the last moments of twenty-three

with one more month to my next birthday, i can't be more reluctant to part with what i believed would be the prime year of my life.

23 was the year i received the best intangible birthday surprise. it was the year i plucked up the courage to fulfill my dream of backpacking alone. it was the year i took my first step in the social work profession. it was the year i picked up a new hobby. it was the year i decided to be honest to myself over others.

to make sure my 24th year begins on a happy note, i decided to be shameless and do myself a favour by making a wishlist. this wishlist may ease the anxiety of those who desire to offer a piece of their friendship in the form of a tangible gift. but it is more likely to set them on a panic because of potentially high costs. any adverse effect is unintended and unnecessary, because some items will always remain on the wishlist - just like how environment conservation would always remain on the agenda of Greenpeace.

i know i once said - when i give you a present, i hope you would have something to remember me. if i want you to give me a present, i'm hoping to have something i can remember you by. this has ceased to be true! if i want to remember somebody, i'll go for photographs instead now. so please rest assured that this is not an attempt to extort something out of your pocket.

i spent two paragraphs explaining why i am doing this. but in a nutshell, i am merely doing the wishlist for fun.

so without further ado, i present to you my material desires for the year ahead:

• a new netbook/ laptop (because my faithful fujitsu seem to be in its terminal stage already)
• an open return air ticket to Taiwan or Japan
• a plain/ stripe Kate Spade handbag (i am also a fan of Lacoste or Agnès B's totes)
  
• a sponsorship for driving course
• a nikon dslr camera
  
• a liposuction surgery for my super unsatisfactory thighs

all of them are too exorbitant? that's the point. i believe in earning things through my own hard work, rather than through the hands of others.

besides, i believe none of us measure our relationships by the value of the gift we received on our birthday. instead, we measure by how comfortable we feel around the person, the quality of time spent together throughout the year, the number of moments when we connected with the person, the number of times we laugh heartily together with the person, the warmth of the person's hand or hug when we are down, the amount of understanding and forgiveness we received from the person. and the list goes on.

there is really nothing that i must have, or i need now. but if you are still unconvinced, and if you must get me something, i would greatly appreciate if it's something i can use, wear, or keep for rainy days.