And then there's ours...

So, you have this huge impressive tree in the centre of Warsaw, the metres and metres of strong diagonal lines, immense flashing lights alternating between jolly gold and red and subtle moody blues and purples. There's the mighty backdrop of the Palace of Culture and Science adding its own gold stars into the picture, and the people skating around on the rink at the tree's foot. It makes you think of Christmas.

Then, there's our tree... I mean, I wasn't expecting us to replicate the Warsaw 'Millenium Choinka', but really...

It's a little feeble isn't it? It's one of those ones which leaves its kneedles all over the place. We used carefully selected decorations from the landlady's cupboard (oh, what? We're going to tell her we're using them!) and the odd lebkuchen which hadn't already been eaten. There are no glittering lights because they were inevitably broken and the tree has tinsel around its bottom to hide the maze of string that is tying it to the table and stopping it toppling onto its head. You can't tell from this picture but it's on a par with Pisa's tower and is threatening to fall any day.

Still, it does add a Christmassy touch, despite it being a totally pathetic example of a Christmas tree.

One day, when I have a job that pays real money I'm going to get myself a huuuuge tree. Maybe not on the scale of Warsaw's, but almost.