Originality sacrificed as marriages surge

Ready yourself to run to a telephone and call home: The record for daily marriage registrations in the city has been smashed. 1,720 couples gave in to predictability and chose Valentine's Day to sign their lives away. How long will their marriages last? Not long, according to other statistics -- 100 husbands and wives in Shanghai divorced each day in 2005.

Citing extra-marital affairs and the refusal to settle for a lacklustre lover, 70% of those initiating the divorce were women. At least the divorce club will gain more members.

Xu Anqi, some researcher or other, reckons that many of those lovable tykes belonging to the one-child generation are spoiled by their parents and grandparents, and are less prepared for married life.

Surely not!

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