10 20 30

10 minutes—The universal buffer
Most of us wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes for a table, a bus, or a date to arrive. But frantic watch checks kick in after precisely 10 minutes. It's the maximum amount of time considered too short to make a significant difference, and coincidentally the minimum duration considered long enough to make a significant difference. "Learn Spanish in just 10 minutes a day", for instance, indicates that 10 minutes is the maximum amount of time most people are willing to spend on acquiring something we don't necessarily need, but it's also the minimum investment if we expect to see results.

20 degrees Celsius—The two-way threshold
The sub-tropical climate of Hong Kong leaves the city's fashion slaves longing for winter. Scarves, overcoats and furry boots flood the displays in shopping malls as early as September. So around late November or early December, at the first sign of the temperature dipping below 20, it's not at all uncommon to see people dressed in layers of wool, leather and down. An early start is the only way of making the most of your winter wardrobe when winter only lasts three weeks a year. Coincidentally, at the first sign of temperature reaching the 20 mark, like it did last week, it's the return of the sandals.

30 years old—The invisible deadline
When a woman tells you "30 is the new 20", rest assured, she's 30 and single. Women, Chinese women in particular, are apparently terrified of turning 30, and came up with this catchy phrase to comfort themselves. I say "apparently", because there's nothing concrete to back up this theory. Here's what I think: Once upon a time, someone started a rumor that if a woman stays single past the age of 30, she'll forever be single. Assuming that all women wish to get married before they turn 30, men were led to believe that dating women close to the age of 30 meant being assigned the responsibility of marrying her before her invisible deadline (sadly, it's actually quite visible for some). The result is that men avoid dating women close to 30, which in turn makes 25 the new invisible deadline. It's a catch 22. Or is it 32?