Re: An interesting cultural difference
Correct me if Im wrong...this is for all the married couples...is there any way you can know everything about your spouse before you marry them? Even in love marriages, are there not surprises because you havent lived together yet? You will never be able to get to know the person entirely until you live with them CM...bottom line. If you dont want to learn more about your spouse after marriage, then it might be hard to find a Muslim girl who wants to live with you before marriage. You're better off considering non-Muslims as prospects.
And I forgot to add...marriage is a huge risk regardless of how you end up together: arranged or not. There are no guarantees...just ways to minimize that risk by a certain degree. Thats it.
I feel that you should be able to meet her during this process but not in a dating type situation. Meaning, you SHOULD meet/talk to the family a little bit and make sure these are the kind of people you might want to marry into (forget them, this is also for your sanity) and then with their permission, talk to their daughter.
Good luck