T'was a Christmas of gatherings (Part 3)

Final part!
Boxing Day (Monday)
I am not Christian so really, Christmas is just a holiday weekend and an excuse to hold gatherings and stuff. Monday was supposed to be set aside for a BBQ gathering at one of Dearie’s friend’s place. Somehow it got cancelled and the lazy boy was stuck to his chair at the computer.

I do not remember what I did in the day but by evening, I was getting restless and wanted to go out. I had been itching to go shopping for a while. It had also been a very long while since I last went to the Orchard Road stretch.

Dearie had no interest in going anywhere so I made my own way down and shopped around on my own. It was already 7pm by the time I reached Lido. Would’ve shopped a lot more (and bought a lot more) if not for the time constraints. I bought a Billabong shirt for Dearie. A whopping $59.90. Guy clothes always so expensive. I contemplated buying a $49.90 Billabong bag. I’d seen the bag in Bali and back in Singapore, seeing it again just tingled my itchy heart.

I left the shopping centre without it.

Blech. Regretting now, but heck, if I see it again next week, then yes, I’ll get it. Got to try to spend less… though my “Nightmare Before Christmas” bag already has a half broken strap and a hole on the inside lining, it does still seem usable. My B.U.M. bag from last Christmas is actually in working order. I even have a black Pierre Cardin handbag from my 23rd Birthday that hasn’t even been used yet. But that one a little too formal for me. When I work at Shenton way then maybe take out again.

I crossed over to Scotts to pick up my takeaway dinner – Pasta Mania! Don’t ask me why, I just like it. Could be the excessive garlic and salt. I don’t know. Whatever makes my senses happy right? Before I hitched a cab to Dearie’s place, he said he wanted that FHM with the Dawn Yeo girl on the cover.

Bloody hell, since when FHM… one freaking magazine… cost $7?!?!?! Ridiculous. Got it for him anyway. Should’ve just made it the Christmas present huh? Hahahaha! Dearie also explicitly told me not to get him anything – ‘cos he didn’t have money to get me anything in return. Ah well… Who ask him don’t come shopping with me. I’ll always end up buying something.

When I got to his place, I checked my mobile and realised I had missed 6 calls. Damn phone has really gone bonkers this time. No ringtone unless I smack it.

Dearie opened the door and told me he’d been trying to reach me for the past half hour. Even Evon tried to reach me. Everyday no one look for me, and the day people do, my phone doesn’t work properly.

Anyway, those gamers were planning on catching a movie: The Promise or A Chinese Tall Story. These are just about the only 2 shows in the theatres now that I have no intention of watching at all. Blech. But Bladey seemed desperate enough to want to get out. I totally related to that. Wasn’t I feeling exactly the same thing at 6:30pm when I left the house?

He had already gone out of the house by the time I started eating my pasta dinner. I gobbled up all the spaghetti and as usual left a bunch of bacon bits. We left soon after for Tiong Bahru Plaza for the movie – whichever we could get tickets for. We had 2 GV vouchers to use so it’d be a good chance to finish them off. Then I realised I had 1 more. GAH.

We didn’t manage to get tickets for A Chinese Tall Story. Or rather, the seats were 3rd row from the front so we very much preferred 3rd row from the back. Both reviews for the movies were bad. Only consolation was the The Promise was submitted for the Foreign Film category of the Oscars.
[I’m still sore that “Be With Me” didn’t make it for being considered for the category. All because of 2 min of speech in English. Eh?! Foreign film cannot have English ah?! What kind of rubbish is that?! And besides, it’s supposed to be a semi-silent film!!! The dialogue shouldn’t even have been brought into question. Damn Oscars. They think they’re the ones in the world that use the English language huh? Wake up!!! There’s a whole world out there!]

Anyway, we laughed through parts of the movie ‘cos of how ridiculous it was but story wise it was all right. Not too horrible. I give it 3 stars.

The boys got hungry after the movie so we walked around in search of food. There was 1 Yong Tau Foo stall open so we just settled there. The 3 of them got into their World Of Warcraft talk again while I drifted off into my own lala land trying my bestest to think of how interesting the game is, but failing horribly. I must be the only person left on earth that hasn’t tried the game. Not that I have any intention to. At least I can understand some of the stuff they say.

---

I recalled an SMS my mum sent me when I checked my phone after the movie (no need to put silent mode some more). She said my elder sis (ki’s mum) left the house after a row with her husband. Sigh.

No wonder we couldn’t get her from morning till night. From what my parents told me the next morning, her husband resorted to drowning himself in alcohol. Kaoz. Should go out and look for her, call her friends what. Drink alcohol only make things worse.

I’m glad my elder sis is a strong person. I didn’t worry too much, but we hope her husband did some real good thinking during that time. He hardly spends any time with his oh-so-cute son Zaki and spends all his time playing his games. Financially he has to burden the house and renovations, but it’s not as if he doesn’t spend all his remaining money on his son and wife you know? His gaming and cycling eats up quite abit of his wallet. Gadgets like his PSP don’t come free either. Oh, then how does his wife and son survive? My sister has a job so it’s not so bad. Thankfully Zaki has all 4 of his grandparents who dote on him so very much. And nope, he doesn’t give his parents money either. Once upon a time have, but the money just stopped. I’m not saying financially he is all wrong, but hey, the least you can do is make-up for your bad financial handling with something money cannot buy – your time. Time spent with Zaki.

At least kiki is close to his mummy. She may be a weekend mummy but at least everyday after work she makes it a point to go and see him before going home. The father can coop himself up in front of the computer even when Zaki is in his own home. He only comes out to say hello and bye bye to him. Ok. These may just be my observations. How extensive I don’t know, but from ki’s reaction towards his father, I’d say he is exactly like that whether or not we’re around. I mean, my parents and his own parents also say so. I’m not alone on this.

As of last night, my mummy said my sister is ok now. I hope she is. Ups and downs of marriage. The inevitable.

Meanwhile, I’ve got more personal things to worry about: my studies. I’ve been saying this for a long while but the reality just got worse – the tentative timetable is out. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

9th May – Principles of Accounting
30th May – Elements of Social Applied Psychology
31st May – Human Resource Management
31st May – Marketing

Precisely Psychology and HRM I have problems with and they have to put them together. Some more Marketing this kind of essay paper also put together with them. I’m screwed. I told me mum I’d like to drop them but she said to just give it a shot. If fail then try again. BIANGZ.

Gone case this time. Usually I’m just saying it to be prudent, this time I’m actually meaning it.