I was thinking back to one of Prof Chia's lectures, specifically the case study of Christmas and New Orleans. And I realised, maybe in that respect, I am an economist. Or rather, in that respect, I have ALWAYS been an economist. There have def been presents which have made me angry cos' the person shld have known better. I'm sure many of you have had that experience, either you are angry or disappointed with a present because it was never what you had wanted. Which then brings you to a question, a topic that YT has raised before and I full-heartedly agree. When you buy a present, it shld be with the receiver in mind and what he/she wants. Why is it that so many ppl buy presents according to what they want to give or to fulfill some kind of self-serving desire or stand?

Maybe why I am being so mean here today is because I have had 2 extraordinarily lousy weeks back to back, full of crying and v bad cramps yesterday, which hasn't really helped my mood at all. And so, because I am not in a forgiving or be-nice mood, thinking back to this incident revives my anger full-fledged. Do you even rmb what you give me or what has happened every year, or perhaps as with what I would expect from your insincerity you don't rmb and don't really care?

You asked me what I want for a present, I said I can't think of sth I need that you can get me, why not you gimme in an angbao and I will juz decide what to do with it. Your reply: where can like that one?! You so monetarist! (which for the record I am, I am an economist in case you haven noticed) so I say ok, there are some clothes that I really wanna buy, why dun you sponsor me my newest batch of clothes? Your response: I don't want, I totally don't approve of the way you spend money on clothes, why would I support it by buying you more? FINE. So I just say that nvm when I think of sth I will tell you... and anyway a present is not exactly impt, you cld just treat me to a nice meal or sth if I really can't think of what you cld get me. One week later, you casually threw a stuffed toy at me and told me since I can't make up my mind you just 'anyhow get sth' for me.

1.) I don't see why you must 'anyhow' get sth for me. If getting a present is such a chore to you, THEN DON'T GET. I would rather you don't get me anything at all then tell me that you ANYHOW got sth.

2.) I don't have a thing against stuffed toys per se. My darling fabby gave me Bluey frm the make-a-bear workshop thingy and I absolutely love it and I still pump its heart with delight and it sleeps with me every night with its own cushions. My VJ friends gave me a forever friends bear when I left, and I still have it wrapped up in clear plastic in the cardboard stand so that the bear does not get dusty and I have it by my bed cos' it was one of the most treasured and precious presents that I have received and I know they SPENT TIME SHOPPING FOR IT AND CHOSE IT WITH THOUGHT AND WITH ME IN MIND. I still have the doggy that Cindy and Stacy saved money to buy for me in Pri 1, and I still keep the piglet that Yee Cheng got for me cos' 'piglet' was her nick for me in secondary school. So you see, although I think that other than between lovers stuffed toys are kinda impractical and not a gd utilisation of money, ppl have given them to me as presents and I have treasured them too. But your 'anyhow' attitude pisses me off, especially when you blamed it on me for not making up my own mind. HELLO!! You were the one who didn't want to contribute to my fund for my bag or buy me clothes when I ASKED FOR THAT! I can tell that you sooo don't believe in giving a present FOR THE PERSON and purely to make her happy or simply understand your SINCERITY. And you know what's the irony?

3.) I wldn't have been so upset with the UGLY stuffed toy (yes it was freaking ugly and you knew it, you cldn't even bother to get a cute one for me) if you hadn't LITERALLY thrown it at me. That pissed the hell out of me because lesson 101 of giving presents: you don't throw it at the person. Hand it over, hide it for her to discover, yes. Throw, no.

4.) Absolutely not a rational present(by that I mean it doesn't give me ANY utility) which violates the rule of maximization of utility within established constraints. I am happy to say that most of the presents I receive have had me and my utility (by that I mean satisfaction) in mind. Even when my relatives and granny gimme gold jewellery which I don't like or wear, I know that in their minds every girl must have some sort of dowry to pass down and hence they chose to give me what they thought I had wanted and would be happy with. Maybe the presents don't have practical use to me and was not what I had preferred or even wanted at all, but I appreciate their thought and their care in making a personal trip down to the jewellery shops to hunt for my presents. That in itself already increased my utility. Huibin acty had paid attention to a casual remark that I had made in a frenzied situation when were were raiding a sale abt the guess bag which was $300 and out of my budget that I wanted, and since it was out of the budget of my classmates they gave me vouchers up to their budget for me to get the bag. Even though I had to top up, they at least had tried to FIND OUT and PAY ATTENTION TO what had I wanted and helped me get it by contributing to fund for it, which was perfect for me and made me v happy. That ugly stuffed toy? It's not even on my lowest convex curve btw. Totally lies on a concave indifference curve for me; I would rather you just wished me well SINCERELY and not gimme anything.

FYI, I don't know where the toy is anymore. I threw it to never never land and I have never bothered to find or retrieve it. That's what I think of your present and your sincerity. Next time? Don't bother.

Disclaimer: If you are reading this, then it's definitely not you cos' only those who care enough abt me read my blog and I know this person that I'm talking abt doesn't. Don't fret abt it if you've given me a stuffed toy before! Likelihood I was happy to receive yours and it is still in gd condition somewhere.

P.S. I am acty not that mad over this incident anymore, I juz don't know why I woke up thinking abt it and got more and more angry just thinking abt it, so I just needed to rant.