"Christmas Cake"

A controversy broke out recently in China over the great number of single women over 27 years old. There is nothing really scandalous about it except for the fact that these women who prefer to stay single rather than getting married are identified as "left-over women" or "what- is- left- on- the- shelf women". Apparently, in Japan, they call women (yes, all women in general) "Christmas Cake". This means they are to be consumed on or before the 25th. (!!!) In Korea, it is a public concern if a woman over 24 is still single. It is everyone's business to find her a husband asap, to save her from (supposed) sufferance and misery. I just learned that in France, up to 20 years ago, a woman aged over 25 were "gently" reminded by their colleagues, friends, and families that she would soon be sporting a "St. Catherine's Hairpiece". Saint Catherine is the saint for virtue and single women. On 25th November every year, there are traditional festivals for single women to dress up in rather silly, brazen hats to celebrate their independence and have a girls' night out (see below).  And some very clever men are out there waiting for the opportunity to meet them on this day.....

Viola, the "Catherine's followers" in Paris....

Here in Singapore, every effort is made to encourage women to meet men and vice versa in the hope of making babies. A special task force called "Social Development Board (SDB)" is established to tackle this issue. They organised great/affordable outings for singles, using latest technologies and software to ensure that the Ying and Yang are compatible in terms of education/hobby/religion/family background/income level. (I have never been inside an SDB office so I am just making it up about their latest technology or software; but since every public infrastructure in Singapore is equipped with state-of-art tech, why not the one most essential to the building of  its nation?). 

"It's incredible how they monitor us, I was first in Japan for my high school, then I did undergrad  in US" a Singaporean friend confided in me, "upon my return from 7 years of absence, I received an SMS invitation from SBD to a Sentosa BBQ thingy for singles". 

She looked terrified. By the way, she is still single, at a good age of 32.  Maybe it was because she snubbed the BBQ? 

"Ha, it's not the SDB," another local friend gave a very knowing smirk, "it's her mom who gave out her details".   

True. 

I imagine that the SDB office is filled up with concerned parents filling in forms for their children while the latter are simply enjoying their life being single.