Gifts and more gifts

I know, it's like the hundredth time I am saying this, but work is really too much at this time of year!

When most people are winding down with Christmas and New Year's and shopping, I am stuck at work till 9.

Anyway, yesterday was a colleague's birthday and we only celebrated it today, with a cake and a present.

I have never bought such an expensive gift before for anyone, except for myself of course.

You see, this colleague of mine lost his mobile phone last month, a Nokia 6233, after having it for a grand total of 2 days!

His previous phone was a really old one, with monochrome screen, also a Nokia.

We believed it was swiped of his work desk when the trash lady came to empty the waste basket.

Immediately, a colleague and I decided to get him the exact same phone for his birthday. We asked around and managed to get the whole department to chip in.

I was assigned the task of buying the phone, which I did on Christmas eve morning.



I got it for $400 (without a mobile plan) and shared among 7 of us. I think with a 2-year contract mobile plan, it is about $100. This website says it sells for AU$499, so not too bad lar.

Initially, I was a bit worried that his family or friends might have the same brilliant idea and got him a phone too as a gift, but thankfully they did not.

When he unwrapped the present, he was truly shocked and stunned. I could tell from his expression that he was really touched and didn't expect it at all.

I think for that alone, it's worth the money. These kind of things, as Mastercard says, are priceless.

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Anyway, I did my own shopping one week before Christmas.

Actually, it was more of impulsive buying. I wasn't really planning to buy anything, but then I have been looking for a bag for some time and there was this shop at Vivocity which had a 20% store-opening discount .... which means it is only $28 ...

So, this is what I bought:



By the way, I don't really like Vivocity. It's too crowded (and even more so during the current school holidays), the floor plan is confusing and it doesn't feel very spacious, even though it's the largest mall here in Singapore.

Though that didn't stop me from walking around some more and buying this pair of shoes:



So, that's that.

Anyway, I will be coming back to KL this weekend. Yay!

I could really use with the long weekend break, coz I have been told I need to work on the first weekend of January. Not just one day, but both Saturday and Sunday! Sigh ...

The flood doesn't affect the North-South highway, does it?

Happy New Year everyone! Let's look forward to a better and more exciting 2007.