Friday, December 19, 2008

Secret Santa

'What do I get a big black Jamaican man?' That was the big question plaguing me a few days ago. Anyone partaking in a Secret Santa Gift Exchange this year? It's not easy buying a gift for a man, especially for a man you don't know too well. There aren't too many options out there. So, I sat there scratching my head at work, and again at the many stores, thinking that exact same question, because that's the co-worker I picked.

'Buy him some cologne', says my boss.

'Cologne? Oh no. Every one's getting everyone cologne. I want to get him something different.' say I.

So, what does one get a big black Jamaican man? What does one get any Jamaican man? I walked over to the...you guessed it, liquor store and got him not one bottle but a few to make up a gift basket, right after I grilled the Sales Clerk on what kinds of rum/liquor Jamaican men normally come in to buy. I walked out with the following which I arranged at home myself: one medium sized bottle of Red Label Johnny Walker whiskey in the center, flanked with two smaller Appleton Jamaican Rum bottles on either side, and closing the arrangement off with a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka and Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum. It all looked rather cute, and while at the store I got some admiring comments from other customers waiting in line, all male, of course, saying they wished I was their co-worker. Ha! In any case, what Jamaican man would not love that Christmas gift, right? I joked around at work for the rest of the afternoon about how this Jamaican better not be a teetotaler, because that would be just my luck. I was quickly assured otherwise, because 'all Jamaican men love to drink'.

So, what did my Secret Santa get me? A bottle of perfume. Don't laugh just yet because it's not just any perfume - we're talking Hugo Boss for Women, and I happen to love it. The kicker is I know who got it for me, because I was one of the few people in charge of the Secret Santa list!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm a Jamaican man. He'll probably appreciate the gift, but thats a lot of liquor! Thats a lot of money to spend on a secret santa.

Anonymous said...

We had a $25 minimum amount to be spent on each person and I bought the smaller bottles. Maybe I went $10 over the limit. It sure looked cute wrapped up!

ZenDenizen said...

You are generous, heck, I want that gift!

fortyfiveminutes said...

Wow! Those are fancy pressies. Our Secret Santa brief is simple. The gift must be a) 5 quid or under and b) silly, i.e. of no use at all except to amuse. Also, no one knows who got who what, because all the participants' names are put onto little chits and chucked into a bag. Every person then draws a chit and buys a present for the person whose name is on there. So it really is secret too.

Anonymous said...

Well Zen, I'll ship you a bottle of Cayman's Tortuga Rum along with one of their TO DIE FOR Rum Cakes.

FF: This is the first Secret Santa where we've had a minimum of 25 bucks to be spent on a gift. In the past it's always been 10 bucks or under. But I guess this is Cayman and there is only so much you can buy for under $25.

Anonymous said...

thats a fair few bottles for a BIG man....this secret santa is encouraging booze!
having said that..i was actually going to suggest some Cigars for the fella....
Mevvy Kvismas (as my daughter Hannah says)

Anonymous said...

25bux on a gift!...who said recession

Anonymous said...

Your blog was opened as my little one (13 year old) walked into the room and started to read the caption - What do you get for a secret santa present .... - anyway - she turned around and said JERK CHICKEN!!

But your gift sounds terrefic. Maybe the booze and jerk chicken would have been good but then you would have been over budget by $20.00.

Happy holidays and keep writing. You are an amazing writer!!

Anonymous said...

All that booze, for $25 or less?! How did you manage that. Liquor must cost a lot less there...

Anonymous said...

We call it Pixie at my office, which I guess is the old name. It wasn't quite as exciting this year but I did get many little gifts before the big shebang. I got a man too and I asked someone to find out what he wanted and he said cologne so I just did what I had to do. He liked it though ...