- by Joy Lo Cheung

Scene 2: Christmas Tree Shopping
Mom: Hello? Hello?

Mr. Lee: Siu jie, mai fah ah? Ngo dei yau

dee ho leng ge sing dan fah ah.

M: You have Christmas tree?

L: Madam, this way. Which kind you like?

This one, Douglas fir. Tall and

beautiful.

M: How much is this one?

L: This one ... six feet. $1300.

B: What a rip off! At home, we can buy

this tree for about $300.

M: Brian, please keep your opinions to

yourself. Do you have other trees?

L: Yes, this way. This one, noble fir.

Five feet, rounder shape. Good for your

home. Only $940.

A: It's so dinky compared to the ones in

Boston.

M: It's very expensive to send them all

the way here. Thank you, we will look

around some more.

L: Madam, look here. This one I give you

discount. $900, best price.

M: Thank you, but we'll have to think

about it. Kids, let's go!

L: Madam, madam, how about free delivery?

Where you live?

M: Thank you, that is very kind of you.

But we will think about it.

L: You like poinsettia? Look, beautiful

from Holland. Special for you ... $160

for two.

M: Thank you! Goodbye!

A: Mom, which one are we getting?

B: I don't think it's worth buying a tree

here. It's a real rip off.

M: Honey, I agree with you. But you must

understand that they have to pay for

shipping and handling halfway around the

world ... Hey kids, why don't we skip

buying a tree this year?

A: But Mom, how can we NOT have a tree?

Now Daddy says he won't be home either

... This Christmas will be the worst one

in my life ... no snow, no tree, no

Daddy, no Grandma. Mom, are you trying to

ruin my Christmas?

M: No, Andrea, no one can 'ruin' your

Christmas. When we move to a new place,

we must learn to adapt. You may miss some

things about the US, but surely Hong Kong

offers other things that you don't have

in the States.

B: Like what?

M: Like great Chinese food, cheap VCDs

and clothes.

B: Stinky public toilets and old men who

spit on the street.

A: Yeah, it's true!

M: All that has changed since SARS, you

know. People learn to correct their bad

habits ... Hey, I have an idea. Why don't

we donate our tree money to support kids

of your age? Some of them are really

needy.

B: I'm needy ... my tennis racket is all

bent out of shape.

M: How about helping the children who

lost their parents to SARS? Those poor

kids ... they've not only lost their Mom

or Dad, but they may be tight on money as

well.

B: Why don't you use that money on our

house instead?

M: Because it is Christmas, and Christmas

is about giving. God loves each of us so

much. He's already given us abundant life

and blessed us with a very comfortable

way of living. There are so many people

who have less than we do. To give is more

blessed than to receive, you know that?

B: Yeah, yeah. Okay, Mom. I get it. You

don't have to tell us, we learn it in

Sund