Christmas Card

[JurgenG]

I know what you're going to say, "Have you ever heard of emails ? ", "Do you know how many trees are cut for these dam_n cards ? " ...

But Christmas is a time that should be spent with family. Unfortunately this year again they will share a big Xmas lunch together while I'll probably be eating a quick Phad Thai at the airport. I will miss them of course but some of them, particularly the eldest and the younguest will miss me even more. That's why since I left home I send a card to all my relatives for Xmas.I know my card will stand proudly on top of the TV, will be shown to all the pensioners at the nursing home or will pass from hand to hand during recess.

The weirdest stuff is it's my gf who insisted I do that. Xmas has no meaning for her but she understands it's a very important family moment for us foreigners. She couldn't understand why I was so casual about it, so one day she came back home with a big pack of Xmas cards and said we're going to send them to everybody in my family. So we did it (you know the joke about the difference between a terrorist and a Thai gf ....). The answer was overwhelming, all January I kept receiving phone call and letters from long lost cousins and relatives, especially the oldest ones.

This morning I've just finished writing them, tomorrow I will drop them at the post office.

And you ?

[craigt3365]

Good for you! I know my mother proudly displays all her cards...and loves getting them. Since she is 80% blind, I help her send out cards. She just loves to do it. For sure emails are easier, and some are pretty dang neat, but cards are tradition and some people love it. You can do your carbon offsets somewhere else to make up!

Since this is suppose to be related to Thailand, do you send out any to Thai's here in LOS?

[JurgenG]

I get your point

It's more "expat related" spending Xmas away from home, than strictly speaking "Thailand related" as you can have the same discussion if you're living in Singapore, Nicaragua or Kenya.

More "thailand related" is the importance Thai attach to family relation, it's my gf who insisted that I kept in touch with my family for this special occasion.

[slapout]

I blow a kiss and mention those for whom I intend it. I also do a raspberry for the old scrooge uncles. Not sure how either is received but I feel kind of smug afterwords.

[cardholder]

Greetings cards have to the biggest waste of all time. What purpose do they serve ?

The UK High Street are full of greetings card shops, charity shops and banks. You could halve the number of these 3 and still have too many.

[jazzbo]

The Thais are very big on end-of-year gift giving except that all those gift baskets that you see in the stores are for New Year's Day not Christmas -- personally I always liked to give gifts on Epiphany Day as then they were not expected ... the 12th Day of Christmas afterall.

[Kwasaki]

I email greetings now but my Mrs like to send cards even though only 4 family in UK and one to the ex-next door neighbour, kinda sweet that I think.

[SweeneyAgonistes]

Greetings cards have to the biggest waste of all time. What purpose do they serve ?

Generally make the recipient happy, especially if it's from someone a long way away. I think Christmas is wank and getting away from it was one factor in moving abroad but as I get older, I appreciate that not everyone shares my opinion and it's a pretty easily made concession to the feelings of others - especially those of parents who are going to be popping their clogs pretty soon - to send a card once a year. And I think the baskets of Brand or Peptein (<deleted> kind of present is that?) are probably a bigger waste of money. Have you seen how expensive they are?

[chickenslegs]

Greetings cards have to the biggest waste of all time. What purpose do they serve ?

The UK High Street are full of greetings card shops, charity shops and banks. You could halve the number of these 3 and still have too many.

You forgot to say "Bah, humbug"

[astral]

I send 4 Christmas letters to people who are not on e-mail.

The rest are electronic images as part of an e-mail, and there will be around 50 of those.

[longstebe]

A phone call every Christmas to wherever the family may be. This way I get to speak with all my Aunties and Uncles and my Mother of course .

[lungbing]

I send cards to family and friends back in the UK. But only because I collect Thai stamps and I can use blocks of four for postage and the recipients know to save the envelopes for next time I see them.

But even without that, there's something more personal about the postman arriving rather than opening gmail.

[Tod Daniels]

YES!

Since moving here almost 6 years ago, I've ALWAYS sent Christmas cards to my family and friends in America (for the thick, that's the US ).

However I only send the cheezy ones written in thai with the b/s pictures on 'em.

[mikecwm]

Send this link to everyone in your address book - they'll love you for it. Totally amazing. Still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I watch it.

http://cjunk.blogspot.com/2010/11/food-court-choir.html

Edited December 12, 2010 by mikecwm

[ColinChapman]

I always ask for "satem suay" at the PO, so you get fancy Thai stamps with pictures on, rather than the boring printed ones. Recipients often comment that they like these. I did have an unpleasant surprise this year having moved since last Christmas - my old PO used to put the stamps on for me, but the new one gave me 60 large stamps (two per envelope) to lick and stick myself (no pad for wetting them) - I'll be taking a bottle of water with me next year.