Aren't you married yet?

If I had a rand...I mean a euro, everytime somebody in South-Africa asked me if I am going to get married soon, I would have been soooo rich.
I am 27 years old and have been together with my (South-African) boyfriend for 17 months. In the Netherlands that means that you won't be getting married for years, here it is exactly the opposite. My initial response is always that I am still very young, but the faces of the people who pop the question tell me otherwise. The next logical step in conversations like this is the kids-issue. When and how many? Right, how do I tell people who think I already should have been married, that I consider myself still a kid and that up until the age of 34 I'm not even considering it?Anyway, marriage is big here and I must admit South-Africa is the cut-out-place to do it. People are getting married on Game farms, Wine estates and in the Drakensberg. That is so much better than the dark, smokey room behind the local pub where the Dutch tend do it. The only good thing about that being the continuous stream of booze. When your glass is half empty you will already be getting a re-fill. And believe me, at some Dutch weddings you are very, very, very grateful for that. The picture of the blossoming bride in this post was taken at the Twelve Apostels Hotel in Cape Town. She was celebrating the most beautiful day of her life inside a building. I must admit - I don't get that all. The beach or the winelands are just a stones' throw away, why not there? But maybe I should hold my tongue until I decide to tie the knot myself.