Winter's here

I have a new hobby – checking the Meteorological Department's website every hour to find out the outside temperature. "It's 17 degrees and the humidity is 45 per cent," I told Tubby Hubby (TH) at 7pm today. One hour later, I duly reported: "It's 16 degrees and the humidity is down to 40 per cent."

Poor TH can do without the frequent updates because he's busy dashing off a 1,000-word article on really boring stuff like wealth management. But he humours me anyway.

He's British so he knows all about changing seasons whereas I have never had to bother with the weather forecast, having lived in an equatorial climate all my life. After all, in Singapore and Malaysia, it's always "sunny", "cloudy", "scattered showers" or "thunderstorms". And the temperature is always 27-32 deg C.

We broke out the heater yesterday when it was 16 degrees and it was such a novelty for both me and my Singapore-born cat that we both just sat close to it the whole night.

But more importantly, winter means a whole new wardrobe. Stuff that I've always wanted to wear but never could for fear of dissolving into a puddle of sweat – long wool coats, leggings, knee-length boots, knitted hats and the like. It's so fun.

Now, if only it would snow in Hong Kong...

Shopaholics not-so-anonymous

My name is Ivy and I am a shopaholic. I am pathologically incapable of walking more than 20m down Queen's Road Central without buying anything. Clothes, costume jewellery, towels, toys... you name it, I've bought it.

In Hong Kong, street vendors are free to set up their stalls wherever and whenever they want. The smart ones peddle their wares just outside MTR stations during after-office hours.

If I'm walking back, tired after a day's work, I always think: "What the heck, I owe myself a treat." So I end up buying a coat here for S$20, a blouse there for S$10... and before I know it, I've spent S$100 before I even reach the Mid-Levels escalator.

"Well at least my impulse buys are pretty cheap," I defend myself to Tubby Hubby (TH).

"S$100 x 12 working days a month is still S$1,200," replies TH, a financial journalist. "Just one month's spending can cover my Ricoh GR-digital 2 camera already."

He has a point. But one digital camera versus a cupboard-full of cheap clothes? I know which one will give me more satisfaction.

Neck-and-neck with TH

Tubby Hubby (TH) commented recently: "I think this shirt has shrunk in the wash."

"Are you sure?" I asked. It was his favourite white shirt that he's had for about 10 years so it sounded a bit strange that it has only now decided to start shrinking.

He ran his finger along the collar. "Yup, it feels a bit tight around the neck."

"That's because you've grown fat," I told him.

What is it about men and vanity? TH keeps moaning that he's put on weight but refuses to let me buy shirts a size bigger. He used to be the same about trousers, until he realised the alternative was to either lose weight quick or go about in his underpants.

The other day, I found a lovely pair of Marks & Spencer jeans at the Salvation Army thrift store. It was only S$5 – but it was one size larger than the ones he normally takes.

"Shall I get them?" I asked him. "You might just have grown fat enough to find that they fit."

"If they fit," he stated, "shoot me."