The White Elephant Gift:
So Jeff and I were invited to a white elephant Christmas party that a bunch of his coworkers and neighbors were attending. There was a potluck dinner with all the Christmas fixings - ham, stuffing, casserole, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, and dessert! We, however, having shown up just a wee bit late, managed to get the cold leftovers. Well, Jeff had some cold ham and as much green bean casserole as would fit on his plate! I had a dinner role that I topped with peanut butter and jelly. Not the most magnificent feast, but that's what you get for showing up late to an event full of hungry foreigners, haha. Nonetheless, things looked up from there. The company was cheery, good music was playing, and the white elephant exchange was yet to come.
While trying to brainstorm what to bring as our item, Jeff jokingly suggested a small animal. "A small animal?" said I... and I was hooked. Couldn't get enough of the idea. His suggestion - hermit crab. It was my job to go out and purchase the little critter. They're all over Korea, in all the big Walmart-esque shops. Except when I went a-looking, they weren't. None to be found the night before the party. (Of course I didn't plan ahead for something like this.) The price suggestion for the gift was $20, so I continued browsing down the small pet aisle. As soon as I saw Bubby, I was hooked. Who wouldn't LOVE a small turtle?! Bubby just so happened to be priced at $20, which meant I had to go a little over to get his tank, food, etc. But he was oh-so-worth it.
When the time finally came, Jeff and I had a hard time deciding whether we would actually be able to part with little Bubby. He was soooo cute. Seriously. But, alas, he was intended to be given as a gift, and neither Jeff nor I are home enough to take care of a pet... as independent as a turtle might be. Our apartments are so cold during the day when we're away at work, that he might be at risk for hypothermia. Can turtles get hypothermia?
Either way, we decided to go through with the gift idea, and brought his bowl down to the party. He was hidden from view, with his little bowl covered by a dish rag, and everyone was quite intrigued... if not a bit apprehensive. If I remember right, he was the last gift chosen. But once he was finally revealed, he was a hit! He was stolen by a girl who had been hoping for a little critter all along. As she was thinking of names and happily convincing her boyfriend that he would, in fact, survive the subway ride home, he was stolen yet again by our British friend, Edge.
Now, we were a bit nervous about this. You see, we trusted the girl. Her excitement, her affection for it, her level of responsibility. Edge, great guy that he is, was rather tipsy at this point, and left us a bit unsettled as he reached for the bowl.
I was fully reassured over the course of the night and next day as he constantly thanked us for his third-best-Christmas-gift ever, and told us all about the aquarium full of fish he had just before coming out to Korea. Honestly, he sounded like a better pet owner than me. I heard that within the week, he went out and bought a bigger tank with a heat lamp.
It's safe to say that Bubby is in good hands now, and he's close enough for a visit whenever we want.
Up Next:
Children's Christmas Volunteer Event
Christmas Day Cookie and Wine Event
Christmas Subway Miracle
The Nutcracker
Christmas in Wisconsin
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