I remember this distinctly. It was around ten, maybe nine years ago. I was in my parents' bedroom. I curled up to my dad and asked him to buy me a laptop.

I remember this distinctly because of the way he rebuffed me. "Laugh-top, gusto mo?" he quipped.

Obviously he's joking, but you know that when he jokes like that, he's definitely saying no. And for good reason: I didn't really have anything to do with a laptop yet. Not as a 12-year-old self-described computer geek - that's questionable now, in light of recent events - who only wants a laptop so he'd look cool.

Eventually I'd have a good reason to use a laptop. You know, school projects and stuff. Especially when I entered college - you're swamped with papers and proposals left and right. And, as it turns out, a means to talk to people. This was when Friendster was slowly waning in influence, Facebook was gaining speed, and everybody was still on YM. I was late in joining all but one of them. I survived, more or less, in ignorance.

I would've asked my dad to buy me a laptop again, but I didn't. I don't exactly know why. I must've figured that the computer at home was enough for me. Heck, I survived three years of college (and my blossoming interest in British music) with just a dial-up connection. Imagine listening to the BBC in a dial-up connection. Then again, I did spend a lot of time (and money) at Internet shops.

I know, that paragraph sounded a bit like Shamcey Supsup's "my mom didn't buy me a laptop when I was in college" story.

Anyway, I also survived not having a laptop in the three years after I graduated. Looking back, I absolutely don't know what is wrong with me.

I finally bought myself a laptop.

Somehow I decided that this year is going to be the year that I buy myself a laptop. (Then again, I said this many years before.) I've been earning money for three years, after all - the last year providing a bittersweet boost - and, knowing that no matter how much money I plow into upgrading my home PC, it will collapse under the weight of my constant use, I decided to get myself something that I'll definitely use.

I did dilly-dally a bit, though. I could've picked up the gadget any time this year, because I had the money (or, better yet, I had the credit card) to pay for it anyway. But I spent the whole year canvassing. More of, eight months of doing nothing, two months of thinking about it, and a few hours actually looking at prices. Imagine me at a computer shop, making sense of all the technical specifications (and I could, since I've been upgrading the home PC for a while now) and trying to avoid all of the eager salesmen.

Yesterday, I knew I finally had to entertain those salesmen. Today, I'm typing this blog entry in my very own laptop. My very first laptop. Finally. I know, I'm a bit of a late bloomer.