What Team Verve Wants For Christmas

Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena, Executive Editor

Going beyond the usual peace, good health and happiness and joy to the world and its aunt wish – I would, if I did get into the #sjsgetssenti mode spend the one-day off with my mater in her home, shutting the world out – walking gently down memory lane, browsing through old albums and digging into home-cooked food. But knowing my mom, she’d turn this down and throw me out after an hour.

So, getting more real and as naughty as I could think of being, I want to be in my house (alone, undisturbed by family and routine chores) or a secluded cottage up in the hills! With a fantastic view, a rocking chair, a fire burning under the chimney, hot food, lots of wine, a bundle of classics, my tablet and Netflix for company. And to add some spice to the day (and night) you could throw in some cute, yet hot, company. That’s not too much to ask for, right?

Rushmika Banerjee, Senior Fashion Features Writer

I wish for two very specific things for Christmas. Firstly, I need to get my hands on Inglot HD Perfect Coverup Foundation. The coverage that this foundation provides is unmatchable and it perfectly helps to conceal my undereye dark circles. I have used this product for over a year now and its long-lasting formula has always survived in the city’s humid weather conditions. Secondly, I have had my eyes on Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium since the time I first tried it on at the Abu Dhabi. I like to invest in good fragrances whenever my shoestring budget allows and Black Opium is high on my list of must-haves. Its strong and seductive scent stays with you for a very long time and I still regret my decision of not purchasing it right away.

Huzan Tata, Senior Writer & Production Executive

Since there’s obviously no such thing as “too many books”, I would love to receive an unlimited supply of books of all kinds. And while we’re wishing for things, I’d also love some extra space in my house to fit in all these tomes! From biographies to coffee-table books, fiction works and fantasy, children’s books and everything else in between, I’d love an abundance of them. If Santa could throw in some cute stationery as well (I’m not fussed, pretty notebooks, funky pens and quirky little post-its in varied shapes and colours would be just fine), my Xmas stocking will be complete! What else does one need for a truly merry Christmas?

Sadaf Shaikh, Junior Digital Writer

I’ve harboured a morbid fascination for crocodiles and alligators for as long as I can remember. When I was young and visited a local zoo next to my house, I ran straight to the crocodile enclosure and almost dove headlong into it before my mother pulled me back, or so she claims. I think it was the stealth and method of the beasts that fascinated me most — the way they’d stalk their prey silently, emerging from the water in a terrifying display of jaws, grip their unsuspecting victim and recede soundlessly into their underwater home. I always hoped I could observe one of them up close but being fully aware of the death roll crocodiles are famous for, I kept my distance. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Crocosaurus Cove in Australia’s Darwin City allows you to swim with 5m+ Saltwater crocodiles and marvel at their prehistoric features almost as if you were looking at one through a magnifying glass. Operated by an overhead monorail and designed for one or two people, the Cage of Death has you suspended above the crocs before being lowered into the pen for a close encounter with the amazing reptiles. For Christmas this year, I would like nothing better than a chance look a crocodile in the eye and hope to be able to convey just how much respect and love I have for their kind. If Santa is feeling especially generous, could I also add ‘toss a few chunks of meat and watch them chomp away with their glorious jaws’ to the list?

Zaral Shah, Junior Writer and Coordinator

I know it’s almost 2019 and we’re doing everything online, but some things are best enjoyed in a room full of family, friends, delicious hot chocolate and cross-table banter! For Christmas this year I’d love a setup with every board and arcade game – complete with glow-in-the-dark bowling and a large Hot Wheels set. It’ll make for a pretty great way to spend the holidays – winning, losing and just playing everything. The two games I’d like to find gift-wrapped on top of the pile though are the Scrabble Typography Limited Edition – which is possibly the world’s easiest game to play, and this one comes with tiles all fancy and pretty too; and a fully equipped and functional Air Hockey table!

Dhruv Tyagi, Senior Graphic Designer

I’ve been lusting after Balmain’s sequinned bombers for a while now. The green serpent embellished jacket is all kinds of cool and would be the perfect way for me to slay at my New Year’s bash.

Anvita Budhraja, Editorial Intern

There was a time when the precise science behind the northern lights fascinated me but now a desire to see them has more to do with the intensity, the serenity, and the extreme unpredictability of such a natural event. I love cold weather and traveling to the northern latitudes in the extreme cold to try to catch a glimpse of nature’s elusive magnificence seems like the ideal holiday experience. Every December, I always hope for a gentle and peaceful end of the year and the northern lights offer a distinctive kind of isolated tenderness – just a black winter sky, nature’s vivid colours adorning the firmament…and me.