Indian marriage and salty lime sodas

Well, here i am again. I have a favourite internet cafe. They all know me here now. I bought my ticket to Nepal here and my train tickets, so now i'm a perennial favourite and seem to be getting all sorts of good rates and special services. A friendly bunch.
I just finished having a fabulous dinner at this place i like to go sometimes that is a roof top terrace type restaurant, built up on stilts on the highest point way above the river. It looks down at everything, the whole valley, the city and the plains. The view is so expansive that when i go there, i always feel expansive, like i am really looking at the big picture, taking it all in. Rob suggested I take time to smell the flowers and really soak it up, so that's what i did. The sunset from there is spectacular and then the first stars start to come out and the sky is huge. The food and service were excellent. yum. had something called paneer bajia and roti upon the recommendation of my waiter. it is indian cheese with tomatos, onions and fresh cilantro. yum, yum, yum, and a salty lime soda. i could never figure out.. every time i ordered a fresh lime soda they would ask me "sweet or salty"? i never answered, i just shrugged and said i don't know, because i never understood what they were asking me. the drink is just fresh squeezed lime juice in the bottom of a glass to which you add a bottle of club soda served on the side. But one time, they brought it to me "salty", and then i understood what they meant. salt had been added, and it was delicious!. they have something called black salt here, which is sort of like sea salt but with a funny taste. It is natural and good for digestion, especially to have on fruits like apples or papayas. Anyways, now i always order it "salty" as that is what i like.
I had been talking to a young waiter there last time and he was there again tonight. It seems that... since the last time we talked, his parents have a "girl" for him. So he is going home to his village on the 9th of November to meet her for the first time. 90% of marriages in the hills like where we are now, are still arranged marriages, and the parents choose a prospective mate based on similar families, similar social and economic status, similar interests and lifestyles and things like that. I am starting to think it is a very successful system, as i look at "love matches" in the western countries... 50% of which end in divorce. The waiter told me that 10% of marriages are love matches in this area that we are in now and he says they almost never work out. I think it makes perfect logical sense to choose a partner based on similiar backgrounds and upbringings and economic status etc. That way, as the waiter explained, she is not spending all your money. If she comes from a very rich family, she will not be satisfied with their level of living and may not be able to run the household living within their means... therefore... spending all their money. This fascinates me to no end. Arranged marriages. Not to mention your parents are older and wiser and know things. Makes more sense than letting your raging 20 year old hormones decide who you are going to marry now doesn't it? ... ahahaha.
He also said something interesting... he said that he doesn't want to be rich, he is happy and content at where he is at.... and i think this seems to be the sentiment with most indian people, especially those that live in the villages and small towns here.. they are happy and content with where they are and what they have, not thinking that they need to have more, more, more to be happy. What a concept.