Christmas?

Last night I helped set up and decorate a Christmas tree.

It still hasn’t really sunk in that Christmas is right around the corner. The temperature as I write is 29°C (84°F). Sure the days are a little shorter. But I certainly haven’t been seeing my breath when I go out in the mornings. Christmas carols are not pouring out of every speaker I pass. I haven’t been doing Christmas shopping; I did that back in October while I was on vacation in Chiang Mai. I haven’t seen Advent candles being lit. At church this past Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day (the King’s birthday is Dec 5th).

My Mom sent me a photo of the snow blanketed world out her window, it didn’t seem all that real. It was like looking at a postcard from Uncle Joe’s trip to Everest: pretty, but lacking immediacy.

Rabbit Trail: Sometime ago one of my Thai friends saw photos of trees dressed in the oranges, reds, and yellows of fall. Her response was incredulity. It was hard for her to believe that such a sight could be seen out someone’s backdoor. At one point in her protestations she said “เหมือนโปสการ์ดเลย” (It’s just like a postcard).