Christmas shopping

it's been a tough shopping time....Christmas always is! i really hate buying presents at Christmas and also at birthdays, pretty much ANY celebration where gifts are a must. don't get me wrong, i love giving presents. but i want and love giving them when i do it on impulse. sometimes, i will be walking along doing my own shopping and see something that i know so-and-so will love. or just a thoughtful gift for a dear friend who might need something to brighten up their day. i don't like the stress and pressure and RUSH of needing to buy someone a present. the decisions that need to be made, the coordination skills needed (!!!) and....especially at Christmas time where you have to wrestle the crowds...there will be tears! let me tell you, the agony i went through the whole week before my flight to Australia...i hardly got any sleep that week! rushing to the shops after work, trying to find the right gifts, mentally adding up the $$ i've spent... then going home, trying to pack my bags, being too tired, barely sleeping and up again to be at work by 8am....zzzz i really felt like i was just floating through the week, lucky for me there were no big problems at work apart from being really really busy.

the last few days i've been making lists of Christmas presents...it's so difficult...and then madly running out of my parents' store for a few minutes at a time to go look and buy presents. this morning was crazy! but i got most of it done...and i'm quickly running out of money too! been swiping a lot =/ i'm going to be on a tight budget the next few months...trying to squeeze in a weekend in HK in Feb though...to see my dear Judy :) i miss her so much, she's always been my voice of rationality and reason! she'll be stopping over in HK for only a few days and it's the only time i will be able to see her when she's close enough...

the good thing about shopping in Australia is that there is no massive crowds like in Singapore!!! what a great feeling it is NOT to have people in your face, shoving and pushing! last Saturday when Qi and i were in Orchard....omgosh....claustrophobia!!! i love wide open spaces!!!!!!!

i got a few dvds too...looking forward to spending my afternoons with the girls camped out in front of the tv and lots of snacks!