Wordless Wednesday: Santa Has Xmas Anytime

View from the Office: Not a Chimney in Sight

It Was One of Those Days

 

 

The weather had me tempted, to go out with the cameras but, I didn't.

Other priorities, kept me from straying more than a few minutes from the office.

Things like, getting the Santa suit ready,  article submissions and the birth of a child.

The only times, I got away from the computer monitors, I stepped out the door, for a minute.

It's good, to stand up, get out and relax the eyes, after you've been at a desk for awhile.

When I spotted the contrast between this roof and the blue skies, I had to grab a camera.

Camera: Pentax K3

Lens: Sigma 10-20 at focal length of 20MM

Exposure: f/16  1/30   ISO 100

Location: Just outside my office door in Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan 

Date and Time: DEC 22 2015 5PM

Santa gets a little busy this time of year and, I'll be out doing a gig tomorrow.

Not really sure, when, I'll be back posting photos and blogs again.

Just in case, I don't get back here in time to tell you:

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !

Christmas Surprises: Santa in Okinawa, Japan 2013

Santa went to Kanna in Ginoza, Okinawa, Japan today.

Over a hundred children were surprised, to see him show up.

There were a few surprises for Santa, too.

Credit for the photography and video go to the Map It Okinawa Dude.

The Christmas Dude has other stuff, keeping him occupied and is too busy, to blog.

Enjoy the YouTube Video and see how well behaved these children acted. 

It was a big surprise, to Santa Claus.

  

The biggest surprise of all was that boy, sitting with Santa, in the photo.

He either, didn't know or, wouldn't let on, to the rest of the students.

He was sitting on his Grandpa's lap !





Santa's Cell Phone Top Five Photos

Here are the Top Five Photos downloaded from Santa's cell phone. Internet service has been on and off the past few days so, this will be brief. You'll have to use your imagination on the lines between each photo because I might not put anything in there.

These photos were all taken with my cell phone but, not neccessarily by anyone who knew how to use it and a few of them  may have been under the influence of something.

Due to unforseen circumstances the children's party I normally do my Santa gig at was cancelled.
So, this was my first real live performance this year.

The next scheduled event for Santa is January 2, 2011. It will be a New Years/Christmas Party all rolled into one. There will be a frazillion kids of all ages there so, I probably won't bring a camera.

Did you catch any pictures of Santa with your cell phone this Christmas?

LINK TO THIS POST: How I Became Santa Forever

One of These is Not Like the Rest (Photo)

It all depends on how you look at it, I guess. Either, none of these is like the other or, one of these is not like the rest.

It's a busy time of the year and Santa has lots of important stuff to do.

So, grab the kids, stick them in front of your computer. Make sure they don't have any hot chocolate or sticky candy canes, just a pen and paper. Put the keyboard and mouse out of reach.

Then, after you fasten their seat belts, have them write a 500 word essay about what they see in this photo.

Santa has important stuff to do.  MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Related Link HOW I BECAME SANTA

See the Photo of the Day HERE

How I Became Santa, Forever

A Volunteer gig as Santa for some handicapped children made me become Santa, forever.

The Santa photo is actually me (1994-1995ish), back in the days when I had to run around a few months before Xmas trying to find White Hair Coloring. Not many folks in Japan, or anywhere else, I suppose are in the market for spray that makes them look older. It was impossible to find. I'd usually end-up using spray snowflakes or white shoe polish. Now, when I play Santa, I just go natural.


The Santa gig was a thing I volunteered for at an Okinawan school for handicapped children. They provided the uniform and said they even had the wig and beard. I figured if the kids were gonna be pulling Santa's beard to see if it was real, I'd grow a real one; grew long hair and a ponytail, too.

That first year playing Santa, I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into. I bought around $100 worth of candy and dumped it in a white pillowcase. The PTA folks who asked me to be Santa had me show up 4 hours before their Xmas party was to start. They didn't want the children to see me arrive. They'd never had a foreign Santa before.

They had me go backstage in the school auditorium. They had me hide in a closet so none of the kids who came along with parents doing decorating and party preparations would discover me. And they kept bringing me ice-cold beers. I like my beer and I like it cold. I'm really not wild about being stuffed in a closet for a four hour party, though. But there wasn't anything else to do, so, I drank the damn beer.

The cue for Santa to come out on stage was the kids and parents would shout "Santasan". They'd do it and the MC would tell them it wasn't loud enough and have them yell "Santasan" again louder and louder until Santa could hear them. That was kinda cool, since I'm deaf in one ear and don't hear so well outa the other one.

Anyway, I came out onstage doing the Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas bit with a sack of candy slung over my shoulder. There must have been 300 kids and parents sitting around the edges of what looked like a basketball court. I jumped off the stage and started to go pass candies out. Then, I remembered the boots. Old black, steel-toed boots from the engineer days. This is Japan; ya take yer shoes off. I said "Uh oh" and turned around, ran back to sit on the edge of the stage and unlace the boots. Everyone laughed and I felt better.

Next, I went around the auditorium passing out candies and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. I'd reach in my sack and grab whatever. Some kids may have gotten 6 candies, others 3 or 4; no way I could take time to count. I was just worried I wouldn't have enough to go around. I figured I'd pace myself. Try and ration the stuff so there'd be a little extra left to give the PTA folks, who worked so hard, something to take home afterwards.

When I finished my rounds, I went back and sat in a chair in front of the stage. I passed the little candy I had left to one of the teachers. There was a program for events like, games, skits, Santa passing out gifts provided by the PTA, even dancing to a Japanese Macerana Xmas CD with Santa, if you can believe that !

But, like most events, programmed in Okinawa, nothing seems to go according to plans. Things just happen when they happen. So, I'm sitting there wishing I had about four more bladders and getting my first look at the crowd where I'm not trying to focus through sweat-steamed, rimless eyeglasses. The children are maybe a mixture of mentally and physically handicapped. They start milling around the gym, some still munching candy but, they're a little afraid of this foreign Santa; none of them come near me. Good. All I want to do is get their gifts passed out, take a piss and go home. I did my volunteer Santa gig. Keep smiling. Hang-in. Never do Santa again. As long as I live.

Then, one little girl, maybe five years old, autistic, started limping towards Santa. I figured, since it had been ten minutes, all the candy was gone; gobbled up. Maybe she was gonna complain because her brother got five candies and she only got three. I'm thinking, she's gonna ask for more candy.

She's about a foot away. I glance around quick. I want a teacher/parent/translator/anybody to help me. They're all busy; nobody available. I'm on my own. Just keep the phony smile on your face Santa. You've lived through worse than this. You can do it. Another hour at the max and you'll never have to be Santa again, ever.

The little girl extended her hand towards me. Great, I'll shake her little hand and say "Merry Christmas" one more time. I reached out to her.

She said "Santasan" and put a piece of candy, she had saved, in my hand ! I was struck. I said "Domo arigato gozaimusu". I'm loud. Everyone heard me thank the little girl. Every child there swarmed the stage. Their parents couldn't hold them back.

They all wanted to give Santa a piece of candy. It made me cry. To those kids I’m Santa. To those special kids I’ll always be Santa, forever !