This issue marks the fourth Humour Special that I've worked on for Reader's Digest Asia. I put together the first three as Humour Editor and although I may have hung my hat up (Associate Editor Joyce Sim takes care of your favourite humour departments in the magazine now), I couldn't resist putting together this special section for September. The truth is, it’s a lot of fun. I have to trawl through lots of funny articles from around the world to choose the right ones for the magazine. What’s not to like?

The main article – the one where celebrities from around the region share their favourite jokes* – was also a blast to do. I have a confession though – I didn’t find every joke they shared funny. I suppose that drives home the point that humour, like time, is relative.

I remember this particular incident. I was at the cinema watching Mean Girls, the teen comedy Tina Fey wrote that she also co-starred in with recently released jailbird Lindsay Lohan. I loved that movie, and I laughed so hard that at some points – and I can’t believe I’m revealing this – there was definite snorting. On one instance, I also almost choked because I was guffawing so hard. Unfortunately, because it wasn’t a very full theatre, the lack of mad laughter from the other members of the audience was quite apparent. Thank god for the dark.

Incident number two – another movie – this time Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin starring Steve Carell. I went with a friend. Again, I loved the movie and I laughed so hard, I had stitches. My friend? Not a peep. In fact the only thing she found amusing was my hysterical laughing. Later, we ran into a mutual friend who had also just been to the same screening. She too didn’t find the movie funny. I guess it’s quite clear the point I’m trying to make – I need new friends.

But seriously, if there’s anything I’ve learned during my years as Humour Editor, it’s that there’s no ‘one joke fits all’ policy. So please enjoy our 7th Annual Humour Special and don’t worry if you don’t find everything in there funny. You’re just illustrating the theory of (humour) relativity.

* Disclaimer: No animals were harmed during the shooting of the photos.