Musings from the Great Not-Gatsby

I've recently joined the ranks of the nouveau riche - that detestable few in the society now acutely enjoying the pains and rewards of unprecedented and undeserved prosperity, no matter how short-lived that wealth is. After 3 months of being unemployed and almost 7 months of back-breaking uncompensated labor and living off my parents' resources, I am finally set free! All of a sudden, there was a fat paycheck - representing all the torture of the past months, suddenly thrust upon my outstretched, almost begging, palms. I couldn't help but imagine what delights I should get for myself.

Hmmm.... let me vaguely illustrate my foolish imaginings about the spoils of my temporary escape from destitution. These are the things that I intend to get with my recently acquired lump sum...

My apartment needs a refrigerator and a dining table. Once I'll get them, I'll probably try my hand at cooking delicacies such as adobo or pinakbet, so I might need to invest on a good gas stove too. End-point imagined: a domesticated me, making delectable meals, for an imagined clientele.

My iPod Nano is 3 years old. Three sets of earphones later, it has become so much a part of me that I would hate parting with it. But I want, no I need extra music space. Enough to contain every single Beatles album since Please, Please Me . Since an iPhone is simply too extravagant to even imagine, I'd probably get an iTouch. End-point imagined: an autistic me, not so different from the current situation, only with more music to choose from.

I need to get a nice guitar. Something even my children can use when it's their turn to get music lessons. Since I won't have time for my own music classes yet, I need self-instructional materials - books and CDs, etc. But I need to get that guitar first.

My Palm Pilot is no longer working. I need a new PDA - enough to contain a peripheral brain, which i desperately need, given my frequently faltering memory.

My laptop is 3 years old. And though I've recently reformatted it, it would be cool to get one of those 1.2 kg notebooks.

A nice notebook would need a nice bag. I'd like a bag that would be classy and elegant. Something made out of leather perhaps.

I need new shoes. I need a new wardrobe. I need a new watch. I need new make-up. I need new perfume. I need a make-over. I need a nice massage. I need a new backpack - I want those Eagle Creek convertibles, sturdy enough for rough trips, elegant enough for business travels. I need a new jacket. I need tickets for my next solo trip - my November Palawan adventure. I need new running shoes. I need Spanish lessons.

And last but not the least, how much does a man cost? I need a smart and decent man I can talk to, drink beer with, argue with, travel with, pray with. Where can I find a man for sale? My specifications are simple: I just need someone extraordinary.

I guess money can't buy everything. So perhaps I'd just keep that money in the bank. Next salary would probably arrive after the May elections anyway. There's no way I can ever get everything I need. But at least I'd have something to live on. For now.