I have heard many positive things about it like it’s cool to be there and so on but I did not go simply because it’s in January and that’s about the time when Austria is experiencing deep winter. If I can help it, I stay inside the house when the temperatures are low because I can’t stand the cold. So no matter how interested I was, I opted to stay home and just watch the whole thing on TV.

It was indeed a very interesting event. People got really creative with their costumes. I wonder… if I would have gone to that event, what would I have worn? I probably would have worn just simple costumes—nothing catchy since I would just be there to witness the event. Or, I would have completely hid my gender and dress up in one of those Slipknot costumes. Haha. Whatever it would have been, there’s one thing I am sure of and that is; I would have definitely worn a costume that will keep me warm.

I was invited to attend my cousin’s wedding but I was not able to attend. Over chatting, I told her I was sorry and that I wish I was there. She said she’ll upload some of her wedding photos so I can have a glimpse of what it was like. After a few minutes, the photos were live and I was viewing them. It was a lovely wedding. The motif and the wedding accessories used were really pretty and unique. We chatted more about her wedding and after the chat, I felt like I was there and that I didn’t miss a thing.

FB is cool. I am always updated with what’s new back home and this is something I consider really important.

For the friends who are having the babies, maybe there’s a chance that I can attend their baby showers because girlfriend number 1 is just in Italy (around 6 hours train ride from here) and girlfriend number 2 will move to Austria soon because she wants to have to baby here.

This got me thinking, who will come to my future baby shower when all myfriends are so far away?

By simple I understand that we will be skipping the lavish celebrations but we will definitely still do the gifting. And because we are keeping it simple this time, I would like to give him a simple yet very personal gift. I haven’t decided on one yet. Customized stuff such as shirts, mugs, personalized pens are very common already but are still not a bad idea. They’re still on my choices.

But I want something really personal so perhaps I’ll visit the naughty “s” shop and get something from there. What do you think? Haha! It crossed my mind several times before but I never gave him anything of that sort. So anyway, I want something funny to give (like a macho dancer costume—hahaha!) and that’s where I thought of getting it from. I always fancy going inside one of those shops because of curiosity but not once did I find the courage to do so. Perhaps this time… Who knows? *Wink! If not then personalized stuff it is!

Valentine’s Day is still a month away but I am sure that soon, hubby will ask me what I want for this occasion. And after hearing my answer, he’ll ask his second question which is, “other than that?” I can’t understand why a lot of men give themselves a hard time thinking what they could give their partner for Valentines! What is more romantic than flowers?!? Beats me.

So they could google the Top Valentine’s Gifts for 2010 but if anyone wants my advice, give your sweetheart a bouquet and some chocolates or balloons. It’s predictable and old fashioned but it is still romantic. You could, of course, give some other things too (if you want to be gallant with your present) but never ever forget the flowers.

So anyway, here’s a quick update about my holiday.

We spent our Christmas at my in-laws. I’ve got some really interesting gifts and my favorite is one of the gifts I got from hubby: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I also got the Hobbit from him and so the next few weeks will be spent reading these books.

The days between Christmas and New Year were spent visiting friends and relatives and of course, shopping. There are just too many post-Christmas sales happening around so it’s really a good time to shop.  I’ve already spent most of the Christmas money I received.

Countless hours were also spent telephoning with my friends and family back in the Philippines but of course, it is not the same. I truly miss all of them and I hope to see them all soon.

I will be going back to work on the 7^th of January. I will be going through a minor operation before that and I hope that I have time to heal before I go back to work.

So that’s pretty much it.

By the way, while writing this entry, I notice that Google PR has updated again and this blog still remains PR 0.

For those of you who are looking for better gift ideas for parents this coming occasion, get some from EDivvy.com. They have quite a lot of choices of unique products perfect for a Mothers Day gift.  And the good thing about this website is that you can divvy up the cost of an item with other people. You don’t have to pay the complete price alone. This is an ideal arrangement for siblings who want to give the one perfect gift to their mom and contribute for it.

I checked the website carefully and I noticed that their items are not just good for Mothers Day gifts but also good for other occasions and they have such a huge collection so you’ll certainly find the right gift for a particular person. Given that this website offers gifts for all occasion and for everybody, is not only helpful to siblings who wants to give a single gift this Mothers Day but also to friends, workmates, neighbors, and schoolmates who want to contribute for a gift for other events.

For me everything was perfect–from the first day of the Chinese New Year to the last day of our vacation in the Philippines. On the first evening of this week-long Chinese event, we went to a dinner. The dinner party was organized by my husband’s company and I have to say that they did a great job this time. The party itself was great. People conversed with each other because the mood was pleasant. I think the fact that the venue and the food were fantastic helped a lot. The activities and the fireworks were fun too.

If you are organizing a party, visiting celebrations.com can help you a lot. They have great suggestions for all kinds of party. They have great party ideas too—from invitations to party activities and decorations —celebrations.com has them all.

If any of you has particular interest in buying western clothing and accessories to give away as gifts this season, you should visit Cavenders.com because they have the widest range of western wear. You’ll find anything from western hats to cowboy belts. They are like the biggest provider of western clothing and accessories for men, women, and children. Their products are of quality material and are from popular brands like Ariat, Lucchese, Justin, and Wrangler. If it’s western stuff you look for, then it’s western stuff you see in Cavenders.com.

In my case, I got my Christmas gift from Marcus already but even so, I am still looking forward to the occasion because these means a lot of things I enjoy like wrapping gifts, putting up the Christmas tree, decorating the house, and sitting by the fire just talking and enjoying the cozy atmosphere.

Photos were taken last Christmas 2007.