Feeling depressed that the malls have already gotten their Christmas decorations up before I do, I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to put up my own tree! Being the brother that I am, I somehow did promised Edmund that we'll put up the tree together again this year. I even promised him that Grace would be with us this year to trim the tree, after receiving one of her emails, telling me to wait for her! And being the annoying little bugger that he is, he just wouldn't quit bursting into my room every two minutes, to make me go out into the living room to initiate putting up the tree when I was IM-ing with Edward. I told him we'll have the tree before December and I can see that he did marked my words!
Ever since poh poh's here, recuperating from her operation on her appendix, kai ma and Carina has also been coming to our house alot. Probably due to the loneliness from the fact that Adrian is still at Australia and Uncle's (kai ma's husband, Adrian and Carina's dad, my godpa) working in Johor Bahru. They happened to be here and being me, I couldn't help but ask Carina to come join in the fun of hanging fake acorns and tinsels all over the tree. Of course, with her presence, she did add in the fun and joy and luaghter. She even got in the boat with Grace to condemn my Bing Crosby's Christmas CD, claiming that it was downright boring and dull. Damn it, they prefer some Jingle Bell Rock-ing tune that they can shake their humps to!
The tree that we have is merely a 3 ft tall tree and it certainly wouldn't take long to finish putting up the star on the top! It never occured to us to get a bigger tree, seeing the limited space the house has to offer before the renovation! Small and compact was the way to go! Heck, I used to be the only one at home who seems to be waiting anxiously for Christmas the past years, resulting me in being the only one, literally, throwing baubles of different sizes and colors at the poor little tree! I certainly didn't think twice about color-coordination and the likes when it comes to trees (hey, I was young and decoration magazines were a far cry then!). Not that I have alot to work with anyway. Surprisingly, these people that I was working with made the entire session lasted for about an hour!
Grace and I was debating, whether to put up the tree or to wait till we get a bigger one that suits the house. Dad did mention about a new tree this year but we thought we could still live with the one we got. Edmund's constant whining and rushing got us looking for something to make the tree look higher than 3 ft. Even kai ma was joining in the hunt for a stool or something to rest the tree on to make it look taller. We managed to use one of the round, exquisite, complete with flower carvings and a marble surface, dining table chairs and covered it with a white cloth before putting the tree on. After that, it got Edmund scurrying over to the tree with a candy cane and a string attached to it while Carina rummages through the box for something nicer!
I admit, I didn't really contribute alot in decorating the tree this time. Partly because of the size of the tree that didn't require alot of cooks to spoil the soup. But mainly because I had my camera with me the whole time, recording all the cherishable moments. Certainly no picturesque moments (like carrying Edmund over my shoulder to put the star on) or postcard images to work with but I figured that the entire process of doing it was much more fun than I could remember and that it required me to enjoy the and live the moment, rather than to look for moments to capture like an undercover journalist! Of course, I had to work with an ISO of 400 and above to get my images without flash, which pretty much explains the noise and blur in my images. The lights at home are considered lowlight and using flash would be too harsh. I haven't even figured out a way to build my own diffuser yet!
Watching Edmund, Grace and Carina putting up most of the decoration while I stood aside to look at it like a judge and occasionally shifting some ornaments was a real joy. Poh poh and kai ma just sat the couch and watch us, smiling all the way. The way Carina clapped her hands together in excitement after giving some final touch-ups to certain parts of the tree, the way Edmund asks Grace or me in his innocent little voice after puttin up a reindeer, "Like that can ar?" and the way Grace yells, "There!" with both her arms outstretched after feeling satsified with her work was enough to get the spirit going! Simple pleasures in life, I tell you.
Edmund and Grace were skeptical about our decoration, constantly complaining about how mouldy they look. I mean, it's been probably a decade or two since these ornaments exist in our house! I never had a problem with it. After all, it's going to be only a month before the new term start and these will be packed into the box again till next year! What's the point of even complaining, right? I was secretly hoping for new decorations too but I'll be patient till I get the new 5 ft tree, which will probably be next year or the year after next! Come to think of it, I'm thankful enough to even have a tree to put up this year. Think about the other unfortunate people in other parts of the world who are probably spending their Christmas on the streets, the victims of war and natural disasters, ill-stricken people and etc.. Gee, I really shouldn't be complaining!
The night itself was a crazy turn of events - as crazy as drinking sparkling juice after puttin up the tree. The sparkling juice was bought for this special occasion, actually. We got it off from the supermarket for only RM5.90 on our last grocery shopping trip. Seeing that I can never handle alcohol well (pathetic, I know) and it'd be Edmund that's joining us, we went away with the sparkling juice. I didn't even chill it before drinking, making them all have to resort to having ice cubes in their sparkling juice instead. Even had a little 'Cheers' session after that. The other reason for buying the sparkling juice is that we were going to try it out and later buy it for this Christmas so that the adults could have their own sessions and we cousins could have our own, though some might favor alcohol, I'll stay on my side of non-drinking!
You might've noticed by now that there's no sign of mom or dad in all those pic. They were at a BEC meeting duscussing about the Christmas part they are going to hold for the children this year! From what mom said, the party's going to be held at the pool and we'd be having a pot luck session, with games and balloons and stuff. I'm not much of a fan of kiddy parties nowadays, especially when musical chairs seems to be the most anticipated game and a scrawny old looking clown is the highlight of the event, but nevertheless, more opportunities for photographs I suppose and anything for Christmas! You bet, I prefer those sophisticated cocktail parties where suits are considered casual wear and champagne being served as the orimary drink, complete with jazz music in the background! Oooh, that'd be fun!
Anyway, according to Grace, the tree looked so much nicer this year than the years before, right after I finished encircling the lights around the tree! I said, "No doubt, because you were involved and Carina was here!" Seriously, I couldn't recall the last time that girl helped us put up the tree, what else, volunteer? And I've never seen Carina so excited with glittery objects before - especially when there are string attached to it, making it perefect to hang around the ears! This is also the first year where the ornaments are hung with prior consideration and not all the ornaments in the box were used - unlike the times when I took charge, just thinking of emptying the box and finishing with the lights! Err... maybe I could still use a little more decoration tips, don't you think? Oh, I just can't wait for Christmas!
Being the good housewife house-child that I've been for the entire month of November, I treated myself with a trip out to the mall with Edward yesterday. I'm not going to say anything about it because I'm sure his gonna blog about it soon (and post pictures as well!) and I'll just link it up here when he does. I have to mention though, I had a really good time with Casino Royale and lunch (and the inevitable roam at the mall) with him!Anyway, entering the mall yesterday, after a whole month of wifely duties, I must say I was excited! What else when greeted at the main entrance, where dad dropped me, by extravagant Christmas decorations! My heart was practically jumping in amazement to see how fast the mall's creative team have decorated the place so beautifully and festively! Think of - a water fountain as the center piece, complete with a statue in the middle with flowing water and a place to sit around the fountain, a huge Christmas tree decorated with lovely green ornaments and lights, topped with a fairy (or cupid angel, I'm not sure), suspended in mid-air, and surrounded by many other smaller trees amongst old-fashioned lamp posts as the main attraction to greet shoppers! Though I don't really agree to the excessive usage of green elements, it still looks authentic to me.
After a while of good gaping at the piece they have put together, I headed to cold storage, looking for some breath mints or a can of drink since I arrived earlier than planned. Instead of seeing the usual domestic household items decked obstructively, behind the cashiers for I-have-too-much-money-and-time housewives to buy them, it was replaced by boxes of candy canes, chocolates and Christmas baubles, all wrapped up in green and red packages, arranged neatly and uniquely according to the festive mood, waiting for the next shopper to pick them up! Venturing further into the place, it's hard to miss the fact that there was a couple shopping for Christmas trees, laid out at the intersection of multiple rows of lanes of diary products and the likes.
Plastic Christmas trees, to be exact, from 3ft till 6ft tall, decked in their boxes with price tags on them. Certainly not the likes of picking out the perfect and shopping for a real tree in the cold snow before having them delivered to our already decorated houses complete with a warm fire but it still gives it that tinge of reality in the world we're living in. I have no qualms about it. After all, I've been using the same old plastic tree, stashed away in the storeroom after every Christmas till the next year for almost 5 years now! Anyway, to the left and right of the stack of boxes hung countless of packages of Christmas decorations (items), ranging from mock wreaths and candy canes to electrical lights and the shining star to add into the glorious touch to the tree!
Darn, I was so tempted to get one of those shiny, glittery ornaments to add into my collection, if not the glowing plastic star to put on my tree this year, considering how worn out the current tree ornaments that I own look like now! Kind of disappointing when I don't have the extra cash to spare and I could only tell myself that getting anything as near as a box of chocolates for myself this Christmas would be counted as unnecessary spending, if not, causing a big hole through my pocket. Yes, I am that broke and I'm not complaining about it! So all I had to do was to look away and walk away, after a few moments worth of imagining how beautiful the tree would look this year with that added star! There goes my Christmas wishlist and probably, no Christmas shopping this year. Pfft, Christmas shopping is overrated anyway!
Things got a little better when I heard them playing instrumental Christmas carols in their P.A. system! It was kind of unexpected to me - kind of surprising too! Apparently, I'm not the only who's in a rush waiting impatiently for Santa Christmas to come! Honestly, I thought I was insane to be listening to Christmas carols at the beginning of November (or maybe October?) but I don't feel that strange anymore now that I know the public's been receiving the celebration well too, or maybe a little bit too early. I suppose as Malaysians, we're pretty used to the four celebrations all jammed up in close proximity that when Hari Raya was over this year, there's nothing else to look forward to celebrating other than Christmas! Come to think of it, the whole mall and the shops in it are all playing Christmas carols and graced with mini Christmas trees or other seasonal elements! Isn't it a good time for business? Best time of the year, they say!
Seeing how the malls (possibly non-Catholics and non-believer of Christ) are awaiting the Christmas cheer, it really ticks me off that I haven't even got my own tree up yet! The Christmas carols are a sure thing but the tree is not up yet! How could this happen?! To top that, I haven't been doing any prior preparations to welcome the celebration also. No wreaths, no mistletoe, no stockings on the walls! OMG! This is a crisis! Haven't even received any Christmas cards yet, unlike yesteryears. At this time, usually, cards filled with love and warmth come pouring in from the people who care and also, from people who don't care! Seriously, cards with images of sparkling diamonds, filled with brochures of promotions on the newest edition of rings and bracelets from Habib Jewels or tempting end year sales promotion from GAMA? Blame mom for having so many cards!
Damn it, I've got to start preparing! There're still so many cookie recipes I haven't tried out yet! And there's the spring cleaning that needs to be carried out and the house decorations (the tree is not considered decoration!) and the shopping for presents (for family members, not for myself!) and so much more! Have I mentioned choir and caroling to various hotels? I'm still unsure if akak's going to come back tomorrow! I mean if she doesn't, my plans for this Christmas will be undoubtedly be affected, one way or another. Christmas sounds nice and easy but no one knows the trouble behind it all. Well, not exactly trouble, but the work behind it all. Oh well, I guess this is what makes Christmas, Christmas! Well, at least I have a little Christmas mood going on on my desktop (not to mention my playlist!).
Gee... I wish I could prepare a meal like that for Christmas...
Feeling depressed that the malls have already gotten their Christmas decorations up before I do, I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to put up my own tree! Being the brother that I am, I somehow did promised Edmund that we'll put up the tree together again this year. I even promised him that Grace would be with us this year to trim the tree, after receiving one of her emails, telling me to wait for her! And being the annoying little bugger that he is, he just wouldn't quit bursting into my room every two minutes, to make me go out into the living room to initiate putting up the tree when I was IM-ing with Edward. I told him we'll have the tree before December and I can see that he did marked my words!
Ever since poh poh's here, recuperating from her operation on her appendix, kai ma and Carina has also been coming to our house alot. Probably due to the loneliness from the fact that Adrian is still at Australia and Uncle's (kai ma's husband, Adrian and Carina's dad, my godpa) working in Johor Bahru. They happened to be here and being me, I couldn't help but ask Carina to come join in the fun of hanging fake acorns and tinsels all over the tree. Of course, with her presence, she did add in the fun and joy and luaghter. She even got in the boat with Grace to condemn my Bing Crosby's Christmas CD, claiming that it was downright boring and dull. Damn it, they prefer some Jingle Bell Rock-ing tune that they can shake their humps to!
The tree that we have is merely a 3 ft tall tree and it certainly wouldn't take long to finish putting up the star on the top! It never occured to us to get a bigger tree, seeing the limited space the house has to offer before the renovation! Small and compact was the way to go! Heck, I used to be the only one at home who seems to be waiting anxiously for Christmas the past years, resulting me in being the only one, literally, throwing baubles of different sizes and colors at the poor little tree! I certainly didn't think twice about color-coordination and the likes when it comes to trees (hey, I was young and decoration magazines were a far cry then!). Not that I have alot to work with anyway. Surprisingly, these people that I was working with made the entire session lasted for about an hour!
Grace and I was debating, whether to put up the tree or to wait till we get a bigger one that suits the house. Dad did mention about a new tree this year but we thought we could still live with the one we got. Edmund's constant whining and rushing got us looking for something to make the tree look higher than 3 ft. Even kai ma was joining in the hunt for a stool or something to rest the tree on to make it look taller. We managed to use one of the round, exquisite, complete with flower carvings and a marble surface, dining table chairs and covered it with a white cloth before putting the tree on. After that, it got Edmund scurrying over to the tree with a candy cane and a string attached to it while Carina rummages through the box for something nicer!
I admit, I didn't really contribute alot in decorating the tree this time. Partly because of the size of the tree that didn't require alot of cooks 
Watching Edmund, Grace and Carina putting up most of the decoration while I stood aside to look at it like a judge and occasionally shifting some ornaments was a real joy. Poh poh and kai ma just sat the couch and watch us, smiling all the way. The way Carina clapped her hands together in excitement after giving some final touch-ups to certain parts of the tree, the way Edmund asks Grace or me in his innocent little voice after puttin up a reindeer, "Like that can ar?" and the way Grace yells, "There!" with both her arms outstretched after feeling satsified with her work was enough to get the spirit going! Simple pleasures in life, I tell you.
Edmund and Grace were skeptical about our decoration, constantly complaining about how mouldy they look. I mean, it's been probably a decade or two since these ornaments exist in our house! I never had a problem with it. After all, it's going to be only a month before the new term start and these will be packed into the box again till next year! What's the point of even complaining, right? I was secretly hoping for new decorations too but I'll be patient till I get the new 5 ft tree, which will probably be next year or the year after next! Come to think of it, I'm thankful enough to even have a tree to put up this year. Think about the other unfortunate people in other parts of the world who are probably spending their Christmas on the streets, the victims of war and natural disasters, ill-stricken people and etc.. Gee, I really shouldn't be complaining!
The night itself was a crazy turn of events - as crazy as drinking sparkling juice after puttin up the tree. The sparkling juice was bought for this special occasion, actually. We got it off from the supermarket for only RM5.90 on our last grocery shopping trip. Seeing that I can never handle alcohol well (pathetic, I know) and it'd be Edmund that's joining us, we went away with the sparkling juice. I didn't even chill it before drinking, making them all have to resort to having ice cubes in their sparkling juice instead. Even had a little 'Cheers' session after that. The other reason for buying the sparkling juice is that we were going to try it out and later buy it for this Christmas so that the adults could have their own sessions and we cousins could have our own, though some might favor alcohol, I'll stay on my side of non-drinking!
You might've noticed by now that there's no sign of mom or dad in all those pic. They were at a BEC meeting duscussing about the Christmas part they are going to hold for the children this year! From what mom said, the party's going to be held at the pool and we'd be having a pot luck session, with games and balloons and stuff. I'm not much of a fan of kiddy parties nowadays, especially when musical chairs seems to be the most anticipated game and a scrawny old looking clown is the highlight of the event, but nevertheless, more opportunities for photographs I suppose and anything for Christmas! You bet, I prefer those sophisticated cocktail parties where suits are considered casual wear and champagne being served as the orimary drink, complete with jazz music in the background! Oooh, that'd be fun!
Anyway, according to Grace, the tree looked so much nicer this year than the years before, right after I finished encircling the lights around the tree! I said, "No doubt, because you were involved and Carina was here!" Seriously, I couldn't recall the last time that girl helped us put up the tree, what else, volunteer? And I've never seen Carina so excited with glittery objects before - especially when there are string attached to it, making it perefect to hang around the ears! This is also the first year where the ornaments are hung with prior consideration and not all the ornaments in the box were used - unlike the times when I took charge, just thinking of emptying the box and finishing with the lights! Err... maybe I could still use a little more decoration tips, don't you think? Oh, I just can't wait for Christmas!
