getting pretty worried by now.
But as those who know me will attest, I am not exactly your “normal-standard” kind of girl. I go into panic mode only on Christmas eve.
The racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, irritable disposition and desperate phonecalls to my sisters begging them to let me share their gifts for not-so-close relatives,
take place every year on Dec 24.
The same scene is played out every year like a yuletide version of the movie Groundhog Day. As my long-suffering husband would say, “You never learn.”
But hey, I believe I am not not alone in the business of procrastination. There are many like me who are just not the type to make a list, check it twice and get their Christmas shopping done by November.
My days consist of long work hours, kids, family, housework, errands and the occasional World of Warcraft – yes, even Superwoman needs a break now and then.
So why don’t you get your gifts online, you ask. Simple – you can never tell how it’s going to arrive and I don’t want to take that chance. And I can’t gift-wrap to save my life so I much prefer leaving that to the shop staff.
In any case, even if I have a few hours to spare over the weekend, I am not about to waste it stuck in a bumper-to-bumper situation at some mall’s carpark. Or queue for half an hour just to pay for a soft toy.
No. I am a grab-and-go girl. I see, I grab, I check out the check-out counter – no queue, I pay, then I scoot.
It’s a primal instinct I’ve honed to perfection, borne out of an irritation with crowds and queues. But alas, it’s a skill I can’t use during this mad buying period.
Almost everywhere you go, there’s a queue. Even in the farthest, tucked away somewhere corner of some high-end mall, there’s a small queue.
Favourite shops
So I choose to avoid the crowd and queues on the days leading up to Christmas and before I know it, it’s Dec 24 and I turn into a panicking wreck once more.
This year, I’ve finally decided to do things a little differently. I’ve made a list – not of gifts – but of places to go on the eve and if you’re desperate enough, on Christmas
Day.
No department stores with long snaking queues of last-minute shoppers for me, please. I’m headed for my favourite boutiques with great service, where I can
do what I do best – grab and go.
And since I am in the mood for giving, I’m going to be nice (are you taking notes, Santa?) and share them with you.
Merry Christmas!
This article was first published in The New Paper.
