#32 Thumbdrives

I have terrible luck with thumbdrives. So far, I've broken some, lost some, dumped some in the washing machine, dropped some when riding my bike, and some just stopped working without apparent reason. I need a reasonable capacity (4GB for documents alone), so this is quite expensive luck to have.

My last thumbdrive, an Imation, just stopped working after I dropped it one too many times. Contemplating another $40 spent on another, my dad stepped in and saved the day with his nifty Porsche thumbdrive that was a gift from a friend. Had a fun time fooling colleagues that I'd bought a new car.

I like what Hayati said: "Aaron, if you'd bought a car, you wouldn't be showing off. That's not you." Awww, bless!

#31 Confinement grannies

Honestly, I don't know where we'd be this last month if not for Jasmine's and my mum staying over with us and taking care of Sarah and the housework. As of today, we're on our own. Now, the load falls squarely on our shoulders. We should be alright, but we know that quality help is always a call away. We left some money that we instructed to be used for household expenses, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were still untouched. Sigh. 世上只有妈妈好。

#30 Foreign workers

If you want to know the real reason why Singapore is lauded for being clean and green, it has a lot to do with a group of people a lot of Singaporeans complain about - foreign workers. For all their quirks and idiosyncrasies, many of them do work Singaporeans wouldn't think of doing, working hours that begin before sunrise and end long after sundown, while earning wages that are only a fortune when compared with what they have back home. 

Yes, they are here to earn money and must make an effort to assimilate, but as these photos demonstrate, Singaporeans should not expect them to pick up after us. Whatever happened to no one owes Singapore a living?

So thank you, guys, for making Singapore clean and green. Thanks for contributing to our economy, and we hope you like our home and respect it. We hope we've shown you the same respect in return.

So when burning your joss paper and enjoying a few drinks at a Malay wedding, please spare a thought for the guy that has to clean up after you on Chinese New Year. After all, if others have to clean up after us, how are we better than incontinent infants?

#29 Good eyesight

I have an illogical fear of contact lenses. When Jasmine puts hers on in the morning, I just can't look. How someone can put their finger on their eye is just something that I'll never understand.

It's just as well then that I have 6/6 eyesight, though I do have red/green colour deficiency (no, it's not called colour blindness; that would be only seeing in black and white). I pride myself in being able to see what bus is coming before anyone else, being able to see posters' fine print from far away, and not spending a small fortune on spectacles and the aforementioned and suitably-named contact lenses.

Yes, despite my inordinate number of green T-shirts I bought because I thought they were brown, I am proud of the two brown eyes God has given to me. Now that's something I want Sarah to inherit from me that's hereditary.

#28 Comics

I love comics, especially Calvin & Hobbes, Foxtrot, Dilbert and Baby Blues. They represent phases in my life.

Calvin & Hobbes represents my inner child. I totally empathise with his struggles with his manic impulses, and then being unable to explain his actions. I also probably had an imaginary friend or two, given my inability to make real ones.

Foxtrot expressed my teenage years. Adams is normally quite lighthearted and doesn't deal with the more serious issues Watterson does, but it still does make a good read. One criticism would be that his puns and jokes can be seen from a mile away, but I guess it was good for my limited sense of humour when I was younger.

Dilbert became funny to me when I started working. I totally empathised with Wally, whose motto is 'Minimal Effort, Maximum Reward'. The irony is that I'm now teaching my pupils that attitude, character and effort are the only things that matter. I'm thankful not to have had inept bosses like the pointy-haired one, but had my fair share of them in NS. And haven't we all had an Asok in the office that we liked to pick on?

Baby Blues now demonstrates my new-found love of my life - Sarah. This is so gonna help me empathise with Darryl and Wanda, though I'm probably not gonna have three kids like them. Now that I have my Zoe, I look forward to a Hammie that will make tractor sounds, and watch them grow up while hoping not to scar them for life.

And finally, to come full circle, Calvin & Hobbes will help me gain an insight into the machinations of Sarah's marvellous mind, and her potential propensity to invent infinite ways of getting into trouble. OK, I'm gonna go childproof my home now.

#27 Paul Scholes

All along, I've always modelled my play on Paul Scholes. An eye for a pass that no one else sees, a fearsomely accurate shot, and a dreadfully slow tackler. I think that's why I like him so much. I've never been a dribbler like Giggs, or as fast as Kanchelskis. I have been largely accurate though, and I can't tackle for nuts.

I was as surprised as anyone to see him back against City, 'cos I did think he looked vulnerable last season with his lack of mobility. However, I think it's an astute move by Ferguson for a stop-gap measure to shore up the midfield numbers and inject creativity. Like Giggs, Scholes has also reinvented his play. He is no longer the fox in the box, but with an energetic destroyer beside him (not Carrick), he can still dictate play like the best of them.

Here's to a glorious swansong.

#26 Ikea

If you're like me, then you want a fuss-free design solution that's affordable, yet has enough chic to set you aside from the cheap. You don't mind other people having the same furniture as you, 'cos it just compliments/complements your good taste. You prefer to get all your furniture in one location, just so it's easier, where they've been placed in display mockups, so you can better envision what you want your living space to look like. You like products that make you go, "Why didn't I think of that?" Finally, you don't mind paying a reasonable amount (say, 6% of the cost) for someone to assemble your furniture for you.

If all this is true, then Ikea's your answer. Best of all, you can polish off your pleasant shopping experience with a hotdog bun and ice cream. Meatballs and Daim cake could follow.