Material World

I got some good stuff for xmas this year. But I gotta admit that the highlight of my presents are really these!!! (muchos gracias)

Beautiful brown scarf from Minh
Much needed art supplies from Kim
Handmade artists scarf from my middle bro

All of them were very thoughtful, very sentimentally planned, and were stuff I really wanted. I got other stuff too but I think when people really get it b/c they think of you, it means much more than just a rushed or expected gift. You can tell when people put more time, energy, and research into a gift than those that don't. My middle bro wins though, especially with the scarf he asked his friend to hand-knit for me. It means a lot because I think this is the best gift he's ever given me. And I guess it always means more when you recieve a great gift from a family member for some reason. I don't know if anyone else ever feels that way too. Maybe he's trying to redeem himself from that time he gave me an electronic stuffed monkey that masturbates.... yeah joke presents are cool but that one was kind of overboard and I was pretty sad about it.

I guess I do take pride in what people give me. I like hand-made or home-made things a lot more than expensive luxurious gifts. I value their thoughts more than their product. I think these types of sentimental gifts say a lot about your friends and family but also how they think of you. Christmas used to stress me out because I was always afraid of expecting so much from people that I'd get sad over selfish reasons in the end. And even more stressing is buying or making people gifts because I didn't know how much they would expect from me either. In a way, I started to hate gift-giving. I hate not giving enough, or giving too much. I always hated when people buy food for me too. Money becomes this tricky thing to me. I hate money. I wish things were exchanged with fairy dust. I think all gifts should be things you hand make even if it is just a card or like a necklace made from play-doe. Better yet, gifts should be inanimate things, like you have to write a poem or a song for someone. I wish holidays weren't about gift-giving, but just being with your loved ones and celebrating what the day was meant for. And I hate when people expect something expensive like a dvd player or I duno, a Coach handbag. Especially when they think that you're so loaded that you should get stuff like that for them. We're not all made of money, and wouldn't you rather be suprised? We all live in this American material world in which I really loathe. To me, you only give such gifts to people who ask for it on their bridal registry. Well, I wasn't trying to make this entry sound so analytical about our capitalist society since it's christmas and all, but I guess I'm generally a pessimist. I shouldn't go on...

But I will. I remember my friend was suprised when she found out that none of my boyfriends got me nice jewelry or like an ipod. But I think that's because they knew I wouldn't like that and that I'd rather have them make crafty stuff for me than buy me stuff I can buy myself. So, nope, I never got a gem-encrusted earrings, or apple products because that would be like a typical couple. I know so many of my girl friends who got $200 ipods or diamond necklaces. Crazy loads of expensive and luxurious gifts. I think in my philosophy, you only buy stuff like that for your significant other when you are married or seriously engaged. Giving that stuff when you're just dating just doens't make sense to me. I'm sure a lot people think I'm wrong. I'd rather have a hand-made drawing that took hours to make than like a brand new hippity-hop cell phone or a set of golf clubs or like even an expensive restaurant meal.