Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree !

Guess who got landed the job? Moi. What horror!? Not that I'm complaining or anything but seriously people? You trust me to put up the tree, the lights and all without causing some kind of electrical emergency?   I must admit back home in Malaysia, I was not heavily involved with our gorgeous tree which we religiously put up on the 1st December every year - Pa always did the lights, Ness seemed to enjoy decorating, admiring and giving input from a distance and I figured mum just had to love the whole Christmas season. How else could anyone fathom why she always seemed happy making up to 6 to 7 different kinds of cookies and cooking up a storm at Christmas annually.  To think that mum would even dread putting up the tree would leave us no hope and would see us all at some kopitiam ( slang for coffee shop) . What I recall,  Pa seemed to be happy with his duty - the lights; and of course life must have been easier with his two faithful helpers unravelling the cord of lights for him.  Oh,  how I wish Ruffer especially at that time (our brother the dog) was trained to help around a bit more. He has since graduated from his love of sitting on our heads which is such a relieve and  he seems much more civilised and adorable as the years go by. Kinda feel bad that I forgot to say bye to him, my beloved brother before leaving for Chile

Oh,  how I missed my family especially when I had to put up the tree all by myself, pretty dreadful I tell you.  I even had a sob session, not because I was too sad or anything well of course a bit, but because I felt " What accomplishment!" .
What options did I have anyways? What.....I am supposed to say to my darling mother-in-law who's housing ,  feeding us and mostly thrilled that we are around indefinitely that I would rather help out with the tree when she comes back from work? All worn-out from government bureaucracy,  worst still-  whilst I've had time to leisure my day away.
 No..I don't think so.
I guess I could settle with that option but I would probably be pushing my luck just a bit there.

 Turns out though, to my great surprise,  I enjoyed every minute of it.  I do enjoy watching the very red and gold tree flicker away crazily, in an epilepsy inducing kinda way. Feels like home.  More so now that Christmas is approaching,  it looks even better with the pressies, especially the pink paper bag that's mine.  Wee!!!!...Christmas is so close by and I'm so happy to have done a tree before I turned 30! 
Oh, give me some credit! I do have higher ambitions people then to put up a tree :)
Really got to thank my parents for this - for getting us hyped-up with the whole Christmas saga.  I have since managed to even guilt trip Luis slowly but surely, into agreeing to put a tree when our first baby Unda pops out of me -  he agreed to the idea, but the deco? At this stage, my mother-in-law quickly suggested that she'll help with the deco. Ha ! I guess we can't win it all can we? but I've realized that we can depend on people that love us when we need them and I figured that's something, something to treasure.
 Merry Christmas all with much love, M




Voila ! Presenting the radiating red tree