Celebs’ best and worst gift ideas

There is an unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach, like when you have chugged a can of cream soda on a turbulent plane. No, it is not indigestion: It is the panic of realising you have left your Christmas shopping until it is too late.

Well, you are far from alone. Sure, there are people who start next year’s Christmas shopping on Boxing Day, but we are pretty sure they are a rare breed. Most of us are only thinking as far ahead as dinner time.

Even celebs get flustered during Yuletide season — hey, they do not re-gift freebies they get just for being celebrities, okay? How do they cope with the last-minute flurry, and what kinds of gifts do they favour?

Here are helpful suggestions from some of the worst planners, from Chua Enlai (one CD fits all) to Xu Bin (no Chinese medicine, please), but not including Janice Koh, who starts her Christmas shopping in August. Can anybody say “Spoil market”?

Chua Enlai, actor, currently filming for the ninth season of TV sitcom The Noose.

“I normally do my shopping on the 24th. It is just: ‘I’m going to these parties and I can’t turn up empty-handed, can I?’ Then I always run out to the closest shop and buy all the presents from one shop. I really only buy presents that I want. I try to take into consideration people’s likes and dislikes, but I think about it for two seconds, and then they will get stuff that I actually want.

Any time Mariah Carey releases an album, everyone gets that. I think it’s brilliant. I don’t know why people have problems with it. Everyone needs a bit of Mariah in their lives.”

Janice Koh, actress and former Nominated Member of Parliament, currently involved in the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) commissioned production of Sandaime Richard running in Japan.

“I hate last-minute Christmas shopping and try to avoid it if I can. I find it too stressful, and the malls over-crowded. I’m the kind of Christmas shopper that starts hoarding presents from as early as August! I like gifts that are unique to the person I’m giving them to, so it takes time to find the right present. I like scouring end-of-season sales by Singapore designers, and you can sometimes find something special that’s one-of-a-kind yet affordable, like a Ling Wu clutch or wallet. This year, I’m doing most of my shopping in Tokyo because I’m on tour for my show, Sandaime Richard. Otherwise, I would definitely be shopping at Keepers or the Crib Society Christmas Bazaar. These pop-ups often feature special artisan jewellery and unique handmade goods. I love that I bought my first Choo Yilin rings at a Christmas bazaar many years ago, and gave them as gifts to my girlfriends, before she set up her shop. You never know what gems you will find! Annual expat Christmas fairs are also good for speciality cakes, wine or biscuits that make great hamper gifts.”

Joshua Ip, award winning writer and co-founder of literary nonprofit Sing Lit Station behind highly popular Facebook group SingPoWriMo (Singapore Poetry Writing Month) and S.P.O.T.S (Singapore Poetry On The Sidewalk).

“The best gifts are books, and they are all I give for Christmas. I’d recommend ‘SingPoWriMo 16: The Anthology’, a smorgasbord of the most exciting young local writing, to accent any Christmas feast; or the appropriately titled ‘A Luxury We Must Afford’, a zeitgeist-appropriate collection put together within the short period of time between our Golden Jubilee and GE15. If you’re stuck for a shopping locale, you can always check out BooksActually for their deep Christmas discounts, or Books Kinokuniya, which hosted a 12 Days of Christmas-themed Flash Poetry Mob Reading on Dec 17 at its main store at Ngee Ann City.”

Oon Shu An, actress last seen in the film 4Love

“I’m not very good with gifts ... if I see something that’s fun and cute, I’ll get it. I love to give people makeup, but people think I get it for free, so I can’t give makeup anymore! I never give away things I get for free! (Recently) I had a gathering with friends and we did a gift exchange. It’s usually gag gifts; sometimes the gifts are a bit sweet. Someone found this toilet fishing game. It’s literally for you to fish while you’re sitting on the toilet – it has a mat with a little cutout that fits around the toilet. And you can fold it up and take it overseas with you. Besides that, my contribution is a pillow from Craftholic. I feel anyone would love that because it’s just so soft. Just the right length to hug! I like to give things that will bring joy and comfort for Christmas.”

Dan Wong, illustrator behind online platform A Good Citizen which provides a tongue-in-cheek visual take on things happening around us. His recent comic on the situation between Singapore and China regarding the armoured trucks went viral.

“I go (to Cat Socrates) for all my Christmas presents. Plenty of good stuff from local artists and writers, excellent designs on their tote bags as well as badges and pins. If you love animals, you’ll definitely love the designs. They’ve got most local literature, which you can get as a gift for friends too. And they have a cat!”

Kirsten Tan, filmmaker, whose debut feature film Pop Aye will be the first Singaporean movie to premiere and compete at the Sundance Film Festival, the largest indie film festival in the United States.

“The best gifts are those with either personal or symbolic meaning — I tend to avoid generic gifts such as flowers or chocolates because that requires too little thought. I once bought a piece of meteorite while I was in New York City for a good friend. It wasn’t cheap but holding that tiny ancient rock — it felt like you had eternity in the palm of your hand.”

Xu Bin, actor currently seen in the Mediacorp TV Channel 8 drama 118 2, airing weekdays at 7.30pm.

“I’m very last-minute — I start two or three days before Christmas. There’s no strategy! I just go to, for example, The Body Shop, where they have packaged gifts, and ask them to wrap them up. There’s no such thing as a best gift because everybody has different preferences. But I hate it when I open the present and it’s a cup. That happened at a gift exchange — but Aloysius (Pang) got an even worse gift. I unwrapped the cup and was like, ‘Wah, that’s awful. Let’s see yours.’ He said he couldn’t be bothered to open it so I said, ‘Can I open it for you?’ It was Chinese medicine! That’s not the worst part — when I read the label closely, I found it was for using in footbaths! So anything that is not a cup or medicine would be great.”

Jennifer Anne Champion, who launched her book Caterwaul, a largely autobiographical collection of experimental poetry at the Singapore Writers Festival this year.

“I look for things that have authenticity and soul. Books are great, as are arts and crafts made by artists I’ve met while travelling. I’m really digging this tote bag I got from an artist in the Netherlands called Griet Menschaert. It’s very sturdy and I might order two more for friends coming over this Christmas.”

Carrie Wong, actress currently seen in the Mediacorp TV Channel 8 drama 118 2, airing weekdays at 7.30pm.

“I think a DIY gift would be quite interesting. I received a Christmas present from my fan club last year — they collected my photos and made a very nice photo frame for me. That showed a lot of effort and love. So I think making a gift for someone you love is a good idea. I’m planning to do that this year, but I’m not very good with arts and crafts, so I’ll have to see what materials I can find. I want to make something that’s useful. Some of my friends like candles, so I’m thinking of handmade candles with pictures on them.”