Merry Christmas!

Oh my goodness! It feels like just yesterday when I had my first Thanksgiving celebration! Right after that day, Christmas songs started to play everywhere you go and Christmas decorations were up and about in all shops. Everyone was busy thinking of what gifts to buy each other and sending off Christmas cards.

Now its Christmas.

No.. correction.

Now Christmas has pass!

Oh my god.. is it just me or when you're get older, time just start flying by?

Why do I keep feeling that time is passing by super fast? My first semester of my university life is over and I have been living in United States for over 5 months already! Can you believe that? I.. daddy's little girl has been away from home for the first time for over 5 months!

And we are gonna receive year 2008 in a few days time.

Don't ask me.. its a random heart right smack in the middle of SF!

Where did the whole year go?

Sigh.. I don't know about you but this time thing is really starting to freak me out. What am I doing with my life? Am I living in to the fullest?

Nevermind.. let's not talk about that first.

I tell you.. it is so different really being in the midst of the real Christmas celebration. Everyone here takes Christmas shopping so seriously. Unlike in Malaysia where you just buy presents for each other just for the sake of it, or for the fun of it. Nobody will say anything or feel bad if you don't get them stuff. Christmas day is just another holiday. I don't know about the other families in Malaysia but that is how my family and friends celebrate Christmas!

Over here.. you can really feel all the excitement everywhere you go. All the advertisements that you see on TV is about getting the perfect gift for the special someone. For the last weekend before Christmas, prices are slash down so much that it is just crazy. Stores like Mervyns open from 5am to 2am last Friday, Saturday and Sunday for last minute shoppers. When I went to the city in San Francisco, my goodness.. it was brimming with people. And all of them had bags and bags of wrap presents in them.

And the funniest part, on the 24th of December, at around 6pm, all the shops start to close. I don't remember this happening in Malaysia. It only happens on Hari Raya eve and Chinese New Year eve but definitely not Christmas eve. The stores open almost the whole day the weekend before Christmas and the night before Christmas it is close. And on Christmas itself, it doesn't open at all! The whole mall closes! It like the city is dead!

Christmas is just a huge deal over here..




So different.




I'm staying with a Chinese family over in San Francisco and you know what they do during Christmas day? They get together with the whole family, grandparents, aunty uncles and all and have dim sum in a Chinese restaurant! All Chinese restaurant during this day will be full! They are the only shops that are open on this day. And married couples give unmarried children ang paus (red packet) during this day!

Seems that SF has the largest population of Chinese people besides China!
Very evident here in the blend of east and west culture!

I am so surprised! Ang Paus on Christmas day? Wow...

I actually received USD 20 from one of my friend's aunt! Haha..

I wont be celebrating Chinese New Year though so I guess this would be the closest I will get in having a CNY celebration.

And you know what is the best thing is all this craziness? Tomorrow (or today technically!) is the day after Christmas and you know what is so special about this day?

Everything is on even more SALE!!!




It seems that because it is after Christmas, nobody would wanna buy anything anymore. But because the year is gonna end and shops have to get rid of their stuff soon, they will put everything super cheap to get rid of them!!!





That is why I have been facing such a gigantic dilemma of whether I should buy the stuff that I want even though it was super cheap already. What if it gets even cheaper?

The only other day that shops sell stuff super cheap is the day after Thanksgiving and that is called Black Friday! But the day after Christmas is even cheaper than Black Friday and shops start opening at around 5am!

So tomorrow me and my friend would go out of the house at 6am to start going shopping!!! Wooo....!!! Wish me luck!

Though I am still not asleep at 3 am in the morning. I wont have strength to shop tomorrow! Woo-ah..

Can't wait!




Merry Christmas everyone!