Varian makes 280 pages of prescribed reading (for 1 module alone, and not all of it relevant) in a span of 2 weeks less onerous:

On consumer theory: "The second axion, reflexivity, is trivial. Any bundle is certainly at least as good as an identical bundle. [Ed: ie 2 apples and 2 oranges is considered at least as good as 2 oranges and 2 apples] Parents of small children may occasionally observe behavior that violates this assumption, but it seems plausible for most adult behavior."

On budget lines and kinked indifference curves: "This case doesn't have much economic significance - it is more of a nuisance than anything else."

On normal goods: "We would normally think that the demand for each good would increase when income increases, as shown in Figure 6.1. Economists, with a singular lack of imagination, call such goods normal goods."

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The bak kwa from Kuala Lumpur and Macau tastes different from that from Singapore. They both have a funny, unpleasant taste and smell. So though it's cheaper to buy bak kwa from there, it is not a better deal.

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I saw 18 "CWS Ladycare" bins at a lift landing one day. I've always wanted to have one at home: they're funky because they "contain antimicrobal gel", so I can throw used tissues into them without fear. A pity they weren't automated with a motor and sensor like the one I saw in Tasmania. That'd have been worthy of a place in a museum.


Quotes:

[Professor: Luqman. Do you preferred to be caleld Abdullah?] Most people call me Abdullah, but my parents call me Luqman.] I have no quick answer to that.

[On the Nicoll highway foreman] Remember his name? Remember his name? Mr Ho. I can't remember the rest of his name.

[On not catching what a student was saying] If you exhale and do not inhale, you can prevent a sneeze. This will be very useful if you are in ambush, enemy soldiers... I'm sorry. I had to distract myself while trying not to sneeze.

[On someone volunteering to do 5-6 people's laundry and ironing daily] I can think of only 2 explanations. The first is that he has some sort of eccentric fetish for ladies' underwear, and the only way he can conceal it is to wash everyone's clothes.

[On a documentary about elephants digging graves for old females and standing around while the old female stands in it, then covering the grave with leaves and bamboo] The biologist in me is screaming and shouting and crying out... This is Nobel Prize Zoology... Which channel did you see this on? There's lots of stuff on the Discovery Channel about the supernatural. I don't believe any of it.

This is our first tutorial, and our objective for today is to get to know each other. That's the most important thing. if we have time, maybe - just maybe, we'll talk about Muller.

Tell me what you want to be called. If your boyfriend calls you 'Pookie', and you want to be called 'Pookie', that's okay.

[On icebreakers] Then you come up with a stupid question for the next person. If you give a stupid answer, it's ok because it's a stupid question.

Psychoanalysis... You can make stupid claims. Penis envy... When you read about it, it sounds sort of true, sort of not true.