Christmas Card Exchange + Jolly Holly Holiday Tag

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope you enjoyed your day, as I did mine!

Sometime last month, I asked if anyone would want to exchange Christmas cards with me, and got responses in the affirmative from a few lovely ladies! Here are the cards I received from them. They have come from all over the world (Japan, Malaysia, Germany, Scotland, Canada and Singapore) and I am so pleased!

Thank you so much, ladies! I have enjoyed checking my mailbox every night, tearing open the envelopes, and unveiling these lovely cards with your sweet personal handwritten notes inside. I hope you have enjoyed the ones I sent you as well (and that you didn’t have a hard time deciphering my handwriting).

In addition to that, the lovely Luchessa tagged me in the Holly Jolly Holiday tag so I answer some Christmas questions below.

1. Do you start your Christmas shopping on Black Friday or wait until the last-minute?
We don’t have Black Friday in Philippines or Singapore, so I can’t start it then. And even if there was, I suspect I still would do last minute because cramming is my thing.

2. If you could be in any Christmas movie what would it be?
That’s easy – my all time favorite movie, Love Actually! I want to be one of the characters with a happy story, or I could have my own new story, like maybe, a guy stumbles upon a girl’s blog, likes her writing style and reads all her stories and connects with her. She has no idea what he looks like but he seems like such a witty, interesting guy, so she agrees to meet him at a… hmmm… skating rink, and when he shows up, he turns out to be Benedict Cumberbatch, which is perfect because he’s also British! Then he teaches her how to skate and they fall in love and live happily ever after.

3. Which do you like better: Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
The eve, because that’s when the celebration happens. I also open all my presents then and don’t wait for Christmas morning. Actually… I have such low EQ that I usually open all my presents right after receiving them! Oops.

4. When does your family put up your Christmas tree and who decorates it?
My parents were not into Christmas trees so we never had one in our house while I was growing up, though we had other cheaper decorations. I have always wanted one, though, so on my first Christmas as an adult with a job, I bought a tiny Christmas tree for our apartment and decorated it myself.

5. White lights or colored lights?
I like colored blinking lights.

6. Are you guilty of peeking at your presents or do you like the surprise? 
See #3.

7. Would you rather live in a gingerbread house or in Santa’s Workshop?
Definitely Santa’s Workshop. I might eat the gingerbread house and get as fat as Santa. Not cool.

8. Tell us your Christmas Eve traditions!
Cooking or buying food for “noche buena” (Christmas dinner), then gathering round the table to eat it at midnight. Usually, though, we get hungry before then and eat a bit, only to eat again when midnight strikes.

9. If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone who would it be?
I’ve never actually seen and therefore been under a mistletoe ever, but if I did, I wish for… see #2.

10. What tops your tree?
We don’t have a tree topper this year because… see below.

11. Can you name the 12 days of Christmas?
Ummm… I’m not sure I understand the question. I didn’t know there were names? I thought it was just a song?

12. Have you ever gone Christmas caroling?
Yes! It was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. In my company back in the Philippines I joined the choir just so I could keep doing it.

13. Do you countdown to Christmas? If so, how many days are left?
I don’t count down but I look forward to it a lot and get really excited about it.

14. What are some foods and treats you can count on having every holiday season?
My favorite Christmas food used to be Philippine Christmas ham, but they don’t have that here in Singapore, so the one treat I can count on now is the candy cane. And okay, peppermint mocha/hot chocolate and log cakes too.

15. How has Christmas kept its magic for you as you’ve grown older?
Being around people who also enjoy Christmas as much as I do has kept it the same old most wonderful time of year for me. Hanging out with Scrooges and Grinches will definitely kill the magic. I’ve experienced it in small doses and I can imagine how their presence in huge numbers can kill one’s Christmas spirit.

It’s too late for me to tag anyone else, methinks, but if you wanna answer any of the questions, or all of them, you can answer them in the comments below! 🙂

P.S. Speaking of #2, below Sherlock mini-episode which was released on Christmas eve? Best. Christmas Gift. Ever.