So this is Christmas?

So many times we hear people having troubles coping with Christmas, because of lack of time to buy all the presents or because of sadness for the lost childhood happiness of this time of the year. Or perhaps because the whole world is upside down and things seem completely out of tune.

Imagine a huge Christmas tree in the main square of a town, when outside is 32 degrees and you are sweating every minute of the day, unless you are swimming in crystal clear water at 28 degrees with a bunch of clown fishes - and jelly fishes.

Imagine it is Christmas eve in a frontier town: 20.000 inhabitants and 50.000 snakes, bars close at 6, one restaurant remains exceptionally open until 9, there is no place to go before the midnight mass and you should probably not go anyway because it is highly recommended not to stay out in the streets at night. And you are sweating again.

Imagine it is 45 degrees Celsius now, in a splendidly red desert, there is a swimming pool with palm trees and a receptionist offering you some chocolate:
"oh, thanks, this is so sweet of you"
"no, it is Christmas".

Imagine Santa coming in many different forms: as a scarecrow carrying the just harvested hay or - rather obviously - on a surf board or on a SUV disguised as a reindeer with a red nose.

Imagine still to catch a plane around noon and have your Christmas lunch 10.000 mt high. And lunch is a frozen chicken sandwich. And imagine you finally land, it is 25 degrees (and you are complaining) and at last you can sit in a normal restaurant - the only one open in town - and order a typical - which you never ever had before - Christmas lunch: stuffed turkey and Christmas pudding.

Merry Christmas down under!