Gifts

I once gave somebody a figurine for Christmas. It was one of those kris kringle events wherein you just have to contribute to community spirit and camaraderie by giving each other gifts. She was probably expecting some sort of a sculpture. It was a sculpture all right, of some bird perched on some tree.

I can never forget her priceless expression upon opening the gift: from giddy excitement to uhm, obvious disappointment followed by forced merriment, it felt like watching a balloon deflate in really, slow motion.

I'm not really good at sending gifts. I gave Che a yellow Hello Kitty key chain, not knowing that the blasted cat doesn't come in any other color but pink. To my office colleagues I gave some of them yoyos. In grade school, I lost count of the number of times I received and sent handkerchiefs and socks during Christmas. I once gave a gift consisting of Cheez Curls and a face towel.

Hey, I got some really weird gifts, you know. At the Kalayaan Hall, somebody gave me a pair of scissors...unwrapped! I also got a baseball cap wrapped in an SM plastic bag! I think Frodo gave me surplus corporate giveaways complete with company logo and stickers. In keeping with the White Christmas theme, Titus once gave out Colgate white flouride toothpaste along with...with...adult diapers! Adult diapers!

So for this year, what would I want for Christmas?

World Peace and a Greener Environment na lang. And some Acqua di Gio.