Company's Christmas Party

I was at the Company's Christmas last evening. It was really a last min thing, because we only knew about this like a week ago. This was the first time I've ever attended such a Christmas Party. My previous company at most will just have lunch buffet in the board room.. Well, I think because this company was small enough to have something like that.. we took up a private room in a club near the Parliment... All of us took up 3 tables... The dinner was western buffet... I'm not ver great fan of western style buffet.. because like having cold dinner.. the usual.. salad, there's bread, salmon, beef, baby potatoes, cooked vegetables, chicken and pasta.. the dessert include bread pudding, cakes, tarts and fruits.. there's free flow of wine, beer and juice.. although the wine both red and white doesn't taste good.. I'm not a drinker and I can tell... Anyway, I like the salmon, beef and potatoes.. The pasta's yucky and I'm not a fan of raw vegetables... the cakes were nice although I didn't take much... The fun part of this party is actually the gift exchange.. now this is so unlike the normal gift exchange where you bring a gift and choose another.. there's rules to this game.. and I think it's a great game to establish bonding and there's plenty of interactions and helps to make the party fun and exciting... and sometimes funny too.. It also drags the time and at the same time preventing people from leaving the party.

Here's how it goes:

Everyone was asked to buy a gift of at least $20. All the gifts will be placed at the Christmas Tree. The first person, say A will have to walk to the tree to choose a gift and open it in front of everyone.. so everyone knows the content. Then A will pick a name from a jar full of names of the attendance. Say A pick B's name. Now B can choose the present. Now the fun part starts here. B can either choose to take a new present from the tree or steal the present from A. If B steal A's present, A will have to choose a new gift. Now when it's C's turn to choose a gift, C can either choose a gift from the tree or steal either A or B's present. The rule of the game is that anyone can steal anyone's present but they cannot steal back the present they have chosen before.. This game really can drag because when a lot of people starts to fight for a few particular gifts.. it become endless until someone choose a gift from the tree. Only when the stealing stop can the current player pick another name to choose a present. You may think that the luckiest person will be the one whose name will be picked last.. but that is not so.. because even though this last person Z can steal other people's gift.. once the stealing starts, someone will still be qualified to steal Z's gift and Z can't choose the gift back so Z can only choose something else.. The game will only end when someone volunteers to pick the last gift by the tree.. Haaa.. The game gets better when someone with a lousy gift adds money to increase the 'value' of this lousy gift. The intention is to get rid of the gift.. now, this lousy gift with money can now be the 'hottest' gift in the room... especially if the money value is $50.. haaa.. Cute harr.. I kinda enjoyed the party.. but it ended so late..12midnight.. and it's only a Thursday.. I dun have cab money left so I asked my sister whether she can fetch me.. Thanksfully, she could.. thanks to her, I could get home free.. heee.. Oh, for my gift.. I'm the first name to be called unfortunately.. i had a traveller speaker set.. this turned out to be one of the hot gifts.. I lost the gift almost immediately.. the second time I choose the gift, it's a Precious Moment weighing machine which nobody fancy.. yup.. I took that home loh..... the sad thing was.. I couldn't sleep you know... Gosh... i think due to the excitement and because I took coffee to keep warm at the party.. I was very cold there..