Yes... I do have a kitchen room in the house I live. However, there is no cooking facility or what so ever. The best that we have is just a kettle, bread baker, and a non-functional fridge (I guess it is just for decoration hurmmm...)

So, I asked him back, how about him. Since he already get married, he told me that he eat outside too. I wonder why he and his wife decided to eat outside. Normally, a lady will go back hom much more earlier, and naturally, a lady will cook for her husband.

What he told me next, was truly shocking!

"Nordin, I'm still a bachelor, too!"

"Excuse me," I was confused, obviously.

He told me that he and his wife is only legally married. They are still not perform the wedding ceremony according to Chinese tradition yet. They just register their wedding with the authority a few months back.

He also told me that they are living separately. He also told me, it is not so uncommon for them (Chinese communities) for marrying legally, and then wait for a few years for the actual wedding tradition ceremony. Also... it is also not weird to go for honeymoon years after the ceremony.

Well, I live more than a quarter of a century already, and I guess, there still much more that I don't know about things surrounding me. Well, thinking about him, to be married, but still... "I'm still a bachelor, too." ;-)