The Xmas Dolls: 2007, 2006, 2008 and 2009 (in blue) |
But the spiritual side of December 25 is eroding little by little every year, swamped by gadgets, smart and mobile phones, iPods, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples, digital cameras and totally useless toys that are conked out before the turkey is carved and could have fed a family elsewhere for a month.
The shopping frenzy resumes with the Boxing Day sales, which end up taking us nearer our credit card limits. You can probably guess that I don't like Xmas much as I hardly ever afforded its trimmings.
The St. Louis Cathedral in Carthage (Wikipedia) |
Worshipers at |
I have been fortunate to always spend Christmas with loved ones -- if not family, then very close friends. Which brings me to the Xmas gifts and the whole point of this story!!
The present I look forward to receiving at Christmastime is a very special one from Asma. The tradition began in 2006, the year of my first Christmas in Dubai. She sent me a doll -- a rag doll sporting a funky dress. She has been repeating this every year since. They are special edition dolls that a drugstore in Cannes, where she now lives, put out every Christmas. So I have four ladies who take pride of place on my bed. and I can't wait to see what the 2010 edition will look like.
And so it is that while walking a friend's dog around Jumeira recently I spotted a little playhouse outside a villa. I thought it would provide a great setting to take pictures of my dolls. When I finally saw a car trying to park at the villa’s driveway, I hurried and rang the bell to ask permission to take photos. To my great surprise, Suki -- a lady I met about two years ago -- answered. We had lost contact and were both ecstatic to see each other again.
Music by Fairuz singing Jingle Bells (via Jarjoura.net on YouTube) |
So I took the dolls out early last Friday morning to introduce them to you. They looked so small once they were off my bed!
Each one means a lot to me and is treated with the love it was forwarded with. Yalla Asma: I'm waiting for this year's Christmas present! So this week's Haiku is dedicated to you:
Bunch of love
Every Christmastime
A doll and a bunch of love
I will get from you...
Every Christmastime
A doll and a bunch of love
I will get from you...