Kasia

X-mas in Oz
by Mariusz Czaplicki
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