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 Sunday School.

M: At Christmas, we should remember God's generosity to us. After all, he gave us His greatest gift at Christmas.