Dear Santa

Volume 2, Issue 50- December 23-29, 2011 

International Tribune

Dear Santa,

Slowly but surely, I am managing through my holiday travels. Thank goodness that there are no public transportation strikes in Paris.  Nor are there any terrorist alert in New York.  My trip went smoothly with no surprise delays.  Christmas is certainly the holiday of perpetual hope. 

Santa strutting in New York City.  Photo by Lynsey Addario/ AP

I am home for Christmas this year.  It has been a long time since I spent the holiday with my family in good ole’ Queens.  The last four years have been spent in France with my in-laws.   As the song goes: “there’s no home like home for the holidays”.   Finally, I can clearly understand all discussions and have good knowledge of the rules of engagement.   Team Miranda will be spending quality time with one another: running around the entire city for last minute shopping; jockeying at the usual Filipino buffet line during our Christmas meal; everyone dodging away from the mountainous pile of dishes after the festivities; and the rest of the family evading the scene once my mom and I start to get into our gleeful mood to sing non-stop karaoke Christmas tunes.  What a special time of the year.     

Santa, the US economy is in deep trouble.  I had to pay five dollars to use a luggage cart when I landed at JFK.  Quel horreur!  Luggage carts are free in Paris – or, for that matter, for the rest of Europe. This is a bad sign.  How else can I easily sneak foie gras and cheese out of customs?   Maybe 3 years from now US airports will charge ten dollars for a single cart.  It is like paying for undeserving road tolls in the tri-state area to cross from one bridge or tunnel after the other.  Speaking about roads, please be careful when you land your sleigh on the ground.  There are so many ‘dangerous’ pot holes in the five boroughs.  In Paris, I watch out for dog poop in the street.  In New York, the pot holes on the road can kill you.  I really wish that the economic recession in America would be over soon.

It is presidential election frenzy in France and in America.  The year 2012 will be a big year for both nations.  It is predicted that France will turn left and America will go perilously right.  Either way, there will be major changes not necessarily, I fear, for the better.   I am just glad that France already rid itself of a perverted presidential hopeful.  However, the US still has several blithering nincompoops who want to beat rock-star Obama.   One of them cannot even remember his own domestic policies.  And the other has been charged with more than one sexual indiscretion that ultimately spelled for all intents and purposes the end of his primary campaign.   What is wrong with this picture?  Santa, I truly hope that you are checking your list twice and sort out who is naughty or nice. 

2012 will be a year of major changes- in both sides of the Atlantic.   I will do my best to keep up with both worlds.  My memo will be more interesting however the tide of events will be.  After all, life is not only about your destination but it is the experience of making you wise upon reaching the terminus of your journey.  I just want to thank you for bringing me the best gifts this year - my wonderful family and faithful friends. 

Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Michele