Being SDU - The Cs and the Bs

"So have you found a gf yet?" one of my female friends SMS-ed me this out of curiousity after not meeting for quite awhile.

Having encountered this question so many times before, I've learnt to give the same common answer everytime.

"No time, no money."

I lied about the time part. Its all about time management. Something I can control. The truth about being unattached is the money part, or the lack of it.

And there were times when some would even dare question my answer.

"Aiyah, who said find girlfriend need money one? Can go dutch what!"

Sure, going dutch is fine with me. But will SHE be really fine with it?

I have learnt to understand that women tend to say one thing and mean another when it comes to affairs of the heart. In a materialistic society like Singapore, our status (and sad to say our eligibility too) is judged by how many digits we have in our bank account.

Which women doesn't like the father of their future kid to be financially well off so that they can retire young, be a tai tai and not slog so much as they get older?

In the past, there was the big hoo haa over the 5Cs.

Cash, Career, Credit Card, Condo & Car.

Many people have debated over this 5Cs for a long time. Some have even added in one more C called the Country Club Membership.

There are also those who claim that women are not into material wealth. They are more into another C instead.

Character.

Wah lau, if there is a 6 or 7Cs now, wouldn't the requirements be higher? Now, apart from being successful, you also now need to possess character in order for the girls to even consider you!

It is a difficult country for us (not so well off) Singaporean guys to live in I tell you.

I recalled reading this on Friendster bulletin sometime back. Someone posted that the 5Cs are so passe, so yesteryears. Now the guys have to possess the 5Bs instead.

The 5Bs consisted of Billionare, BMW, Bungalow, Boss, and Brains.

If you learnt Economics, you will know that in the long run, the real wage in the labour market is still the same but price increases at output Yf at full employment.

If expectations like that keep getting higher and the real wage does not change, how are we going to hook up the girls like that I ask you. How?!

Oh yea, I forgot about the 6th B.

Butterflies. You may possess the 5Bs, but if you can't give her butterflies...

Next!

In a survey that was published in the Straits Times some time back, it was discovered that women like to marry up while men like to marry down. The big losers? Those stuck in the middle.

The not so well off type.

I too have dreams of getting attached, married and have kids one day. But the society has evolved in such a way that women just don't take notice of an average joe nowadays. As Janice Wong's wrote in her SPG book, only a minority of couples get to marry their love ones. Many just settle for the second best that comes along when they are ready to settle down. Either that or it is because their biological clock is ticking away.

I can practically hear those single ladies saying...

"My eggs aren't getting any fresher already! Better get married. Fast! Whos the second best of the list? Who?!" while flipping frantically through her little black book.

So unless I am my own boss, drives a beemer, own a Bangalow etc etc, I may not even bother to consider getting myself a local girlfriend. Why?

Because I'm still a knight in rusty armour. I need time and luck to polish up to become shiny and attractive.

How long will I need? 10? 20 years? By then will I still be capable of giving her butterflies?

So single ladies out there, stop complaining about the lack of young eligible bachelors in the market.

You are the cause.