How Does This Stuff End Up on the Discount Shelf in Malaysia???

When I moved into my first house in Lubbock I was the only person in my neighborhood who did not go all out with the Christmas decorations. Lubbock takes their religious holiday decorations seriously (there is nothing better than the Easter Bunny holding hands with Jesus that one of Nancy McIntyre's neighbors used to put up in his yard at Easter), so my house was always a blot on our neighborhood. The Christmas holiday follows at the end of the fall semester so in December I am usually in a pretty foul mood because I have to deal with grading exams, deal with whining students, and get all the things that I procrastinated over on all semester done, so I am in no mood for decorating.


I used to joke that I should put up a Black Santa Claus in my yard. Black Santa has become an inside Christmans joke with my parents and me and now a Black Santa holds my Christmas stocking by the chimney with care every year.

So this evening after dinner (sweet and sour chicken with rice) I wandered into a store called "Romantika Home Furnishings". When I looked at a shelf near the back of the store there he was- BLACK SANTA. He is a thing of beauty and sure to be a joy forever to the lucky person that buys him. He costs 15 ringgit (about $5.60) so I don't know if I can afford it. But if I can, watch out Mom and Dad, a new family heirloom is on its way.

As I bent over hyperventilating with excitment over Black Santa, what did I see on the next shelf down (I swear, the next shelf down from Black Santa, you can't make this stuff up) but a "Gig em Aggies!" Texas A&M dinner plate. Obviously, I now have to boycott Romantika for failing to stock enough Texas Tech merchandise.