Sunday, December 14, 2008

48 - Christmas carols that aren't sung

It's Sunday. One shouldn't have to be woken up early at all, let alone by Christmas music playing in the living room. I have a three-year-old cousin who comes here quite often. Just to clarify my domestic situation, I live with my grandparents and whenever my cousin's parents, i.e. my aunt and uncle, have to go to work, he gets dropped off here to spend the day. This actually happens from Monday to Saturday but today, Sunday, was an exception. His parents had to go off to Macau to take care of some business, so at seven in the morning, bright and early, my three-year-old cousin was already at my place playing with his toy cars and such.

Two days ago, he and my grandparents put up a Christmas tree. It's nice, it has all the homely decorations that any Christmas tree would have, except for this one: the Christmas lights not only emit light, but they emit sound as well, Christmas carols without lyrics, just the music, like a ringtone. Yesterday, Saturday, I woke up to this noise, even though it was in the living room, even though I had my door closed, even when I angrily tried to muffle out the noise by pulling four cushions and my blanket over my head. I gave up soon enough and spent the whole day in my room. I continued to hear the light-music playing throughout the morning, the afternoon and the evening until my uncle came back from work to pick my cousin up and take him home. The whole day. Was it really necessary for it to be playing the whole day?... No.

My cousin also has this snowman doll that sings 'Jingle Bells' and 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' in a voice similar to Frank Sinatra's. I woke up this morning thanks to that noise and it's hellishly annoying because it's Sunday, it's seven in the morning and the sound is coming from a stupid toy.

I hate it when Christmas carols originate from inanimate objects such as dolls and lights.

13 comments:

Phil said...

Yeah that's pretty obnoxious. Although after working in retail for 2 years during Christmas, I borderline despise all Christmas carols regardless. They repeat that crap sooo many times in a given day, it's not even funny.

Michael said...

Comic Superzero: Here in Hong Kong, it's funny because most citizens don't know the lyrics yet they think it's nice to keep it playing all the time everywhere. I would work in Christmastime retail... but there would be a lot of turning my head away to roll my eyes and frown.

Douglas said...

Michael, in the States there are companies that take Christmas carols and put their own words to them. Garmin GPS does this. It uses a carol that is, like most of them, solidly in the "brainworm" category. We also have people who play Christmas music from outdoor speakers so that it can be heard in all the houses surrounding it.
I have become inured to all of it. I have placed this annoyance in a space where it can no longer irritate me. It is a bit like taking the pain of an injury and separating it from yourself so you can feel it without acknowledging it.

It apparently gives your cousin joy. Appreciate his joy instead of feeling your pain.

Madame DeFarge said...

I'm with Douglas. Your cousin is 3, this is all a mystery to him and it would be more fun to enjoy his fun, than to grump from the sidelines. Maybe if you had gone out of your room to play with him, he might have stopped. If he had no other distraction, and is unable to blog about what irks him, what else is a 3 year old meant to do?

Everyday Housewife said...

Michael,
Instead of grouching and getting all irritated about the situation, why don't you join in and spent some time with the little boy. You may actually find yourself enjoying the time spent with the little boy. Be the 'kor kor' that the little boy can look up to.

Michael said...

Oh, everybody, I spend a lot of time with my baby cousin and I love him very much! I'm not a Grouch or a Scrooge trying to wreck the Christmas spirit.

This blog is not meant to be taken too seriously! Please, please, if my cousin was annoying me, I'd give this post the title, "Three-year-olds". I strictly intend to describe my irritation toward Christmas carols that don't come from a person's mouth and it's not my cousin that I'm irritated at!

Again, I love him. I play with him everyday. He is a good little thing. That snowman doll, however, is not.

Michael said...

Douglas: Wow, outdoor speakers. I'm glad that doesn't occur here. It plays faintly in the shopping malls but really, now that I come to think of it, the only times I hear them are from the Christmas lights and the snowman doll.

Madame DeFarge: I took him out to lunch today. He kept wanting to eat the vegetables for some reason. So I ate all his meat and he ate all my vegetables. Later on, we went walking around the mall, taking photos of all the Christmas decorations.

Everyday Housewife: I have three younger cousins, each of them spent time here at our grandparents' place while their parents went to work. They all look up to me as a 'kor kor' in their own special way.

Madame DeFarge said...

I'm glad to see that you take your cousinly responsibilities seriously. My comment was not meant to be unduly critical. I'm glad to hear that he eats vegetables. It's so reasssuring in the young

avm0525 said...

Michael - I find all those Christmas toys that jingle and jangle supremely annoying. Yet, I can't help myself, when walking down the holiday aisle at the local Walmart, from setting off all the different stuffed noismakers.
I just don't bring them home.

Everyday Housewife said...

Relax, Michael, and enjoy the 'Jingle Bells'. By next weekend will be "toong, toong chiang", though I think I heard it at the local night market last month!

J.J. in L.A. said...

Michael,

I'll go you one better...I hate Christmas carols! Period. I woke up on Thanksgiving morning...to Christmas carols on the radio!

It's a well-known fact in my house that I hate Christmas music. But mom plays it anyway and tells me to shut my door. Problem is, I can still here it - even with my tv on and the hum of the computer. I can hear it right now.

I do, indeed, hate it!

EURA. said...

I just sort of hate Christmas songs in general.

And Christmas movies too.

Michael said...

Madame DeFarge: I agree that it's reassuring.

Anna: I would do that to annoy fellow customers. Amusement and evil do not need to be exclusive.

Everyday Housewife: I look forward to that. It won't be long before that time comes...

J.J.: I completely understand your sentiments. They are quite annoying when they don't come in the form of a choir of young children. It's horrible from the television, in the shopping malls, from toys and lights and other inanimate objects and the radio. Argh!

thumbsUpsmile: Christmas movies are cheesy. I want a horror movie at Christmastime. Sort of like a murderer that likes to act against the Christmas spirit. I would love that film.