Here I am!

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas boys and girls!

Yes that’s right I’m Santa Clause or at least I was for one morning. I volunteered to play the part of the big man himself at a school in Jakarta, I was very nervous about it and even more so as before I came down there was a performance by the children, similar to a nativity play in the UK, which I was invited to watch, as a normal person rather than dressed as Santa. The performance lasted about 2 ½ hours and was really good, look out for some video footage I will upload for you to see.

Then my time came, the signal was given to go and get changed, this was in the lobby type area of the toilets, so there I am almost ready and adjusting my beard when my girlfriend calls HIDE! THERES A KID COMING! I burst into a toilet cubicle and stay silent waiting for the all clear.

The next signal for Santa to come was a rendition of frère Jacques with the words changed to Where Is Santa? By the way this is a great song for changing words and using in a class sing-a-long. ‘What is your name x2, How are you x2, very well, thank you, How are you? x2’ is an example song you can sing; try it now with the tune to frère Jacques. Back to the story, So there I am, nervous about doing this as I have never been Santa before and wondering what went through my head when I said ‘Yeah, I can be Santa’. The signal was done, the singing had finished, I had no rehearsal or idea what I would do in my head and then I walked out of the door at the top of the stairs where the audience were sitting. ‘Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas’ I walked 4 steps and stopped for photographs waving my hand in the traditional manner. All was calm, I felt comfortable.

Getting down to the stage I sat in my Santa chair and was asked a few questions by the presenter. You will understand how easy it is to do what you are going to read next when you have lived abroad for a while, you get asked this question everywhere you go, shop’s, fuel station, street vendors the list can go on.

Presenter: Hello Santa, How are you?

Santa: I’m very well, thank you

Presenter: So Santa, Where are you from? (This is the question)

Santa: London

Presenter: Oh, London! Is it snowing there? (Me realizing what I’ve just said and thinking how to rescue it)

Santa: Yes it is I have just been delivering presents to some children there on my way from home in the North Pole.

 After that the children came one-by-one to sit on my knee for a photograph, it wasn’t like the traditional grotto’s of old where I had to ask ‘What do you want for Christmas?’ I was just instructed to shake their hand and say God Bless you, this being a religious school. There were 47 children in total and I really enjoyed doing it, in return for my services they gave me a small amount of money and a Batik, which is a traditional shirt from Indonesia that is going with me to Bali tomorrow and I will wear it there!

I still had to go to work in the afternoon and it was a day we had to be early for as it was our last day before the holiday and management had arranged a secret Santa and food at the office, The gift I had bought was for Endah (see the video) and there was a minimum spend of 50,000 which is about $5, I bought her a necklace with a big E on it and a pair of earrings, very her! I was given a book which is really useful as I will be travelling for 24hrs to get to Bali by train and bus so I needed something to read, the present was much better than the last secret Santa I participated in when everyone got cool presents and I got a calendar and something else (both from Ann Summers) it was supposed to be a joke! I ended up giving both to my flatmate who happened to be a girl.

I have to go now to finish my packing for tomorrow, but I will keep you all updated when I am in Bali. Look out for the pictures and video from my outing as Santa and also for those from Bali which I will upload when I get the chance, not sure what the connection will be like in Bali.

Also before I go, check out the movie Avatar. Saw it yesterday and it is AMAZING! The CGI is so real, like nothing I have seen before.

Like always if you have any question, queries, comments or anything else you would like to share just drop me a comment at the bottom and I will answer it promptly!

• Santa
• Christmas
• bali
• Jakarta
• Indonesia
• Singing
• Dancing
• Play
• Performance
• Photographs