Why Would you Kiss Someone if you don't LOVE them??

In my Spanish class last night, we got six pictures that we had to put in order. Then we had some phrases about time and some action phrases.

The pictures were a couple's story - meeting, going for coffee, a movie, spending time on a beach, and actually the last one was the guy dying (?) in a hospital bed and the woman by his side. The last one was weird, but the rest made sense.

The phrases were - getting married, falling in love, meeting, spending the weekend together, moving in together, calling on the telephone, etc.

The times were - last month, two days ago, yesterday, last weekend, last night, etc. This, by the way, made for a VERY fast story of love, since 50% of the activities happened in the last week!

I was working with a nice 23 year old Singaporean Chinese guy. He's sort of the class clown - not ever prepared, but totally knows what he's talking about. Reminds me a bit of Chris in high school. Super nice guy. So we start putting the pictures in order, and I put the cuddling on the beach before getting married (let's be honest, who does that after you get married?). He said, "I think that they shouldn't touch like that until they're married." I said okay.

Once we started writing, I wanted to say that the woman called the guy, and he said that would never happen in Singapore. Never.

Then, we made up a first date for them where they went to a cafe and talked until dawn (las tantas). Then I wanted to write that they had their first kiss. He said, "But they haven't fallen in love yet! Why would you kiss someone if you don't love them." At this point I wondered if he was really a 23 year old boy. I said - you should check out American universities. This stuff happens all the time!!

It was the end of our working together nicely when I wanted the couple to live together before they got married. I spilled the beans and told him I lived with my husband before we got married - and it was even my mom's idea (how could your parents be okay with that!?).

I knew Singaporeans were conservative on this front, but I had no idea that it was soooo different than the States. He was totally floored by my ideas.