Not having brought one Christmas decoration as the holiday season approached I started to think hmmm this is going to be interesting. Having Ryan and my parents here for Christmas I really wanted the house to have a nice holiday spirit. Living in a Non Christian country I started to think what am I going to do for decorations.
Early November out to dinner with some friends we get on the conversation of Christmas. Over a few Leffe beers we were talking about decorations. My friend who has been an expat for years said she has a fake tree that she puts up but since they will be gone for 3 weeks won't be able to enjoy it. Out of my mouth I blurt can I borrow it. Laughter erupted from the table, really who borrows a Christmas tree. Her husband thought this was a great idea as did she, of course they did these are just the kind of people that would lend out their tree. The husband decides the agreement on the rental. She is leaving earlier than him leaving him here for a week by himself, he wants turkey dinner, (she does not cook turkey dinner) and some brown Leffe beers. All that for a decorated Christmas tree! Easy!
So our plan was laid out. She had to use the tree for a coffee morning she was hosting in early December but was leaving for Australia December 10 so I could come and get it before. We needed a ute - a what? Aussies speak English but sometimes I have absolutely no idea what the words mean - it works both ways :) a ute is a pick up truck. Easy I don't drive remember - oh Biayoon, he has a ute.
Now this conversation I have with Khun Biayoon is an interesting one he speaks English pretty well when talking about normal day to day driving but when it came to this one not so easy. How do you explain to a non celebrating Christmas person that you need to drive to someone's house and bring me back their Christmas tree, fully decorated I might add. Mind you we all have gates and security guards at our villages. Away Biayoon goes to pick up my rented tree. They carefully place it wrapped in a sheet in the back of his truck, fully decorated I might add. Oh so slowly he drives off only to be stopped at security asking why he has someone's tree, like the grinch stealing the Christmas trees. The security guard goes and knocks on my friends door asking her about Biayoon taking the tree. He makes her sign a piece of paper that she has no idea what it says (all in Thai) and away Biayoon goes. She meanwhile is texting me. We are in hysterics. She is confused why they made her sign something about her own tree. About an hour later he shows up at the house with the tree. (I drive very slowly madam for your tree, say Khun Biayoon). She lives 10 minutes away. I swear he stopped somewhere to show his friends so they could have a good laugh.
Biayoon and Jack with the tree in the ute.
Bad picture but me trying to explain that we need to now take the tree inside.
Poor sad tree needs some refreshing.
At least now I keep up the tradition of my driver thinking I am completely nuts. The next day my friends maid came rushing into her after having arrived in the morning saying madam madam where is the big tree it is gone. After all this it turns out we could have driven to Ikea in Bangkok and gotten a real tree or I could have bought a fake one here but I think it was totally worth it with the amount of laughs that we got over this rented tree. It's definitely a good story as my kids continue to roll their eyes at me!
Never had a fake tree in my life but I'm kinda liking this, nothing to water, no fire hazard. Clean up and putting away is going to be real easy, I will make sure Biayoon has his ute that day. 😉
Oh and dinner is tomorrow for Greg. Hope I have enough Leffe beer!
Cheers
😘 M
Only 2 more sleeps until my parents are here! Yipeeeeeee
Merry Christmas!
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