Dear Andrew WA: The questions you raised are quite interesting. So far as my opinion- well, why not with a different race, different caste and with different approach of marrying besides arrange marriage. I am not saying here that marrying same race and within a same caste circle via arranged marriage is an old fashioned one, but since we are now living in such a time, where we are free to make our own choice based on our own thinking. Marrying within a circle of our own caste and culture does not guarantee one with a success of happy and successful marriage; and marrying a different race also does not mean that we will come across so many compromises and conflict in our marriage life. I read once, one distinguished Nepali writer wrote- " Bihey bhane ko ta andhakaar maa haamfalnu jasto ho..." I think, when we look for our other half, we should not bother looking for the perfect person or perfect criteria to make it perfect match made in heaven- I think, when we look for other half, we should look for whether we are perfect for each other. Well, Andrew, you did raise a nice topic- and I have been perplexed myself for this kinda question for a while and wondering still with strong hold of my own hypothesis and theory. I am not sure.... Hopefully someday we will ultimately came across the answer, if not the whole, then atleast the proximity of those dilemma. Sahayatri Junkoholic