The price of love

The skyrocketing property prices are probably the No 1 reason people remain bachelors. Some parents use their life savings for their children's down payment, but then the parents would have to be middle-class with wads of cash stashed away.

Why not rent?

Normally, young people should not rush into property ownership because they may change jobs or move from place to place in search of their ideal career. But, with real estate white-hot, one gets a feeling of being left behind if you're not tethered to something that's fast moving beyond your reach.

Besides, rental prices are tagged to those of sales. I've seen a rural young couple squeezed out of their rental unit and decide to go back home. They may not have the excitement of bright lights, but at least they can have a place of their own.

But most youngsters would not choose this path. Or they have tried it and relented. A few years ago, there was a mass migration away from the first-tier cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. But most of those who left soon returned. These megalopolises are where the jobs and resources are.

Another reason is more psychological.

In the old days, people could be coerced into marriages. You would marry to please your parents.

Youngsters nowadays would not compromise on that, and that's good.

But the search for the ideal spouse could be endless because whatever chemistry between the pair might be gone once they get into daily routines, with the pitfalls of personality mismatches surfacing.

On the upside, the window for a potential spouse is much bigger now that the Internet has broadened the horizon from a cluster of villages to essentially the whole world.

Still, geographical and other restraints apply. And anyone who's participated in speed dating will tell you that infinite choices mean you might not be chosen.

The sad thing is, your parents do not see it that way.

They can only understand the part about the housing price and blame you for being too picky about dates.

The Chinese New Year is the season when you're supposed to bring home that boyfriend or girlfriend you've been dating for a while.

As customs go, one would not bring a first-time date to meet the parents. It should be someone who is graduating from date to mate, just a small step before the status of a fiance.

Actually, parental approval is usually the missing link that will elevate the relationship to that level.