I don’t usually get too many presents for my birthday, since I don’t exactly have a huge family. It’s never bothered me because it’s always been that way. All I want right now — since I don’t have any major needs, and most of the stuff I really want is damned expensive — is for people to wish me a happy birthday, and if they want, get me a well-thought-out gift (or one I have prepared earlier, if you don’t want to think about it).

Here is what I have currently received this year:

• A Royal Selangor Chinese Dragon
• A bottle of fine Woodford Reserve bourbon (bottle 7840 from batch 4)
• The Simpsons - Season 3 DVD
• A piece of paper with a monetary value attached (commonly called a “gift voucher”); redeemable at Sanity music stores
• Another piece of paper with a monetary value attached. This time, it’s redeemable at JB Hi-Fi stores
• A picnic rug
• A picnic set, contained within a backpack
• A nice big blanket thing
• An Atlas pasta maker
• A Simpsons photomosaic puzzle

I will update this list as more things arrive.