witsandnuts

Tag: Kris Kringle with blog pals

• Wishes do come true, so here’s my Christmas wish list

  Posted at 8:20 pm by witsandnuts, on November 25, 2011

  

  How moments fly! It’s now round 2 of our version of bloggers Christmas exchange gift. Thanks to our gracious host, PM for sustaining this initiative. It’s given that gift-hunting and and wish-listing would be challenging since I’m too busy (the same old tune), but I willingly joined in again because I don’t want to miss the fun. I enjoyed last year’s entire process of exchange gift — stitching the set of surprises for my baby blogger and personally receiving the package sent by my ‘mommy blogger’ and exclaiming “yehey, she sent me Princess Leia and R2-D2 (Starwars) and all those things that made my 2010 holidays happier!” It was extra interesting because I got the package while I was vacationing in the Philippines in time for Christmas. So here we are again, I’m looking forward to have an ‘exchange of warmth and care’ with another blogger. Do we have the same wish list? (I did a strike through of those which already materialized. Yehey!)

  

  Something (1) small: artsy hairclift (2) big: new or old magazines which had a feature on Ely Buendia (3) cute: earphones (4) soft: socks with cat print

  

  Something (5) techie: e-reader preferably a Kindle (6) fancy: a brown case for my Fuji X100 (I got two from my friends!) (7) fave color: right now my fave color is ginger because that speaks about our new kitten, Perdita; I’d be pleased to have the book “How to Live With A Neurotic Cat”, PM’s post piqued me (8) wearable: bracelet

  

  Something (9) I need: SLEEP. I’m always striving to increase my zzzzzs-time. As an alternate wish, I need Fuji films for my Instamax mini. My film stock is depleting soon and unfortunately, I can’t source anything within the UAE. (10) work: I miss those Panda pens with sweet scent and glitters from the Philippines, with blue ink as I recall (11) sweet: Lala candies from the Philippines.

  Wish-listing is challenging but fun. To my exchange gift partner, I hope this helps as a guide. Enjoy the hunt and stay cool because anything from you is going to be much appreciated, basta don’t forget my Lala candies (wish # 11). 🙂

  [Photo credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11]

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• All I want for Christmas

  Posted at 10:33 pm by witsandnuts, on October 19, 2010

  

  Since I am miles away from home and although confined in the breeze of a Muslim country, I am all the more excited for Christmas. It is one of the occasions that I look forward to because it revives and strengthens togetherness, aside from the many things, among families, friends, and the rest of the people whom I hardly know personally. This year will be extra different because I will take part in our modified form of kris kringle with some of the bloggers. The nicest thing here is that it has transformed into sort of community, i.e. through a common blogger pal, Prinsesa Musang (aka PM). Thanks to her for organizing this. I suggest that you take time to visit her blog, not only because I enjoin you to our swap, but also because her blog is a rare kind. It is like eating Pringles, once you pop, you can’t stop. In our mother tongue, hahanap hanapin mo.

  As part of the gift giving mechanics, the “attendees” shall write their wish lists. It took me time to come up with my own and opted to create a collage for a quick assessment; I hope that this will help my swap partner (and whoever wishes to send me anything, and yes, I have a back up list! Just kidding) to figure out how to amuse me. Do not worry, I am generally easy to please. But maybe I am just being biased to myself. Haha. So, I will let you be the judge:

  Something small: a souvenir jeepney replica (I think it is available in Kulturang Pilipino)
  Something big: mix tape or cd of playlist(s) of your choice, I would like to know my swap partner’s hilig sa music (I think that it is figuratively a big wish, eh?)
  Something cute: Starwars chopsticks or anything Starwars related except for the DVDs which I already got
  Something soft: socks for sneakers
  Something techie: skull candy headphone or iPad sleeve
  Something fancy: Homestyle back issues (especially the one with Ely Buendia cover, please!)
  Something blue (or insert your favorite color here): hair accessories (headbands, clips)
  Something wearable: shawl
  Something you need: charger organizer (Based on my research, it is available in Rustan’s)
  Something you can use for work: journal which is Philippine-produced
  Something sweet: Macadamia chocolates
  All I Want For Christmas: I just want everyone to be happy. But my biggest wish to my swap partner (and to those who read my blog) is to write a letter to your parents and/or guardians and thank them about so many things. You don’t need to send me an evidence. I know that you will do it. Thank you. 🙂

  I will probably spend two weeks in the Philippines in time for the Christmas and New Year, primarily to attend a good friend’s wedding in Bohol and LOTS of family gatherings and outings. I wish to give the liberty to my (still unknown) swap partner to send the haul to my UAE or Philippine address. In case you will make it before the cut off, I would be happy to open my gift during Christmas time (or maybe the minute Mr. Postman hands it over). But in case you will not and if unintentionally it reaches my Philippine address on the day of my flight back to UAE, do not worry, people back home will keep the package until I vacation for the 2011 Christmas or possibly for another wedding before that. Seriously, either way, I know that we will manage to receive/send it at a reasonable time.

  To my swap partner, whoever you are, I thank you in advance.

  (Credit: Photos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12)

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• About witsandnuts

  Marhaba! That's "hello" in Arabic. I am an expatriate based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). I started writing about my adventures and misadventures few months before arriving here at winter of 2008. I have 2 cats and a dog who live harmoniously together. I am also surrounded by kindhearted, crazy, funny and indescribable humans! I was a dormant blogger for almost 3 years because of countless reasonable justifications like watching football, postgraduate studies, sleeping, traveling, caring for the world, and more! :) I am just so happy that I am back! It is never too late to catch up with the people and things we really care about. Feel free to look around.

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• Random snaps

  13 January 2020 Timelapse shot with an iPhone 7+ (pre-sunset, actual sunset, post-sunset). 🌅 . . . I have started practising a bit of Stoicism (branch of philosophy) since August of 2019. I liked its effect on my well being. Therefore, while I am quite far to being a real Stoic and I do not intend to perfect it, I joined the 21-Day New Year, New You Challenge. It is the 13th day... Well, I am proud to say that I have failed in majority of the challenges, so far. 😅 I like that some of those challenges seem easy, unreasonable and may trigger a “what the F”🙈... but whenever I fail, I do not feel upset but more encouraged to try again. In the process, I happily learn, know myself more, become better in many aspects, and more at peace. One of the challenges is to constantly watch the sunrise and sunset. I thought it is plain and straightforward, particularly that I like watching the sunrise (more than) and sunset. Hence, my IG bio says ‘Waiting for the sunrise’. Watching the sunrise is also more accessible to me because I usually do it at the parking area near the office or when I walk Clover (our furmily member) on weekends. So, I thought I would challenge myself more in finding quality time to watch the sunset. I tried something new. Without proper planning (out of character), I drove somewhere wherein there is a reflection pool to ‘experience’ today’s sunset. I was there 40 minutes before sunset. I was truly present and witnessed all of it — the ripples, changing colors, until the bottom of the sun reached the horizon. Wow, it felt symbolic and cosmical at the same time. I realized that this challenge taught a great practice — of renewal and rejuvenation. One day has finished and I look forward to witnessing the sun’s reappearance tomorrow, with gratitude and hope.

  “It feels like Christmas everyday because you are here.” #blessed #grateful #Jsjourney #abudhabi #christmasbreak2019

  Exactly a month ago, as we were sitting on this bench. 🕰 . . J: Mama, is there any shop you want to check or would you like to buy something from here? . . Me: No. I don’t feel the need to buy anything. I am quite happy about what I have... . . J: Is there anything specific you want to do while we are here? . . Me: Hhhm... I just want to sit and enjoy the moment. . . J: Wow. . . Me: Wait, I just want to take *this photo*, so I’ll have comparative photos in the same spot, of the times we visited Covent Garden together. #Jsjourney #conversationswithJ #lateupload

  The day we said “see you again”, “don’t cry too much”, and many other things, culminated with the warmest embrace of the century. #Jsjourney #blessed #graceatwork

  J: Mama, it’s amazing! Well, this and that (blah, blah)... What kind of magic did you do? Me: I prayed. I ALWAYS pray for you. Remember the book, ‘The Power of A Praying Parent’? #Jsjourney #thedaybeforemyreturnflight #blessed #grateful #graceatwork

  She’s a wild grass, she’ll survive anywhere. Very proud, I am. #Jsjourney #blessed #graceatwork

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