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不知什么时候，网络上兴起了“剩女”这个词，就好像一大波大龄单身女青年一夜之间就成了上不得台面的剩菜。形单影只的女生，在成双成对的恩爱情侣面前，难免要背负一个“剩”字。难道真是需要一个男朋友才能拯救自己，洗脱“没人要”的标签吗? I recently moved back to Melbourne after 18 months spent living in London. When people asked me if I was nervous about returning home after such a long time away, I had to admit that I was. But not because I was concerned that my home town would seem quaint after living in one of the most bustling of metropolises1, or because I feared being mocked for having adopted some strange turns of phrase (I now say ‘half five’, instead of ‘half-past five’). My apprehension2was entirely due to the fact that all my friends are getting married. In London, nearly all of my friends were single—though brief trysts and hook up stories were rife—and saved their energy for blossoming careers and exploring Europe.3 Back in Melbourne, engagement ring selfies4 on Facebook and ‘Save the Date’ cards were suddenly flying thick and fast. And while I was thrilled for my friends, I felt a twinge of self-pity, knowing that my single status would be more marked than ever before in our Noah’s Ark-like society where people must be paired off two-by-two.5 How was it that almost everyone I knew had managed to find their life partner by their mid- to late-20s? | 
