Asking for Trouble: Tales of Saffy and Amanda

by Jason Hahn

About the Book: …Date No. 6 was an English lawyer in another firm. "He's bald!" Saffy said with enthusiasm. "And I love bald men. But he spent the entire dinner talking to my breasts!" At this, the said breasts heaved in outrage, but already I felt for No. 6. "I know they're perky and everything," she added, peering down at her puppies, "but they're just breasts!" As if to emphasise her point, she poked one of them with a finger much as one pokes a freshly baked cake to see if it's done. I noticed several of the male lawyers shift in their seats…'Asking for Trouble - Tales of Saffy and Amanda' is the long-awaited novelisation of Jason Hahn's popular 'First Person' column in 8 Days magazine.

It chronicles the author's often traumatic experiences sharing a tiny apartment in Singapore with Saffy and Amanda, and his beloved adopted mongrel dog, Pooch.

All Jason ever wanted from his flat-mates was a little company, and, perhaps, the occasional home-cooked meal. But in a world that is barely large enough to accommodate the larger than life personalities of Saffy and Amanda, life has, for Jason, suddenly become a lot more interesting.

'Asking for Trouble - Tales of Saffy and Amanda' is about:

• Three twenty-somethings struggling to make their way in life - all the while navigating the pressures of work and their boss from hell; precarious career prospects; the challenges of dating in the new millennium; the irritating expectations of society, friends and family about marriage and cohabitation; and most of all, the terror of growing up and growing old (a.k.a the dreaded 30s) alone.

• The perspective of the book is that of the guy and his take on the challenges facing the modern woman (Saffy and Amanda) and how each of us are, in our own way, searching for Mr Right.

• Though the issues are universal, the tone is whimsical, often degenerating into farce, but always grounded in sobering reality.

Paperback

Published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Caleb Liu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blast from my teenage years as Jason Hahn puts his famous 8 days last page column into book form. Chronicling the (mis)adventures of sharing a flat with two women. A fluffy, laugh-out-loud funny little book

[Taj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember the reading the columns published in 8 Days, years ago, when I was still a teen. Coming across the book in the library was a pleasant surprise, made even better with the laughs it gave me.