Touched by your presents, dear

I missed the Obamarama because I was in Goa escaping from the firecrackers but I did enjoy reading about Michelle’s shopping trips when I got back.   

She bought so much stuff in the handicrafts stores that she actually ran out of

money.  You go girl!  Her bags were stuffed with elephant key chains, anything

with sequins, bedspreads, a fan (made of rice?) and, I don’t want to ruin

anyone’s Christmas here , but if you know the Obamas, it looks like you’ll  

be getting a  Kutchi cell phone pouch in your stocking!

It’s a good job my purchases aren’t listed in the Mumbai Mirror or Mick would be

having forty thousand fits.

“This week Lindsey bought a leopard print dressing gown, a lime green velvet bag, a bottle of Bengal Rose diffuser oil , a funky lamp shade and a gorgeous candle from Good Earth.”

She declared :  ‘They  will make  ideal Christmas gifts’ (for myself) 

Yes, anonymity is preferred in all matters of shopping.  I once went to the Christmas Market in Leipzig and came back with a lovely coat for myself and sweet F. A  for anybody else.

Anyway, having wonderful gifts for everyone doesn’t necessarily make for a perfect Christmas.  Last year I went mad. We’d been in Mumbai for five months and I wanted to go home laden with exotic gifts for one and all.  I got on the plane carrying a giant hookah for my brother and a two foot lantern for mum. Our suitcases were stuffed with gifts including a glass tray from Bombay Store which shattered into a million pieces. 

On Christmas Eve I managed to get glitter in my eye and had to go to A &E on Christmas morning.  I couldn’t wear the new eye makeup I’d bought at Duty Free because I had yellow dye in my eye and I looked like a  freak. Then, would you believe it, I got a raspberry pip wedged between two molars on Christmas night which caused a gum infection after I tried to get it out with cocktail sticks. I was driving around Kent on Boxing Day morning looking for an emergency dentist while my brother accused me of being an NHS tourist.

So, as lovely as you always think it will be to be at home surrounded by your friends and loved ones at Christmas, in reality, it can be a bloody nightmare which culminates in a massive argument about what to watch on TV.  And no, I do not want to play Monopoly!

So this year, we have decided to make the most of our time here in Asia and visit Thailand with the kids.  Great, I thought, we’ll tell everyone not to worry about pressies this year and save a fortune.  So,  two months after paying for our hotel stay, the travel agent has just remembered that we need to cough up  a further $1,000 for the compulsory Gala Dinner. I think I might choke on it. Happy Christmas !