Secondly, an interesting question that I grappledwith, is whether love has been commodified in Singapore? In China,there is an unspoken cultural norm that the guy must have a house anda car before he is qualified to wed a lady. China is a traditionalConfucian society, and men are expected to provide for women. Havinga house and car is indicative of their ability to do so. Such acultural norm makes marriage seem like a market, where one choosesthe best partner based on practical indicators such as their networth or physical beauty. In Singapore, we have our own version ofthat as well. As there are restrictions to buying a house inSingapore, there are individuals who marry their partners with theintention of owning a BTO. In this day and age, it has become commonfor guys to propose by asking “Hey, do you want to BTO with me?Owning a house in certainly a rite of passage, and an indicator thatone is on the road to leading a life of “success” in Singapore.If one does not marry because of that certain spark an individualmakes you feel, but because of what a marriage certificate can offeryou, love does seem like something you can pull off the shelves ofthe supermarket.
But perhaps, such a concept of romance is a thingof the past. Like a famous Cantonese song that goes “it’s foolishto say forever in today’s world”, love is not as solid as we makeit out to be. Maybe, what one requires, is not so much that feelingof passion and impulse, which will fade with time, but rather a senseof continuity, compatibility. Perhaps what you want isn’t reallywhat you need.
