I was prepared to be outraged at the custom of bride-kidnapping in Kyrgystan, (and it is really horrible -- the indifference of the men to the whole thing reveals that they view women like clock radios or crock pots -- interchangeable pieces of merchandise) but it turns out that the custom of kidnapping random women off the streets to be your wife is accompanied by yet another custom that makes the whole thing seem utterly surreal: you can only marry your kidnapped bride if you can get her to wear a traditional kerchief on her head. Since women who don't particularly care to be married to weirdos who kidnap them often struggle and refuse to accept the kerchief, the guys get tired and just go find some other woman to try this schtick on.

If you ever find yourself wondering why Kyrgyzstan isn't a major economic power, just consider the fact that a large part of their population is wandering the streets in search of people to kidnap, attempting to put scarves on the heads of unwilling persons, or otherwise angrily removing said scarves from their own heads.