Christmas @ Home ...

So it's December.

My, my, how time has flown by.

It really does feel like it was just yesterday that Mom, Pops and I were in Vegas partying with the best of them in Sin City in 2008. And now ... it's Christmas 2009 and I get to play host to the LimKlan.



So, it is with great excitement that I made plans with Serene to go Christmas shopping for both decorations as well as presents. One of the stops that I made a lot in November into December this year was at Starbucks, and it was on one of those occassions that I managed to score the ridiculously priced Starbucks cup trinket for a Christmas tree. Can you imagine that something that CUTE and SMALL could cost RM32.00/- if you bought it at retail? WTF.


This is one of the very few times that I think very poorly of Starbucks. But the again, if you're drinking something at Starbucks, you're more than likely able to afford it anyway. So I guess my pissy-ness is kinda moot. :P On another note, my annual favourite, Iced Mocha Praline makes it's annual showing and I've been chugging it down like it's going out of style. ;) Go try it out y'all.

I have since wrapped the first round of presents and decorated my home ... and I'm quite chuffed with the results ... I need to take a better picture tonight, so I'll post that picture on here later ok? :) So I've got most of all the presents wrapped up and I started thinking that since Serene already KNOWS all the presents AND the presents that she's gotten (a pair of GAP jeans and a labelling machine), I figured that I need to get her a surprise gift. Jerry of course, had to SIBUK and come and see what he got for Christmas ... thank goodness he had a stomach ache and had to use the bathroom and I managed to hide his present from his grubby hands. He, ladies and gentlemen, will shake, rattle and roll a package until he guesses what it is ... and spoils MY fun of course. So I'm determined that that isn't going to be the case for Christmas 2009. :P So there.

Anyway, here's a photo from my place yesterday evening ... it's too grainy if you open up the real image, so just imagine it sharp as a knife and you get the image that I see every night. It's ... sheer magical, Christmas bliss. I decided to go with blinking lights at the core of my Christmas tree (yes, yes, I'm a Christmas geek) and to have steadies on the outer portion, which made stringing the lights in that little confined space an interesting ... exercise. I had to bend and use muscles that I only discovered in Astanga Yoga a couple of weeks back ... hmmm, everything happens for a reason yes? ;)

So, anyways, back to my story about the Gap stores in Malaysia. Or rather, KL. Serene and I traipsed into the GAP store in Gardens, Mid Valley and she immediately went for and fell in love with the distressed (here's another thing, WHY would you want a pair of pre-ripped jeans and pay retail for damaged goods?) jeans. I kinda banged on the idea of the non-ripped but distressed jeans right next to it and it was JUST as comfortable. So we got that pair for her Christmas present. At the counter, we inquired if they could alter it and they said not a problem, but it would take about 2 - 3 hours as they are short staffed. Since we were on a deadline to send Wawa to KLIA, that was out of the question. So we asked if we could do it another day at the 1U store.

Their reply: "No problem, just bring the receipt along with you."

We then asked: "How long will it take?"

"About the same time, Sir."

"Fine ... that's great. Thanks."

"No worries."

Fast forward 1 week and we're shopping again at 1U and we make a purposeful visit to the Gap store ... and mind you, this was like 10 in the morning ok. There were at most, 8 - 10 people in the store with about 7 - 8 store hands.

Us: "Excuse me, we'd like to alter this pair of jeans."

Gap: "Er ... let me check."

Us: "Um. Okaaaaaay."

Gap: "Sorry Sir / Ma'am. Can you come back on the 21st of December? Because we're NOT ALLOWED to do alterations during sales period and we're also short staffed."

Me: "How the HELL is that my problem? Your store in Gardens said that you can do alterations. There was not mention of a 'date' or any schpiel ...!!!!"

Gap: "Sorry-lor. I think got miscommunicayzion."

Me: ... storms off muttering "Ridiculous."

Lesson of the day: Don't trust GAP store sales staff. Damn liars and cheats. Now Serene has to go do alterations at some other tailor.

I may look and feel great, but don't trust the people that sell me - GAP jeans.

.

So now I'm debating between 2 presents for Serene, and for obvious reasons, I can't ask you for your opinions here now ... so I'll just decide and get it after this when I go get the Christmas stuff for the office. Yeah ... apparently, we're all happy to celebrate and organize all the other religions' celebrations, but when it comes to Christmas, obviously Juggernaughts ain't gonna lift her giant bazookas to do anything and everyone seemed to take the cue from her and ... decided not to volunteer to organize it. So ... it's back to me or there won't be a celebration dinner and then the MD will have a bitch fit. So ... excuse me while I get back to planning ... and I'm so excited!!! Whee!!! Will write more soon!

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Xoxo,

Ken.