Story concept – real-life example/audience

I found an article that describes the story I want to tell or my target audience.
現代 article series
Unfortunately, it's in Chinese, but here is the relative translation:

“Living Environment/Lifestyle Stops Marriage, Matchmaking Isn’t Old-fashioned at all”

Nowadays, every time someone asks the people in the “Singles Clan” about their love life or love-related issues, they always smile and reply, “Just letting it be, it’ll happen naturally!” This answer has become the automatic response for a single person.

Still, the lifestyle of staying home and watching TV everyday, year after year, until one day when wrinkles start appearing on the face, things don’t seem too natural anymore.

I-Mei is the real-life example. As a single woman in her fifties, she ignored love and relationships while she was young, spending her time working and building a career. At that time, she felt it was unnecessary to have a life companion.

Year after year, people around her got married. Friends she could shop and hangout with became less and less until it was just her alone, falling asleep in front of the television, waking up to go work the next morning, and come homing at night to the same routine. This type of dull lifestyle was starting to make her go insane.

Until one day, under the encouragement of friends, she joined the dating club (matchmaking organization). Never mind her first time in a dating club, she met her current husband in the first club event.

“She was ready to spend the rest of her life alone. Even when she joined the club, she didn’t have very high hopes. After all she was already in her fifties.” The Kuala Lumpur Singles Organization founder, Lei Li-Mei, said.

“She was so happy she thought she was dreaming, always calling to thank me over the phone.” Lei- Li-Mei said, smiling.

This true story has probably occurred to many single people nowadays. Of course some people still pretend to be strong, comforting themselves, “What’s wrong with living a single life? Free and without responsibilities.” Many times, they are simply deceiving themselves because people need love, that’s nature.

“According to our country’s census report, there are more and more people still single over the age suitable for marriage. I believe although these people are not married yet, deep down they want to find their life-companion.” Secretary of the National ECM Women’s Association states.

As time advances, the pace of lifestyles accelerates, expect for the marriage age, which is delayed longer instead.



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more coming soon

Research - Marriage and Culture

Modern view on Marriage and Traditions:

Marriage Trend in Singapore (1994)
- "Singapore's singlehood rate is rapidly rising and is one of the highest in the world. The increase in the celibacy rate is also associated with the general trend towards a delay in marriage. This paper provides a statistical overview of the singlehood trends and marriage timing in Singapore. It also presents some findings on marriage delay from the Survey on Courtship and Marriage."
- "Among the better educated, the singlehood rates were remarkably high. For female graduates, 25 per cent of those aged 35-39 were unmarried in 1993. For graduate men, the rate was lower at 13 per cent. For the lower educated, the trend was reversed : 21 per cent of men with below secondary education in the same age group remained single in 1993, compared to 9 per cent for women."
- "In 1992, the most important reason for the relatively long duration of courtship and the delay in marriage was the need to own a house or flat before marriage. The second major consideration in the marriage decision was having enough savings for wedding expenses, followed by the desire to know one's partner well. These priorities had changed since 1988, when couples were more concerned with knowing their partners well, while housing and financial considerations ranked second and third. The present trend reflects a change in the expectations and attitudes towards tying the nuptial knot."

Russia: Make Love, Have Baby, Get Money
- "Russia is encouraging couples to frolic today for Conception Day. It hopes to boost the country's population."
- "Wednesday is officially conception day."
- "The first competition was held in 2005, when 311 women participated, according to the AP. The same prizes were offered to couples on Sept. 12, 2006, and 78 babies were born on Russia Day 2007. The number was more than three times the daily average."

Russian Governor Sponsors Conception Day
- "Russians Urged to Have Babies, Win Prizes in Annual Contest to Fight Demographic Decline"
- "Under the federal program, women who give birth to a second or subsequent child are to receive certificates worth $10,000, which can be used to pay for education or to improve the family's living conditions."
- "More than 500 women signed up for the second contest on Sept. 12, 2006. Exactly nine months later, 78 babies, triple the region's daily average, were born."