What I wish for Christmas...

Every year we had a Christmas gift exchange among our colleagues. This year was the 3rd year that we started practising that.

The first year, each of us draw lots and see whose name we got. We had to buy a gift for that person, and secretly placed it under the christmas tree without revealing who we were.

The 2nd year, we changed from drawing names to drawing numbers. We bought a present for the number that we got, labeled our gift with that number and secretly placed the gift under the christmas tree. Then, on the gift exchange day, we'd draw another number to see which gift we’d get.

This year, we did it differently. We’re supposed to write down what we wanted as a Christmas gift on a piece of paper, and put it back into the ballot box. Then, after everyone had returned his/her wish list, there’s a lucky draw session where each person would pick up a wish list and see what they were supposed to buy. And the rules were we’re supposed to buy something as close as possible to the wish list (minimum RM20, the sky's the limit). For example, if A wanted a girlfriend, we could buy a pair of cinema tickets, and include a telephone number of one of our still available female friends. If B wanted sweet memory, we could buy a Hacks and a 128MB DIMM RAM. If C wanted a gold bar, we could buy chocolate gold bars. Interesting right?

So off we went to buy the gift, wrapped it up, and secretly placed it under the Christmas tree when no was looking. Here's our Christmas tree just before the gift exchange time....Taaa....da!

Presents waiting to be opened

Hmm.... I saw a lot of interesting wish lists...here're just a few of them, from downright straightforward ones up to those that required some creativity and imagination from the buyer.

This one must be from a lady

We had a few wish list on electronic gadgets, such as pendrive, thumbdrive, wireless mouse, car FM modulator, etc...

A Doraemon fans

Ah, at least Santa knew what to look for - so precise

This one gave Santa a harder time...

Ooh... and this one wants a Santa Claus!

Now, now, I would like to know that too!

Hey, do you really think Santa can grant this wish? Work from home once per week!

Haha, A Happy Meal for "Make Me Happy for Whole Day"?

Wow... a Horse!

A holiday trip to Bangkok!

Ok, so that's what we saw from the outside, are you interested to know what's inside them? I wouldn't share all of them  here, but just pick a few for a good laugh...

This person's request was very simple - either a Jusco/Sunshine shopping voucher, or something pretty/nice to carry her shopping stuffs. (I guess the pretty/nice word implied that she's a girl, right?) But guess what she got?

A sunflower stalk and a KFC voucher (symbolised sunshine voucher), and a baby stroller for her to carry something pretty inside :) Haha, the buyer's making things complicated, huh?

And this guy said he could do with a girlfriend, or something to use or play in his car. We got the most laugh from here...

Lots of girls' pictures for him to choose, and he still got a solar toy girlfriend for his car (top right of the picture)! The person who bought this actually sewed the word girlfriend for the solar toy's dress. Creative ya? And lotsa hard work too!

Ok, so what other gifts you're interested to know what's inside? I would share a few here, including some which I didn't post any pictures above.

1. The Secret to Half Day Job at Full Day Pay - The 4D book for all forms (Toto, 4D, Magnum) and also a book on how to enjoy your work and your life

2. Work from home once a week - a pillow! So, instead of giving something to be able to work from home, the buyer thought that making the office like home would be quite similar. Brilliant, don't you think so?

3. Magnet (not in the pics above) - A perfume for lady with the word - to attract or be attracted. And you know what? The person who wish for this is a guy (oO)

4. Perfume - A generic perfume (can be for a girl or a guy), and also a car perfume

5. A holiday trip to Bangkok - A book entitled Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett.

6. Horse - A teddy horse with a Ferrari logo

7. Make me happy for whole day - Happy Meal vouchers and coupons for breakfast, lunch and dinner

8. Super Mario solar toy - a solar toy with Super Mario pasted to its face.

9. Starbuck Penang City Mug - The buyer actually bought a blank mug and pasted the design on it! Take a look at the picture below, it looks so real! But that's just a joke, the person who wished for this did get the actual mug :)

Don't you think it's fun? Oh yes, we have lots of fun and we're sure looking forward to next year's Christmas Exchange Gift. Till then, Merry Christmas everyone! And oh yes, wishing you all a wonderful 2010 ahead! A new hope, a new beginning, I'm sure it has lots of great starts for everyone.