The Faculty Services Committee at AUC does lots of events all year for the faculty. They arrange tours to the pyramids, trips to Alexandria, museum visits etc.
They also have a Christmas party for the childrens every year. The regular Santa Claus is a member of the committee. Well this year, he had to fly back to the US for some surgery at the last minute. That left them without a Santa.
And the woman that usually plays the elf also had to leave Egypt for medical reasons. (Hmm, I hope there is no curse on those costumes…)
Anyway, the regular Santa knows me and felt I would make a great replacement. This thinking was entirely based on the fact that I would fit the costume without any modifications. I.E. I am short enough and fat enough.
So I got an email from the nice woman that coordinates this thing asking if I would be Santa and if Kaddee would be the Elf.
I have to admit that I wasn’t really excited about it but I said I would do it since they were kinda stuck.
So, there were 90 children, and 1/2 hour to “process them”. Hoist them on my knee, ask em their name (ismik a?) and how old they are (kaam omrak?) give em a small stocking stuffed with candy and send them on their way.
I was pretty nervous. I have never done anything like that before. The language and cultural differences were just icing on the cake.
After the first 10 or so kids it became kinda fun. Joke with the kids and the parents and kaddee. That was great for the next 50 or so kids. That last 30 kids was tough. It was really warm in that suit.
And then there was the little girl that was also celebrating her birthday that day. We got clued in so when she sat on my lap and told me her name, I said
“Wait a minute! It is your birthday today, right? Happy Birthday” and we all sang happy birthday to her.
The look on her face was priceless and worth the anxiety and sweating for 1/2 hour in the velour Santa suit.
Of course getting some of the cute moms to sit on my lap was nice too. 🙂
I understand the regular Santa wants his gig back when he returns. He is gonna have to wrestle me for it.
Merry Christmas.
9 replies on “HO HO HO! Did I mention?”
uhmmm.. are you gonna turn back to normal when you come back to the states? or is this your mid-life crisis? or have you *always* been this much of a softy inside and just hid it really well? : )
Oh, pleasepleaseplease tell me there are pictures of this. I’ll never ask for another thing as long as I live. 🙂
Was a nice thing y’all did.
It was kinda weird with the photos: Kaddee’s camera ran out of fbattery and all the other photos taken by other people came out blurry or under exposed.
heh.
jack (and KD) that was a really cool thing to do. thats ok: your secret is safe with me. 🙂
hope you guys had a great christmas and are now having a very happy new year!
I’m with Rachel. Would someone fly over to Cairo and make sure Jack is okay?
The idea of Santa, asride a chrome-dipped Aprilia with microbrew beer bottle in hand, yelling out decidely non-PC rants is just plain disturbing. 🙂
Seriously, though, good for you Jack.
Oh, and forget the pictures of Jack in a furry red suit. Where are the photos of Kaddee in a tight green elf suit?
Was being santa as fun as being the easter bunny? 😉
Jack,
Do Egyptian children know the custom of exchanging wet willies with Santa?
We are going to be there SOON. So you might want to answer my email.
– Flash
yea – how many wet willies did you give out Jack? The next movie you need to get is “Bad Santa” with Billy Bob Thornton….I think it would be appropriate.
Wendy
PS – we all know you are sorta soft and gushy inside already.. remember, we have pics of you and Tristan in the supersized ‘unnerwear’ (and no, it is not some rude photo of Jack and my kid for those who have not seen it) – atomic wedgies rule!
What am I gonna tell my therapist NOW!?