Christmas Hoopla

I know this is late but I promised myself to do this Christmas meme hoopla from Melanie, so here goes.

Rules:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas.
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.
5. If you want to -- please give me, Andrea, some link-love as the 'Hoopla-Creator'. I love new blog-traffic.

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1. When I was younger, I -along with my friends- had tried going around our neighborhood singing Christmas carols. It was then that I inadvertently introduced myself to this running-for-your-life game. Kids vs. askals (stray and seemingly-stray dogs).

2. We always have fake trees at home.

3. I prefer to be the one take the tree down- and put away the rest of our decorations rather than be the one to set them up. By then (the former), I will not have to worry about "presentation."

4. I like shopping gifts in December - despite the traffic, despite the long queues by the counters, despite the fact that I have to squeeze myself in between warm bodies just to get to another section.

5. I like to wrap gifts. I always volunteer to do the gift wrapping because I could make that as my excuse to not do the dishes, miss my date with the iron board, skip the laundry...

6. I love to re-use Christmas gift wrappers - or any gift wrappers, for that matter.

7. Every year, I always wait for December to come. Mmm, very much like a kid. No kidding.


8. I've spent a handful of Christmases working in the office. Yes, Christmas Eve.

9. I have spent more than a handful of Christmases away from home.

10. When I was kid, my father would sing Christmas songs to make me sleep. I just love listening to my father sing Christmas songs - until now.



11. Fireworks, I definitely love but firecrackers give me a nightmare. I am terribly scared of firecrackers - ask my parents.

12. I am sporting a scar on my knees as proof to #12. I will never forget one Christmas Eve, on the way to my cousin's house after hearing mass, when the crash-boom-bang rat-tat-tat-tat-tat got me too scared surprised I literally jumped out of my skin. I fell hard on my knees and in our mad rush, I got dragged (by my cousin) while on my knees.

Now because it's late, I just have to break Rule #3 and not tag anyone. Why do I hear sighs of relief? :-)