Putting up the Christmas tree

I always think it is just amazing when things fall into place as if they were planned that way. Ron invited some people over for a get together on Friday night this week - that's the 20th November. Now I am a complete sucker for Xmas - love all the bling and baubles, flashing lights, food and wine, nativity sets....it's the full razza mattaz for me. Each year Ron just sighs and says - "What ever makes you happy - go for it!" So when the whiff of a party was in the air I thought it just must be time to put up the Chrissie decos - of course.

So out came our gorgeous nativity set from Italy, the Christmas lights and baubles we had left from the UAE and a determination that Friday was going to be the start of the festive season. I needed a Christmas tree and some more decorations and I just didn't know where I would get them. I have been wandering the shops and have seen no decos on sale, though all the Malls have Christmas written all over them right now!

I met a couple of my friends for coffee and mentioned I wanted to find a tree. I suggested I thought IKEA may have some by now and I would probably make the trip (which it is from our house - about 30 minutes on the bus) and pick up a tree and some baubles. Lynn suggested she was also going to get a tree and that she thought she knew of this shopping mall that had a Christmas section, but was not sure she could find her way to it again. She gave me some general directions and I thought it was probably both too hard and perhaps a bit hit and miss and IKEA would be easier. So I set my mind to catching the bus on Thursday and getting a few small decos (IKEA is expensive!) and making a pretence at Xmas cheer! And then on Tuesday night Lynn phoned - "Guess what - I have a driver for tomorrow. Bruce doesn't need him for work and I thought we might go find that mall and get a couple of trees!" Without a second thought I agreed and we made the arrangements.

I caught the bus from my place to Lynn's, passing IKEA along the way, and the driver and Lynn studied the map and decided they knew where they were going - so off we went. Well - I couldn't believe my eyes - she took me to a place that is 3 stories of "Made in China" and cheap as chips! There was a section that had Christmas decorations that had been sort of subsumed into the Chinese souvenirs section - Christmas trees in all sizes, with and without optic fibre lights, baubles and snowflakes and ...well... really - it was ALL there. We both decided it would be a Chinese Xmas theme and proceeded to buy lanterns and charms in a red and yellow theme. It was great fun.

We then shopped the other sections of the three floor supermall and got a few little goodies and headed home for dumplings and noodles - what a great day.

Here is the Christmas tree with all the Chinese charms and the lanterns, as well as lights and baubles - Christmas has come to Nanjing!