Musical chairs. Angela with her own Santa hat and a prize for winning musical chairs at Tampines West Toastmasters Club in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Tampines West Toastmasters Club.
Practise Party Games
If you do not have a large enough family to play Xmas games, or if you do and want to practise, go to a public party such as those at Toastmasters International clubs around the world. The parties are held throughout December. The games are usually organized by members with the members or invited dancers or comperes organizing the games.
Spot Prizes
You might get asked to look for a dot under your plate or glass or chair. you can then claim a gift or answer a question, or be the leader in a quiz.
Be prepared. I had forgotten. But at a party Organized by Toastmasters Club of Singapore, we were asked to bring certain items.
I remembered questions from other events such as Residents' associations. You might be asked to buy raffle tickets. So have small change.
Coins And Notes
Coins are also useful. Check what is on local small and large coins and notes. You might be asked to bring the head of HM the Queen, which is on many coins in the UK, also stamps.
Singapore has a Merlion, half mermaid and half lion, a symbol of Singapore, on a coin.
You need to have your change purse handy in your pocket as you run forward.
Teeth
You might be asked to bring up teeth. You could run forward and point to your teeth. Or bring a comb.
Four Legs
Bring up a small table or chair. Pick one near the stage or on the stage. Point to the one you were sitting on and lift it up.
Seating Situation
If you sit near the stage, on the side of the table nearest, you have a better chance of running up and being first.
Santa Hats
I had taken the precaution of carrying a Santa hat left over from last year . (You can buy two for two Singapore dollars in Daiso.) Hats look festive in group photos.
Keep Rules Handy
It is a good idea for the organizer to memorize or have on their phone the rules for a couple of party games. Also have a couple of small presents to reciprocate or join in a Secret Santa. Occasionally you turn up at a party and find everybody else knew about the secret gift exchange but you didn't. Or maybe they emailed you a month ago but you forgot. This happened to me at the first Christmas meeting I attended of Braddell Heights Advanced Club.
The usual system is to encourage participation by promising a gift to the winner, later giving leftover gifts or smaller prizes to everybody so that nobody goes home empty-handed.
If you need a gift, inexpensive gifts are available at Daiso which has hundreds of branches worldwide, or Valu (both opposite each other at Expo MRT in Singapore).
I was invited to a party (Toa Payoh South Toastmasters) and asked to bring a Secret Santa gift xchange of value $5-10 (Singapore dollars). I asked my American friend Marshall what to do, as the $2 gifts from Daiso were not of high enough value.
He suggested, 'Choose items of the same type to make up a set. I did that with three items of kitchenware."
So you could select three, four or five gifts of the same type, depending on your budget, to make up a set, such as three items of stationery, or crafts, or kitchenware.
Watch Out For Watches And Clocks
I am fond of watches and clocks. However, in Asia, and for Asian guests in the West, apparently clocks and watches are not popular as leaving gifts for employees, especially not retirees. Why? Because clocks and watches remind them of the passing of time, which is running out for them. So clocks are considered as omens of bad luck or death, which means the gift is inauspicious. This could be uncomfortable for the receiver, or the giver. The giving of such a gift could be interpreted as either malicious, or simply ignorance of local customs and thoughtless.
Some countries in Asia say clocks are bad luck but watches are OK. Check the thoughts of your guests and hosts.
Remember the O'Henry short story of the Magi.
He sells his watch face to a comb for her hair. She sells her hair to buy a strap for his watch.
Story 1 Chinese Whispers At A School English Enrichment
When attending an event, have a speech and a game ready in case you are called upon for a suggestion or help. I declined to give the opening speech at the first meeting of English Enrichment at Crescent School in Singapore because my family was likely to take a weekend trip overseas to a Malaysian island. But the weather was bad so we did not go and I accepted the invitation at the last minute. No time for briefing me.
I turned up expecting simply to attend and be introduced as one of the helpers to teach reading and writing essays. I was asked to give a motivational speech on the English language and passing the exam! I was introduced as an author. (You should always carry a book as a prop in case.)
Then I was asked to introduce a language game. What? Hangman - too negative. How about Chinese Whispers?
My adviser and friend said, "Go ahead." First I asked if anybody knew the game. Blank looks.
So I started describing it. you stand in a line. The first person in line whispers a message. Everybody repeats it to the person behind them. At the end the last person says aloud, loudly what message they received. The first person announces what message they sent.
A girl in the front row pu up her hand. "I know this game!"
I asked, "What do you call it?"
"Broken telephone."
Oh. A little voice asked, "Why do you call it Chinese whispers?"
Big embarrassment. Firstly I don't know. Secondly, I suspect that it has something to do with foreigners' poor comprehension of English and ability to speak English. Hardly encouraging when my job is to encourage them. Finally it singles out the Chinese as the world's worst speakers. Even worse.
I imagined the country of China. Huge. I had the answer, a convincing answer. I said:
It's called Chinese whispers because China is so large that by the time the message travels from one side to the other the message has changed. Does everybody understand? Let's go. Form a line."
I called the girl who had spoken to be first in line. "You," I said, "Yes, you."
Names
What was her name? It is handy to put names on guests. If you are calling people forward and want them to feel involved and to call them by name and show their names as prizewinners. If you think people won't like names, make up funny badges with nicknames.
For example, Santa Simon/Susan/Sarah. Snowy Simon/Susan/Sarah/Siti. The reindeer, Robert/Richard. Thomas the tree. The tree, Tom, or Tim, or Tony, or Tan. Elf Elizabeth. Red nose Robert. Red hat Romeo. Harry the Handsome. Brenda the beautiful. Brian the birthday boy. Fiona the Fairy. Peter the President. Sam the Secretary. Angela the angel. Lovely Linda/Lim. Warm Warren/Wong/Wang. Smiling Sara/Suzie/Seng. Reindeer Ravi.
Story 2 Dancing
At Tampines West Toastmasters club we were asked to form into pairs for dancing. Ten of us, in five pairs, volunteered.
We were last. I moved to last. It helps to see what the others do.
The music played. The first couple did regal waves with their hands.
Another couple did a South American dance. The next couple a ballroom dance. We had just practised linking arms facing in opposite directions and doing a twirl. I suggested to my partner, "When I say 'left', move your left arm to your left. When I say 'right' move your right arm to your right. When I say up lift your arm up. Stand up, or on tiptoe. When I say down, bring your arm down, bow or bend low."
We galloped forward, repeated the wave done by the first couple, did the arm movements, turned at the end and bowed.
The dance leader called on us to step forward and nod in turn for applause.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gift_of_the_Magi
singaporeair.com
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
About The Author
Angela Lansbury is an author and travel writer and photographer, teaching English and other languages.
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