von is accusing me of trying to live beyond my means, but i really think that, when it comes to furniture and things around the house, you should get the best you can afford. it doesn't mean going out to buy wedgwoods and chippendales, but i do think one should buy good furniture and nice diningware instead of going out to target or kmart and taking whatever one can get. it's funny that when you get to our age - and i know cindy feels this way too about her little home in shanghai - you start wanting to acquire things for the house, rather than to wear or eat or use. and i don't think it's unreasonable to want proper dining ware. after all, don't we all believe in the sam vimes economic theory of boots? the sofa set and chairs and dining table in our house in singapore was bought with my dad's first few pay cheques. this was in the late 60s or early 70s and we're still using them today. my parents got china with a blue floral pattern when they married and we still use them today, and one day my children will be able to say they're eating off their grandparent's dining ware. of course i don't mean i want to start collecting china now for my descendants. i just mean i want a nice set of good dining ware - not necessarily china but something that is finely made and clean and elegant, something that might serve me through the teaching and dissertation years - and into my early thirties when i set up house in a new city after getting my first teaching appointment and being in the position of having colleagues over for dinners. i really do not fancy living like college students, with a mishmash of cheap and ugly plates and silverware that don't match. that is simply vile. and even if i can bear to live like that when i get my first appointment and move i'll have to buy a matching set of dining ware. why not get it now? who's keeping her feet dry in 10 years, hey?