Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001 - 4:55 p.m..
"Drawing On The Funny Side Of The Brain: create your own charachters, lay out panel strips, come up with jokes, get your work noticed, protect your ideas, deal with writer's block, develop a consistent style...."
Etc, etc, etc.....I found this book while I was shopping. Something drew my attention to that pile of books and my eyes shot to this one, not any other. I was only carrying $25 for my brother's and for Rebeca's gift, this book was $19.95, but it was on clearance sale and it only costed $3.99. Divine help or simple coincidence? I want to see it as a sign to go on this path I've chosen...err, that was lame. But you know what I mean. And my brother only asked for two candles, 77 cents each. Now that was lame, buying him such insignificant things as christmas present. But anyway, he asked for those.
I wanted to buy him a calendar with a "Wine For Dummies" theme (he loves wine...but he's not a drunk, just to make that clear) but he thought it was useless and too expensive. He said having you here is enough of a gift...aaaaawwwwwwww...*tear in left eye*.
I just watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. I always love to see that movie, but only because of the effects. I never quite understood it completely, it's more for grown ups. But fuck, how would I love to be a toon and live in Toontown. Or in the least, live with toons....(*Simeon looks with reprimand eyes*)....*ahem*, I mean, with more cartoons. It does rock, doesn't it, Simeon?
I went shopping with him and got Renan's (nephew) and Denise's gift. The holy Harry Potter figures and Monopoly. Ok, Renan-bro's gift, two candles, but I still think it's a lame gift. I'm only missing Rebeca's. Sometimes I wonder if these kids really deserve any presents. They're so spoiled and picky and selfish and whine a lot and make up things that are not true (close to lying, but not *exactly* lying....confusing or mixing up). Ok, they're good kids. But not at all the time. And when they're bad, they really sweep off the impresion of being nice children. And viceversa. How could I not give them anything?
On saturday night, we went to some parade or something...it's a spanish/latin tradition. People recreate when Joseph and Mary were looking for a shelter to have Jesus in. Usually, those kind of things are pretty good, but this one sucked. Boring, long, you couldn't hear a thing, no play, just people standing onstage with their costumes....we even got out before it finished. Anyway, it looked more of a mexican-way celebration (it was just for the latin community of the church). Renan-bro told me he once got to be Joseph in one of those plays. But actually, back at home, people don't do that stuff at the church. They do the play going to real houses, which is more heart-breaking (it really breaks my heart everytime Joseph and Mary are told to go away *tear in Simeon's right eye*).
I finally figured out what I want for christmas....a rasta wig, like some reaggeae (or whatever the fuck you spell it) singers's hair. I know I won't get it, because I haven't mentioned it to anyone. It's really not my biggest wish for christmas and I'm pretty sure I won't get it. It doesn't matter, I'm not dying for one. I just thought it was funny to ask for one of those. I was going to ask for "The Sims Hot Date" but it's $30. Pants? I don't think so. I can never find good jeans. Shoes? I don't need. Money? It's so lame receiving used paper. You never know where money has been before your hands, if someone killed somebody for getting those bills in your hand (*Simeon rolls eyes*).
Anyway, who cares. I mean, it's just a day. I'll just pretend it's everybody's birthday, except mine. After all, after christmas (and New Year) it's my birthday and they'll get me.....err, money. Fuck. Am I so hard to make happy? I don't want money. "Of course, no problem. Have this {insert name of an article for use at school} instead". It always pissed me off having my birthday so close to the beggining of the school year. Always getting school stuff. Well, not always. I'll be fair and mention that my family most of times got me Polly Pockets or something that size, which I've always loved.
I could flood the living room with a Polly Pockets and other miniatures city. But then again, I'm aging and I felt quite stupid being 15 years old and walking Polly princess to Meow-Meow-Wonderland (don't laugh, it's a miniature amusement park with everything an amusement park gotta have -run by two cats and their four kitties in overalls- that I got as a present....it rocks! well, it used to. Some pieces, somehow, got lost...gee, I wonder how that happened *Simeon lifts up left eyebrow*).
Frankly, I turned 16 and I swore I'd never try again to turn back time like that, because I make a fool out of myself. But hell, I still got those things. I just can't sit and run those little figures' lives.....but now I got The Sims, anyway.
It's been a pretty cool, happy day. Parents and kids have been playing and doing some housework the whole day. It's a three-thumbs-up day. But shit, tomorrow it's Christmas' Eve. Who can tell here, dammit? The only sound outside the house is the cars in the freeway.
Christmas here and christmas there...At home, we don't care about getting presents for everybody, we just care about seeing them and greeting them. Here it's more commercial. And there's nothing to do while waiting for midnight. If you're at a party maybe, but tomorrow night it's just the five of us. At home, people get in and out of the houses of the neighbors or the relatives, just saying hi and giving "symbolic gifts from our family to yours". Nothing big, a box of cookies or something like that.
Call it 3rd-world-country poor economy situation, but we're more into giving ourselves and catching up with a friend than giving presents for everybody and talking about the stress and the savings.
At home, at midnight, the fireworks get louder (people with fireworks everywhere, they sound the whole day and almost the whole night, the whole holiday season and 24/7 on Christmas' Eve, which is the day we celebrate the most, rather than the 25th) and everybody gets out of the house (if they aren't already) and runs to the streets to greet and hug the neighbors and the friends of the neighbors that came over to visit and wish everybody a merry christmas. It's like a big, HUGE family, celebrating in the streets with fireworks, with no need of presents. Specially because almost all of our neighbors have always lived there, and so my family has: my dad bought that house when the neighborhood was still under construction, so they all have known each other for a lifetime. It's just great.
You see all the comsumption and all the savings on TV and at the malls but at least our circle of family and friends (a big one) never gets stuck with that. That's how my Christmas have always been. Meet with the family and take the opportunity to get in touch with those you don't get to see often. Maybe this 3rd-world-country situation gives a different perspective of christmas, since there's not so much "material" stuff flowing. Of course, a present always puts a smile on the face of the kids and that's always nice. I mean, comsumption is good, consumerism is the devil...
(*Simeon draws two littlesimeons and makes a cartoon titled: "please, no! I don't want to go to hell, I just have fourteen credit cards!"*).
Consumerism is not the devil, it's just stupidity. I was just thinking of the stupid parade at church. The guy was too preachy. I hate when religion goes preachy and way too heavenly. At school, we're taught that God is dynamic -a whole kinda sport-guy, if I do say so myself- and he's down here with us, not up there in Heaven, sitting in a golden chair, choosing the ones who stay in Heaven and throwing others to hell. I mean, our jesuits rock.