Rakas Joulupukki

I had to go down to the Tulli today to pay up for some warm shoes and ear muffs I ordered from L.L. Bean. I think the customs people are incredibly nice and polite here. Granted, I don't like paying a 22% tax on stuff I order from outside the EU, but they're friendly in spite of what is likely an unpleasant job sometimes when people get irate, etc. over the tax.

The tulli is in the main post office downtown and the posti is ramping up the Christmas cheer with a display of letters to Santa sent to Santa's Post Office which is in Lapland, where Santa lives and maintains an office. There were a few letters that were just adorable:

• Jeramias * 5 years old and wants lots of games. Self-portrait needs work. :)
• Sarlotta [Charlotte?] * Illustrates her saavy well beyond the boys by illustrating precisely what she wants with pictures. She's an ad exec in the making. She wants a truck, too. You go Sarlotta!
• Satu * A girl who wants only one thing and, like Sarlotta, illustrates the exact make and model of her fondest hope: A Nokia 3510i.
• a scroll * Kids too poor for paper, pen and postage can write to santa in the posti. Some of them are sad and some of them are funny.

My youngest sister was 7 years older than me when I was born so I never really bought into the santa thing or wrote letters to a bearded fat white guy asking him to bring me stuff. I do, however, remember pretending to believe for a lot longer than I should have because my sisters asked me to and because I thought my parents genuinely enjoyed playing santa. I don't even know these kids with the letters and I want to send them stuff as playing Santa is fun if far too brief.

I'm usually a real humbug for the holidays but that display sure put me into a holiday mood. If only it would snow now it would be complete :)

21 Nov 2003 at 19:00, Helsinki