How many childless couples do you know?
Wow, I know tons. Here in Santa Cruz it is quite common. I think a lot of people don't get together until it might be too late for kids. And a lot have lifestyles that aren't that conducive, or they just don't want to cramp their style. Or they just don't like them. And then I know a lot of gay couples, so having kids is a bit more difficult. I wonder why it is different where you are? Just speculating here, but this is a very expensive place to live, and finding a place you can afford rent for that would work for a family can be tricky as jobs don't pay all that well. Also a lot of people live here because it is a beach town and they don't want to be tied down, perhaps, either to kids or a real job that might curtail their surfing or coffeehouse hanging out. ETA: Um, it could also be that I'm just old, lol! Now that I think of it, some of the couples I'm thinking of might actually have kids -- just grown up ones! Still, there are a lot of couples I know that don't want kids. Of course now that we are parents we don't hang out as much. If I get a chance, I'll try to see if I can look up the general demographics of this. ETA: Okay, here are some demographics: "The decline in married-couple families with children has been especially evident, falling from 40 percent of all households in 1970 to 24 percent in 2000. At the same time, the share of married couples without children remained relatively stable, accounting for 30 percent of all households in 1970 and 29 percent in 2000." So it seems that there are, at least, more couples without kids than there used to be -- 29% of households. That number would include empty-nesters, though, I believe. That quote was from the Census bureau: http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop... Also see this document: http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop... I didn't find an age breakdown, but I didn't look too hard. If you want to look more, I was last seen using this search in Google: "couples without children" age site:census.gov Email me if you really want me to try to sink my teeth into this.
Why do people leave their luxurious life in the US and go back to India?
I have lived in US for last 12 years. In late 2012, Nirbhaya case happened that made me quit my job to focus on addressing social issues by positively influencing mindset of people. Now I spend 6 months in India and 6 months in US.First of all, it is a myth (as others said) that life in US is luxurious. I did my B. Tech. from IIT Bombay, did PhD in US and then got a good profile research job in a good company. How did my day look like in US when I was doing a job? Wake up at 6am, make your own breakfast, clean dishes if needed and be at work by 8:30am. Get done with work by 6–7pm. Come back home and either eat last night’s refrigerated food and cook again. Work again for an hour before going to bed at 11.00 pm. Nothing luxurious about it.It is just that the amount of money you make is enough to live a hassle free life. But now as more and more infrastructure and digital developments are happening in India, the cost that people were paying for a little less hassle in US has started to become less attractive. When I say cost, it has been mostly emotional and social. Lets say out of 50 friends of mine from India college days who moved to US for studies, 10 of them have come back to India and are happy with their decision. Some of them are contributing to improve standard of education in India and others (like myself) are trying to contribute in solving social problems with initiative like Onourem.What matters is if one feels satisfied at the end of the day. More and more young professionals are finding satisfaction in India where they get to provide physical and emotional support to their aging parents. Now a lot of middle class families don’t rely on monetary support from their NRI kids, so the cost isn’t quite worth it.If you are able to live a middle class life in India, it is a great life! No matter where you live, all you need are 3–4 close friends with whom you can hangout over the weekends doing activities you enjoy doing together. Nothing else matters!
What cat/kitten is best for a college student?
Don't get a cat while you're in college. Most dorms/student apartments don't even allow pets. Of those that do, they require a pet deposit in the first place, and then they usually charge a monthly fee for having a pet. Yes, cats get charged for rent! Or rather, their human has to pay more rent in order to have a cat. You don't know where you'll live after college. I can tell you from experience, it's HARD to find an apartment or house that allows pets. You shouldn't get a cat until you are settled into your adult life, and have a secure job and a place that allows pets. Again, any place that you rent will usually require a hefty pet deposit and might also require a monthly fee for pets. Scottish folds might look cute, but their ears are actually deformed, and tend to have skin problems. I advise against getting any cat that's genetically deformed, such as the folded ear type, or the squished in face type (like Persians). Persians, for instance, are widely known to have sinus troubles. For that matter, dogs with squished faces also have sinus troubles. Get a cat that looks like a regular cat. I have a Siamese (she has the Siamese attitude, but no physical problems) and a couple of orange tabbies. I got all three from the Humane Society, and all three are very loving pets. Even if the Siamese DOES think that she's the boss of the household.