Pragmatist?

It's the year-end holiday seasons again and it seems like everyone is on a spending spree. I splurged on quite a few CDs, food, and Xmas gifts, so now my wallet feels a lot lighter. Bleh. But I'm happy. =) My parents got me a choker and a t-shirt from Australia, and thanks lots to jinny for the super-nice Topman shirt, Zejia for the exquisite pikeman, and the girls for their thoughtful gifts.

Actually I like nice little gifts, but I still prefer practical stuff that I can wear, use or listen to (CDs). I think most people would have received lots of soft toys and pretty ornamental stuff over the years, and I wonder what happens to all these things. Chucked in the cupboard? Gathering dust on the shelf? Or sitting in one corner, waiting to be passed on during next year's festivities?

I don't expect everyone to be as practical (or boring, you might say) as I am, but it still puzzles me why impracticality is so prevalent in our gift-giving culture despite otherwise widespread pragmatism in our society.

It must be so unromantic, some might say, thinking about the practicality of a gift all the time. Anyway what's wrong with girls liking cute and pretty gifts? Well, nothing. Just that I believe romantics and pragmatism are not mutually exclusive. Imagine the surprise and delight of your partner when you get him/her something that will help to improve his/her life more than the momentary satisfaction of aesthetic appeal. Isn't that far more meaningful and sincere?