expensive gifts: not necessary

it doesn't take much to please me. really.

the "no occasion"-just-before-December gifts i received from two men close to my heart were probably more significant than any other i received.

coming from his sem break in Manila, my cousin Bene, a true blue techie guy like me, brought home a mini-tripod. it's probably one of the few gadgets i find useful-- specially for shots that need to be taken during night time. i don't trust my shaky hands. and if i want my photo without the shadow from my shaking, this tripod would be best to capture people with a scenic, well-lit background. after much cajoling and wheedling, he finally caved in, at the same time uttering "o yan na Christmas gift ko sa'yo ha".

cost: P200 (if you're good at haggling, you can even bring it down to P150!)

my dad also brought home a laptop paraphernalia. i'm not really sure how it's called. it's sort of a flashlight with a clip. he explained he wanted a light for him to see the keyboard when working at night. and without even finishing his spiel, he brought out another nifty one for me. haha. i know for a fact that he got it only for less than P100, considering he bought it from Divisoria's cheap 168 mall.. (it's surprising how this mall can turn on any person's "i want to go shopping" button. my dad's been going crazy buying stuff from this store!). yet, i am pleased with his thoughtfulness. and the thought that he knows i'd be delighted to have one. and just like my cousin, he commented "yan na Christmas gift ko sa'yo ha?"

i hope dad's just joking.

when not using it on my laptop, it doubles as a nightlamp for any book.

any normal person would find it absurd to receive these cheap gifts as Christmas gifts.

but quite frankly, i don't care. i'm actually pleased.

uberly pleased!