“I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need! I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree..” sang a young Mariah Carey as she danced with Santa in her 1990’s hit Christmas single, All I want for Christmas is you!

This song pulls me into the cheery Christmas spirit like no other. It also makes me think — what ‘do’ I want for Christmas? Are we still looking for a golden-ribboned box under the tree on Christmas morning or have we evolved and want no more than a clean and green earth?

So “Dear Santa,” I started to write, “I want a magical unicorn this Christmas”.

“Be realistic”, Santa replied.

“OK, to be honest, all I really want to is to sit peacefully every morning and have a hot cup of coffee, read a book with no disturbances, reach work within five minutes, always find a parking spot at the mall….”

“Errm..” interrupts Santa. “What colour unicorn would you like?”

So much for my list!

Curious to know what my friends from the industry have asked for, I asked them to share their lists, on the condition that I will keep these secret lists a secret. And of course, I share these secrets only with you.

“Tall snow-capped mountains and coniferous forests in Dubai…. ”, said Dev J Halder, radioman and blogger. What an earth-friendly request I thought, before he completed his list “… so that one can save some money instead of trudging all the way to Europe to see them. Oh! And a rope-way between Dubai and Sharjah”.

Radio jockey and television anchor Malavika shared her list, “Dear Santa, can you please lower the rents in Dubai? That way I can afford a home with a chimney that you can come down from. Else you’d have to use the garbage chute. Not a pretty sight!”

Interesting wish lists.

Surprisingly (or not), staying with the theme of transportation, radio professional Anjaan from Josh, seeks a Moses-like power that separates the traffic on Shaikh Zayed Road at peak hour and a car that is invisible to all speed guns and radars along Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Another Dubai-based RJ Shardul asked for nothing much but to be exempted from Salik.

For Danube director Adel Sajan, the best gift he could get is a flying car, so that he can escape traffic.

Santa sure has a long list of road related gifts to give us Dubai people this year.

TV personality Gaurav Tandon probably enjoys driving in peak traffic as he asked that his gastronomic dreams be fulfilled first and wished for an authentic Burmese restaurant in Dubai.

So what did you ask Santa for this Christmas? I hope you get all that you wished for and more.

Merry Christmas, my friends, and happy holidays.

— Follow Uma on social media on @umagd