X-mas in Oz

Kasia: Hi, Annie! How are you? My plane arrived at 15.25, I took a taxi from the airport and here I am…Your family told me to go to the beach… What are you doing here on the beach on Christmas Day? Uff! Is it always so hot in winter?

Annie: G'day. SUMMER!!! It's summer!!!

Kasia: What?!!!

Annie: We are beginning our summer holiday!

Kasia: But Christmas is in winter…

Annie: In Europe - yes, but not here. You are in Oz, down under - we are on the other side of the globe, you know `upside down'.

Kasia: And Santa Claus is coming on a…, on a…, on a surfboard?!

Annie: Yes, he is! And day or so before Christmas in the late arvo, the local Fire Brigade drives him around the streets on a Fire truck where he waves and throws lollies to the children. This is very popular!

Kasia: You're all mad here!

Annie: No, we're not. We're all the same.

Kasia: But wait a moment! We have to go home, sit at the table, wish everyone all the best, sing a carol, or two and unwrap a present, or two.

Annie: … Shhhhh! They are singing now, can't you hear them? (1.kolęda)

Kasia: Yes, but they aren't my family. And I'm sitting on a blanket in the middle of the summer pretending it's a Christmas Dinner! I don't believe it!

Annie: Well, Christ was born for all of us, here and now. Why do you think you can ONLY celebrate Christmas at the table?

Kasia: Because this is how it used to be… Now, what do you have in your picnic basket - a kangaroo leg, a wombat steak or a koala bear pudding?

Annie: Don't be silly! It' all traditional English food: our Christmas Dinner will consist of roast turkey, roast potatoes, pumpkin and other hot vegetables as well as salad, cold ham, cold chicken, king prawns and crayfish . Or maybe you want a chook from a barbie?

Kasia: What is that?!

Annie: A chicken from a barbecue.

Kasia: No, thanks. And where are you going to put my presents - under my pillow or in a stocking on a fireplace? (rozgląda się)

Annie: You've got to be patient. What are you doing?

Kasia: I'm looking for snow. There's no Christmas without snow, you know - White Christmas…

Annie: I'm afraid, we've never had snow on Christmas Day, in fact - we have no snow at all!

Kasia: I'm not sure if I'm going to feel the Christmas spirit this year. (2.kolęda)

`Silent night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright'… (Kasia zaczyna nucić kolędę po polsku)

A przy żłóbku Matka Święta,

Czuwa sama, uśmiechnięta,

Nad Dzieciątka snem,

Nad Dzieciątka snem…

…

I can feel it!!

Christmas is here!

Chris was born `down under'!

And Santa is coming on his surfboard! (Kasia patrzy w stronę

morza)

Unbelievable! I'm celebrating Christmas in the middle of the

Summer!

Annie: Yes, it's dinkum. Come! Sit! We're all waiting for you! What tucker do you want?

Kasia: What?

Annie: What food do you want?

Kasia: Please, speak English!

Some Australian words used in the text: g'day-hello, Oz-Australia, arvo-afternoon, lollies-sweets, crayfish-lobster, chook-chicken, barbie-barbecue, dinkum-real, tucker-food

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