I JUST read that people spent a total of $51.7 million at the recent PC Show at Suntec City.
Can you believe that? $51.7 million in four days. Twice the amount shelled out at the previous show.
Did someone say that rice was too expensive these days? Petrol costs too much? ERP rates killing you? Yeah, right.
Looks as though the average Singaporean still has a lot of money to spend on computers and other IT gadgets, even though they probably already have the same stuff at home.
But what you have at home is not Version 34.152? Forgive me for being so presumptuous.
Anyway, unlike you wasteful people, I actually bought something essential, educational and important during the PC Show.
FOR THE KIDS & GRANDMA
That's right, I got the Nintendo Wii, which was retailing for just $488 (if you purchase something else lah, like a second controller).
Anyway, before you chastise me, let me say that the Wii is for the kids. And grandma.
Really.
I've been told by many friends that it is the perfect way to get those Little Einstein kids off the couch and onto their feet, swinging a controller in simulated sports.
And its so easy that grandma can play along, and get some exercise too.
So, I waded into the mass of humanity and discarded flyers at the PC Show to get the Wii.
When I finally reached the booth selling the product, a large bald man informed me that it was sold out.
'But don't worry Sir, come back in an hour, another 50 sets coming,' he said, with a $mile.
'My delivery man stuck outside Suntec, in the jam,' he added with a rather disturbing chuckle, giving me an insight into how the phrase 'laughing all the way to the bank' actually came about.
So, with an hour to kill, I walked around with a million other people looking at gizmos that would change my life, from robots that clean the floor to a pen that can translate what you write on paper onto the computer screen.
'Come over here sir, this is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy an MP5 player at a ridiculous price,' said one man.
'It can also play MP3, MP4 songs, radio, show AVI files, WAV files, MPEG files, record from the TV, take
3 megapixel photos, videos, 200 hours of voice recordings, play 1,000 games, dance with the wife and take the dog for a walk, all for $120.'
Okay, I exaggerated the part about the dog, but you get the drift.
So, $120 lighter and the requisite hour later, I swam back to the games area to get my Wii, and was told to join a queue to pick it up at the payment counter.
When I reached the cashier, believe it or not, the salesman announced to his colleagues that I had just picked up the second last available Wii set of the 50 that had just been brought in.
I didn't have to turn around to see the bald man smile.
Was it all worth it, you ask?
Well, my biceps are hurting from the three hours I spent last night playing tennis, bowling and golf with my four-year-old son and (unintelligible garble here)-year-old wife.
And the non-stop grin on my son's face during those three hours would have given old Mr Baldy a run for his money. Or my money, more accurately.
So, yes people, it was worth every cent.
And so was the life-changing, super-duper MP5 player, which is still in its box, lying on the study table.
Really.
This article was first published in The New Paper on June 22, 2008.
