Last week's column looked at the many thirtysomething 'Grade A' women in big cities who are still single. They share certain traits, including a love for buying property and spending time with their girlfriends talking about men. Another is a tendency to seek the advice of fortune-tellers as they become desperate in their search for a mate. Lulu, for example, has tried many methods in her bid to find out when her Mr Right will appear. She has used tarot cards, a crystal ball, the I Ching and the fortune sticks in temples. Some of these oracles say she won't get married until she is 33 - and if she does before then, it'll end in divorce. Some say she needs to change her name. Others advise her to change the positioning of her bed and use red pillows to improve her luck. Lulu has followed the tips - but is still single. Now, she's been told to get rid of a mole below her eye because it's bad luck. No wonder she's frustrated. 'It's just not fair,' Lulu tells Niuniu as they browse in a trendy boutique. 'I don't think my married friends have paid attention to any of these things. You should've seen the shape of their apartments before they got married. A total mess - not to mention a fire hazard. And do you remember my cousin Weiwei? She has four moles under her eyes. That can't be good luck. But she met the nicest man.' 'Maybe you are focusing too much on things you can't change,' says Niuniu, holding up a dress against herself and looking in the mirror. 'I mean, do you really want to change your name? I don't think that is going to get you any dates.' 'So, what do you suggest?' 'You're asking me? As if I have the key to finding the right man?' 'Well, it is going to cost me two weeks' salary to have my mole removed,' Lulu says. 'I kind of like your mole,' says Niuniu. 'I think it gives you character. Like Marilyn Monroe. Or Madonna.' 'I like it, too. But it is in the wrong place.' says Lulu. 'All my favourite idols have sexy moles on their cheek right beside their lips. Madonna, Cindy Crawford. And they are successful, happy women. I want to be like them. I think Heavenly Grandpa made a mistake on my face when I was created. He slipped with his brush and I am cursed with bad luck for the rest of my life.' 'Lulu, did I ever tell you about my Uncle Jun?' asks Niuniu. 'Uncle Jun lived in a small town beside a hill. He built his own house, a house that he truly loved, and every year his house would get flooded during the rainy season. The river in town was not overflowing, so he couldn't understand why his house was flooded every year. Finally, after many years, he got frustrated and consulted a fortune-teller.' 'What did he learn?' asks Lulu. 'He was told his house should not be on the side of the hill that it was on,' said Niuniu. 'That many years ago, there was a family that lived on that land. The family drowned in the river during a terrible boating accident. And each year, their spirits would spit up the water they had swallowed through the ground and that caused the flooding.' 'So what did he do?' asks Lulu. 'He had to move his house to a different location,' says Niuniu. Two weeks later, Lulu invites Niuniu to visit her at home. Niuniu is surprised to see Lulu is wearing a mask when she opens the door. 'What's going on?' she asks. 'Are we going to a party?' 'No. I wanted you to be the first to see my new fortune.' Lulu takes off the mask. 'Lulu, your mole is gone. You had it ... wait a minute. What is that?' 'Do you like it? I got a mole transplant.' says Lulu. 'I just had the doctor take my mole from below my eye and move it down to my cheek like Madonna. It was the first time he had performed such a procedure, so he gave me a special discount. See? My luck is already changing.'
