Let's Talk About Christmas!
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i don't celebrate christmas...
no nice food pressiez, and rave parties
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don't have to celebrate... christmas is the season of giving, so you could do some volunteer work like going to children's homes and brightening up their xmas day!Originally posted by hisoka:i don't celebrate christmas...
no nice food pressiez, and rave parties 
you give your presence, they give you their smiles
or you can come online to chat with me this year since i'll be home alone anyway
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Remember....everything in moderation...esp the alcohol.Originally posted by the Bear:i'll buy whiskey and fruit cake... which will be consumed at my friend's place
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I will be...err...err...err...
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hee i'll be in cameron highlands! (hopefully) with the husband.. MmmMMM!
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Wah Rhonda, this is my cuppa tea.
Here in the States, retailers start the Christmas season right after Halloween. It didn't use to be this early though. A few years back, it started right after Thanksgiving. Americans like to dress up the exterior as well as the interior of their homes. We like to drive around the neighbourhood oo-ing and ah-ing at all the beautiful outdoor decorations.
Some of our traditions include: buying each other an ornament ever year (we also buy ornaments from wherever we were stationed); sending friends and family home-made Christmas cookies: dressing up the house and heading up to Seattle to be with family.
Here are some photos of Christmasses past.
A shot of Hubby's handiwork when we were living on the base in Japan. A bit like Hari Raya hor?
Our tree, last year.
Some of the ornaments we've collected from places we've been stationed at, as well as more personal ones.
Some of the cookies we baked and sent to friends and family.
We have yet to put up outdoor decorations, still thinking it through. I'll post pics of the decorated homes in the neighbourhood so you guys can go ooh and ahh too. -
dp... oops!
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jetta: is yours a real tree??
hmm....my aunt and her family will be coming to my place...ahahaha...7 pple in a 1 bedroom apartment all the kids will be sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags
my aunt wants to get a real christmas tree but thats totally out of the question!!! cos the apartment is too small
and i LOVE christmas shopping!!!! esp cos its not all that crowded here even tho there is only ONE big mall in my area actually, i dont care for the buying part, i just like walking around the mall and spending hours in places like superstore and walmart lookin around -
Real tree? Are you nuts?!?!?!Originally posted by udontknowme:jetta: is yours a real tree??
hmm....my aunt and her family will be coming to my place...ahahaha...7 pple in a 1 bedroom apartment all the kids will be sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags
my aunt wants to get a real christmas tree but thats totally out of the question!!! cos the apartment is too small
and i LOVE christmas shopping!!!! esp cos its not all that crowded here even tho there is only ONE big mall in my area actually, i dont care for the buying part, i just like walking around the mall and spending hours in places like superstore and walmart lookin around Hubby says he misses the smell but not the mess. So I got him a Christmas tree in a can.
Good luck boy with your crowded house. All I can say is this: houseguests, like fish, smell after three days.
Like you, I love Christmas shopping. We should be neighbours hor? The thrill of the chase is the most fun. I was at the mall for 3 hours this morning while the Jetta was getting serviced. Bliss! -
we're not doing decorations this year since we won't be here for x-mas, which is fine with me....i'm not really in the Christmas mood.
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yeah lor....i was telling my mom. if they get a real tree, im not helping with the cleaning up after that!!Originally posted by jetta:Real tree? Are you nuts?!?!?! Hubby says he misses the smell but not the mess. So I got him a Christmas tree in a can.
Good luck boy with your crowded house. All I can say is this: houseguests, like fish, smell after three days.
Like you, I love Christmas shopping. We should be neighbours hor? The thrill of the chase is the most fun. I was at the mall for 3 hours this morning while the Jetta was getting serviced. Bliss! then my mom happily tells me that she'll get my aunt to clean if she insists on getting a real tree
no lah...im sure my aunt and her family will be fine cos in torlongto, we usually stay at their place also...used to it liao n my mom and her sis is damn close...
i have a week where i wont have any papers...going to squeeze in some time for the mall
aiyah...i wanna bake cookies also...i saw the cookies yesterday liao... -
Your family living in close quarters remind me of my childhood when we would get together at my granny's almost every weekend. Those were the days. Anyway...Originally posted by udontknowme:yeah lor....i was telling my mom. if they get a real tree, im not helping with the cleaning up after that!! then my mom happily tells me that she'll get my aunt to clean if she insists on getting a real tree
no lah...im sure my aunt and her family will be fine cos in torlongto, we usually stay at their place also...used to it liao n my mom and her sis is damn close...
i have a week where i wont have any papers...going to squeeze in some time for the mall
aiyah...i wanna bake cookies also...i saw the cookies yesterday liao...
So when are you going to bake? Can't wait to see your bakes.
You know what irks me? We almost always never get to spend Christmas in our own house. We're always up in Seattle.
So many family members up there, we always go beyond pok-kai over presents. -
its nice to live close to family hor...wen mi in singapore also alone one...Originally posted by jetta:Your family living in close quarters remind me of my childhood when we would get together at my granny's almost every weekend. Those were the days. Anyway...
So when are you going to bake? Can't wait to see your bakes.
You know what irks me? We almost always never get to spend Christmas in our own house. We're always up in Seattle. So many family members up there, we always go beyond pok-kai over presents.
IF i get the chance to bake, i will post pics but not sure if i can use the oven in the apartment cos my mom is afraid of stuff exploding 
do they gib you nice prezzies back??
IF i celebrate christmas in torlongto, also need to spend a lotta $$$ cos they always have gift exchange...then on top of gift exchange, still need to buy personal gifts... -
buying myself a present (going to buy in this couple of days bwahahaha )
and spending the day with someone -
Udon, you've hit a raw nerve. Granny and her sister (the one who died last week), always shop at the thrift store for everything, even presents. Granny likes to give us coffee table books. Alamak, how to haul back in the suitcase? Especially when we lived in Japan and Hawaii. Mailing is an option but it gets expensive when there are so many to mail. She just doesn't get it.Originally posted by udontknowme:its nice to live close to family hor...wen mi in singapore also alone one...
IF i get the chance to bake, i will post pics but not sure if i can use the oven in the apartment cos my mom is afraid of stuff exploding
do they gib you nice prezzies back?? IF i celebrate christmas in torlongto, also need to spend a lotta $$$ cos they always have gift exchange...then on top of gift exchange, still need to buy personal gifts...
I'm hoping that this year will be different. *fingers and toes crossed*. Truthfully, we have never wanted to live close to family. If you knew hubby's family, you'd say it was like "Dallas" the old TV show. Why else do you think we've always asked for overseas assignments all this time?
Wah, your mum really has no confidence in your baking skills ah? Tell her, we all have to start somewhere. -
what are you buying yourself?Originally posted by NekoRin:buying myself a present (going to buy in this couple of days bwahahaha )
and spending the day with someone -
aiyoh...Originally posted by jetta:Udon, you've hit a raw nerve. Granny and her sister (the one who died last week), always shop at the thrift store for everything, even presents. Granny likes to give us coffee table books. Alamak, how to haul back in the suitcase? Especially when we lived in Japan and Hawaii. Mailing is an option but it gets expensive when there are so many to mail. She just doesn't get it. I'm hoping that this year will be different. *fingers and toes crossed*. Truthfully, we have never wanted to live close to family. If you knew hubby's family, you'd say it was like "Dallas" the old TV show. Why else do you think we've always asked for overseas assignments all this time?
Wah, your mum really has no confidence in your baking skills ah? Tell her, we all have to start somewhere. have you ever told them that the prezzies very hard to bring home??? i always wanted to bring my gifts home...but luggage no space also. end up all leave at my aunts place (or so my mom says. but when i go back, they have all 'disappeared' ) your family driving to their place?? your family also get a lot of drama hor...heh....
no lah ...in singapore, we always bake. but she is afraid of the oven cos its old... -
Talk about a 2-parter Monday night movie. Sheesh, this family drives me nuts sometimes you know.Originally posted by udontknowme:aiyoh... have you ever told them that the prezzies very hard to bring home??? i always wanted to bring my gifts home...but luggage no space also. end up all leave at my aunts place (or so my mom says. but when i go back, they have all 'disappeared' ) your family driving to their place?? your family also get a lot of drama hor...heh....
no lah ...in singapore, we always bake. but she is afraid of the oven cos its old... Granny sees all books as important so even if we left it with her, it'll find it's way to our house. Everytime we move, the movers take one look at the sheer volume of books that we have and roll their eyes. Now that we're stateside, I'm sure there will be twice the volume of books. *sigh* We're flying up this time. I refuse to drive up especially when I'm too afraid of driving over the mountains. We could stay longer than a week but too much drama is bad for the nerves.
Poor thing, can't bake. Reminds me of the time we lived in this teeny tiny Japanese apt that had no oven. Well, it had an oven but we were too broke to pay the 20,000yen hook-up fee. So I didn't bake for 18 months. -
heh...put my grandma and granddad together (if they dont mind seeing each other that isOriginally posted by jetta:Talk about a 2-parter Monday night movie. Sheesh, this family drives me nuts sometimes you know. Granny sees all books as important so even if we left it with her, it'll find it's way to our house. Everytime we move, the movers take one look at the sheer volume of books that we have and roll their eyes. Now that we're stateside, I'm sure there will be twice the volume of books. *sigh* We're flying up this time. I refuse to drive up especially when I'm too afraid of driving over the mountains. We could stay longer than a week but too much drama is bad for the nerves.
Poor thing, can't bake. Reminds me of the time we lived in this teeny tiny Japanese apt that had no oven. Well, it had an oven but we were too broke to pay the 20,000yen hook-up fee. So I didn't bake for 18 months. 
) and maybe there will be a replay of the chopper incident aiyoh...why she likes books so much?? so do u buy her books also???? if u wont feel bad and if your hubby doesnt mind, can always donate the book to erm...library or something...
how long is the flight??
how'd u survive for 18 months????
but...japan got lotsa cute and nice stuff to eat but very asspensive -
Wah, chopper incident?!? You win, your family more drama.Originally posted by udontknowme:heh...put my grandma and granddad together (if they dont mind seeing each other that is ) and maybe there will be a replay of the chopper incident aiyoh...why she likes books so much?? so do u buy her books also???? if u wont feel bad and if your hubby doesnt mind, can always donate the book to erm...library or something...
how long is the flight??
how'd u survive for 18 months???? but...japan got lotsa cute and nice stuff to eat but very asspensive
Granny used to be an English teacher lah. She's not maternal at all. She'll always give books as presents. Not that I mind, mind you. I love reading it's just that she picks the strangest books to give me. Like Feng Shui for the modern home, or The Toxic Home, stuff like that and worse. And er.... we've already donated quite a few books.
A direct flight from here to there is only 2 and a half hours.
The first time we were in Japan, it was a bubble economy so things were very expensive. A small bowl of Yoshinoya gyudon was 400yen. This was from 95-99. The second time we were there, we were relieved to know that things were cheaper. That same bowl cost only 280yen. I do miss alot about Japan, especially the food and the 100yen shops. -
US$1 is roughly how much in Jap yen ah??Originally posted by jetta:Wah, chopper incident?!? You win, your family more drama.
Granny used to be an English teacher lah. She's not maternal at all. She'll always give books as presents. Not that I mind, mind you. I love reading it's just that she picks the strangest books to give me. Like Feng Shui for the modern home, or The Toxic Home, stuff like that and worse. And er.... we've already donated quite a few books.
A direct flight from here to there is only 2 and a half hours.
The first time we were in Japan, it was a bubble economy so things were very expensive. A small bowl of Yoshinoya gyudon was 400yen. This was from 95-99. The second time we were there, we were relieved to know that things were cheaper. That same bowl cost only 280yen. I do miss alot about Japan, especially the food and the 100yen shops.
ahahaha...cannot liddat compare...must know the family personally then can compare properly :Lol:
"the toxic home" is what kinda book ah??
ive never been to japan... and although its expensive, my dad says that its definitely worth going...tho the last time he went, he didnt know the language at all, so for one night all he had was this HUGE bowl of PLAIN COLD noodles -
Originally posted by udontknowme:US$1 is roughly how much in Jap yen ah??
ahahaha...cannot liddat compare...must know the family personally then can compare properly :Lol:
"the toxic home" is what kinda book ah??
ive never been to japan... and although its expensive, my dad says that its definitely worth going...tho the last time he went, he didnt know the language at all, so for one night all he had was this HUGE bowl of PLAIN COLD noodles @ your dad. That was us as new arrivals. Alamak, after the very short honeymoon period which ended at the airport I was so annoyed with them for not wanting to speak English. The first time we were there, I refused to learn Japanese. The second time, I did. But only enough to order food and ask for directions.
The toxic home is about everyday stuff in regular homes that are toxic. Like carpeting.
100yen is about US$1, give or take. Did I ever tell you the story of how this woman gave me too much change once? I was newly arrived and went to see this lady about buying her baseboard heater for $20. I have her 5000 yen and instead of giving me 3000yen back, she gave me one 1000 yen bill and two 10000 yen bills! I didn't even know about it until I was emptying my pockets later that night and hubby pointed it out. By then it was too late to do anything about it because it was that lady's last day in Japan and she had already left. -
Originally posted by jetta: @ your dad. That was us as new arrivals. Alamak, after the very short honeymoon period which ended at the airport I was so annoyed with them for not wanting to speak English. The first time we were there, I refused to learn Japanese. The second time, I did. But only enough to order food and ask for directions.
The toxic home is about everyday stuff in regular homes that are toxic. Like carpeting.
its the type of books people dont actually ever read
like you said...coffee table books
hehe...perhaps it would be better if she got you a cook book instead...
yeah...everytime i travel, i learn how to order food...
back to the topic.....hehehehehehe....what was christmas in japan like??? -
ume, i know you didn't ask me, but $1US = 115.55 JPY at todays rates
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I'm going to be really busy
no more games for me....hmmm I guess I can dump the cookies and stuff in ovan and WoW at same time
In other news, I have a bunch of X'mas cards to send out