Fake Plastic Tree (literally)

OK, by now anyone who knows the Catmandu knows that he loves Radiohead and overuses their Fake Plastic Tree imagery when relating life in Dubai to the outside world.  And anyone who lives in Dubai thinks the Do Buy fake plastic imagery is not used nearly enough to describe life in the surreal desert.

If a fake plastic tree falls onto the floor of your villa, will you assemble it?

It looks like the real thing.  It feels like the real thing.

Still I can't help this feeling.

It could blow through the ceiling.

 All this tree needs is a little love.

 The color coded branches unfurl to make a real tree.

 The star on top completes the perfect symetree.

Our cute tree really makes the place feel festive.  Fake or real, Xmas trees always cause reflection and celebration and this year is no different.  Real trees cause real thinking as well.  The environment questions arise (I know, we re-plant 10 for every one we take out), but still, have you ever thought about the numbers?  And the watering /fire concerns, the pine needles fill the vacuum, the family cutting ceremony and roof tying in the cold causes joy mixed with tears, muddled with a scratched car roof.  In Hawaii, we had a real tree every year, shipped from the mainland at what cost?  But we bought it through a charitable girl scouts organization?

In NY, we bought freshly cut trees and destroyed our Subaru roof in the name of the pine smell and real tree feel. We loved it until January 2 when we watched 40 sad, pruned evergreens- still with tinsel tears hanging- sagging at every shiny suburban home's curb.  The 'special' truck picked them up and dropped them where?  A big hole in the ground?  How environmental.

The made in China re-usable trees cause similar environmental and carbon footprint thoughts.  But what is the real meaning of the holiday, Linus?  To give your family a tangible symbol to remind them of giving, love, home and family.  To that end, we are happily snuggled into our warm villa nest.  The lights twinkling at night on our fake plastic tree, just like the rest of Dubai.

Season's greetings from Dubai.