Interesting conversation of the day:

My colleague reza came up to me and asked me: "how old were you when you stopped buying toys?"

me: "erm. last year i bought some lego. does that count?"

reza: "was it duplo?"

me (giving frosty stare): "if you must know, it was technics. i was trying the programming module thing with a friend. anyway, why do you ask?"

reza: "you know the Anduril?"

me: "yeah, aragorn's sword. narsil reforged."

reza: "anyway, when LoTR first came out, i saw an anduril for sale at toys' r us. it makes clanging sounds when you press one button and swishing sounds when you press another. when i first saw it, i wanted to buy it, but i hesitated. then the next time i went back there, it was gone."

me: "riiight"

reza: "anyway, my wife saw one for sale the other day and.."

me: "your wife knows you want to buy a toy sword?"

reza: "my wife supports my lunacy, yes."

me: "well it's your money."

reza: "so anyway, i bought the sword, and i brought it back and was playing with hakim (his 2 year old son). hakim can really grab, and he was brandishing the sword and clicking the buttons."

me: "and what did your wife say?"

reza: "well, she played with the sword too"

me: "... there are so many bad inneundos i can make about your wife playing with your sword. and pressing the buttons to make your sword go swoosh and clang."

reza: "yeah man. Who's your Elessar, huh? Who's your Elessar!!!"

me: "you just spoiled my masturbation session for the day."

reza: "anyway, i was thinking of buying stinger for hakim.."

me: (doing bazooka motions with hand)

reza: "no lah! the sword the hobbit uses!"

me: "OH. Sting! well, that's a good idea. you can spar with your kid. teach him the Jedi code."

reza: "it's not a lightsaber"

me: "semantics. anyway, you get the point, teach your kids to fight evil, show them that sometimes one must take the sword to fight, not out of sadism, but out of sad necessity. and that sometimes some problems can only be solved by steadfastly chopping off someone's head."

reza: "yeah.. that way when he hits kindergarden instead of bothering me with: "da, someone bully me" it'll be, "da, can i borrow your sword?". That's upbringing, man. and i can teach him and his sister (three years old) to fight evil together as siblings!"

me: "Anyway, i just want you to know i wholeheartedly support you still buying a toy for youself as this age. *pauses* aren't you glad you came to me for affirmation instead of someone normal?"