Kathleen,
I do not think anyone can be too much here :) .
My mother would read your words. I won`t be embarrassed with anything what can make her happy.
I must tell you something about Serbian young (and almost all other) ladies.
They don`t like if their future husband has a good relationship with his mother. Branka is dying of the laughter when teach me how to skip to praise her magical culinary skills and talents. Next thing what my smart and wise mother has taught me (and I am really grateful for that) is not to mention her too much :) ... Ah Kathleen, things are not too attractive here, but ... we must find best model to stay happy. That requires to cease the laziness to the lowest possible level. If I was not born with the talents to easily dress FACE No 1 - for one, and Face No 2- for another opportunity ... and if at my inner closed are not locked one pretty gallery of faces ... I MUST BE VERY INTELLIGENT AND SMART AND DILIGENT, TO STAY ALIVE AND ... TO TRY TO BE HAPPY.
One man usually becomes, entire life manipulated, victim of the secret conspiracy of his mother and wife. The two of them are front players, but one WHO REALLY ORCHESTRATE AND WHO IS FIRST VIOLINE, is HIS mother in law :). She is killing him silently, slowly ...hidden at the shadow of the first two. He is rather drunk than sober, as a very young ( a short over 35, loses sexual instincts, and that self-castration ... is so often today).
The opposite of this lucky guy is gay :( :) ... Because of the tradition and primitivism (or a total healthy society - I am not certain what should be right classification) they have no problems mentioned above ... but the journey over earth in their shoes is so very expensive. What means, that everyone is encouraged to show HE IS NOT GAY - BEATING THE GAY POPULATION WHENEVER THEY WISH. AH! Yes, at the parks, restaurants, streets.
And the caps?
HAHA! They must ALSO SHOW THEY ARE NOT GAYS :) . That`s how looks being straight and being gay at Balkan (Slovenia is an exception) .
There is also MAN BETWEEN - he usually stays as a single, never is able to count all his children grown all around, and he is everlasting LOVER. Thanks to him, FIRST GROUP SUSTAINS THEIR FALSE MARRIAGES (and their mothers and mothers in law live life as never before :( :) ), and second group is not fast enlarging.
WHERE I CAN SEE MYSELF?
Would go to Orphanage ... and if won`t fall in love with anyone found there, would be THE MAN BETWEEN .
Luka