You know, whilst I was growing up i.e. in my teenage years, I simply could NOT wait to get older... i.e. my parents were very strict and I couldn't do a lot of things (but there were ways to get around this 
). People always say that time goes by in a snap... until now, I never really understood that but now, with my 30s looming on the horizon I can fully appreciate it.
So what does it mean to be a single female in her 30s in Malaysia? Well, suffice to say, there are social pressures. The main one being my lack of a husband and the obligatory children. My mum had 3 kids by the time she was 29! However, times have changed and Malaysia is slowly coming to realise it. It isn't shameful to be a single female at the age of 30 these days in Western societies... in fact, it is a reason for celebration! Yes... celebration. Just look at the number of divorced people in the world... a large percentage of these divorced people got married at a young age... they didn't know any better. However, people who get married at a later age, do know better... they have been there, done that and they KNOW what they want and know what they DON'T want.
Yes, I am feeling the pressure from my relatives (family get togethers are the worst). One told me that I shouldn't be too fussy at my age and that my biological clock is ticking. Gawd!! So, you realise that you are getting old when you start buying anti-aging products, wrinkles start appearing, you can't stay out as late as you used to, you'd rather stay home watching a movie than go out to a night club, white / greyish hair mysteriously sprout out overnight, it gets harder to lose weight, you realise the value of collagen, you stop buying Cleo, you can't bear half of the new music that comes out etc.
Nasty picture that is isn't it? One could get suicidal at the prospect of turning 30. However, not me. I have done a lot of things that a typical Asian female (or male for that matter) cannot fathom. I have experienced a lot of things, both good and bad and I know that it has made me a better person. You know what the best part about turning 30 is?? Well, for females, we will be reaching our sexual peak !! For males, their sexual peak starts declining in their early 20s... but not so for the females!! All I can say is YAHOO!!!!
This story doesn't really have a point so I will end with an excerpt from an email a friend recently sent me:
"Let's see. The majority of students in universities today were born in 1983.... They are called "youth". For them, They have never heard of "We are the World, we are the Children..."
And the "Uptown Girl" they know is by Westlife not Billy Joel. For them, there have always been only one Germany and only one Vietnam. AIDS exists since they were born. CD exists since they were born. Michael Jackson is already whitened. John Travolta is always round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.They believe that Charlie's Angels and Mission Impossible are just new films out last year.
They can never imagine a black and white screen for a computer.
They never know Pac-Man. They can't believe a black and white television ever existed and they don't even know how to switch on a TV without a remote control. And they never understand how could we go out without a mobile phone when we were in university...
Let's check if we're getting old...
1. You understand what was written above and you smile.
2. You need to sleep more, until afternoon, after a night out.
3. Your friends are getting married.
4. You are always surprised to see small children playing comfortably with computer.
5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head.
6. You developed more and more feelings about your work. It's now your life.
7. You spend less and less time talking on phone with your friends daily.
8. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about the good old days, repeating again and again all funny stories your experienced together."
