Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 December 2007 19:58:36
Oh, before I start, I realise I promised you certain things in my previous post. I shall now deliver in the laziest, quickest way I can.
Q. What's orange and sounds like a parrot?
A. A carrot.
I thank you. Now, what I really wanted to ask was, what on earth is it with Christmas merchandise? Last week I spent ages in a certain store (the words 'worth' and 'wool' may appear in its name) looking for Christmas cards. Well, I mean, obviously there were many boxes of cards in stock, but I was looking for ones which didn't have cute children or Disney bastard versions of AA Milne characters on them. This last was particularly prevalent.
What struck me was that you can't seem to buy a big box of cards in several different designs, of different types, such as we used to purchase from our excellent Traidcraft rep in the old days. All the packs in WWs seemed to be of two, or at most four, different designs which were all along a similar theme (eg robins or snowmen or Christmas foliage). I have this strange habit of trying to choose cards which particular friends would like and, amazingly, I have friends with different backgrounds and tastes. Sometimes you want a not-too-religious card for a Muslim colleague (I haven't any now, but did have a couple of years ago) or a 'Peace and best wishes' rather than 'Woohoo Christmas. Be very very happy and have fun fun fun' card for someone whose life is not easy at the time. I don't really want to send oil-paintingy cards to the hip and trendy twentysomethings I work with, or funky modern art to my eightysomething Tory great-aunt. Eventually I bought a pack of not-too-extreme cards, but I was unable to get anything close to what I was really looking for.
And yet, in this same store, you can buy a Christmas outfit, complete with antlers, cape etc *for your dog*. Verily I say unto you: WTF is going on?