Christmas tree-hopping with US Ambassador MaryKay L. Carlson (part 1)
US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson has “grown,” nurtured and spruced up not one but seven dazzling Christmas trees in her residence in Makati, each tree a labor of love, beauty, and unity in diversity.
Mrs. Carlson, who has served as the deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and New Delhi, India, and served at US diplomatic missions in China (twice), Ukraine, Hong Kong, Mozambique, Kenya and the Dominican Republic before her Philippine post, collects memories — and Christmas ornaments — from all of her postings.
And her home, wherever she was posted in the world, was usually the most “Christmassy” place in the neighborhood. Mrs. Carlson, who also has an eye-popping collection of Santa Claus mugs, grew up in a traditional Catholic home in Little Rock, Arkansas, and cherishes family ties. Thus, Christmas has always held meaning to her, and putting up her trees is a passion, not just a pastime.
She was recently in a European city known for its Christmas décor. “You go to see the lights and I’m thinking, okay, but once you’ve been to Manila, the bar is raised for evaluating holiday decor around the world. It’s amazing here.”
In fact, she likes to recall what President Marcos told US Vice President Kamala Harris when she visited Malacañang and told him how impressed she was by the Christmas décor: “You know, Filipinos like to think they invented Christmas!”
Ambassador Carlson welcomed me recently to the historic three-bungalow (said to represent Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) US Embassy residence designed by architect Gabriel Formoso and we went tree- hopping, starting with the “Generic” 10-ft. tree in the main reception area.
“People ask all the time, how long did that tree take? And I tell them, you know, when men especially come off the golf course, you don’t say, ‘Oh my gosh, how long did that round of golf take? Golf is long, but if you’re enjoying it and having fun, then it doesn’t really matter. So I always say the best question to ask is, ‘How much fun did you have’?”
She recalls that among the first questions she asked when she arrived in the residence in 2022 was, “What’s the tree situation?”
“Because we had them order two new trees and then I realized I could actually still repurpose the two old ones, and I have two of my own. And then there’s a seventh one, which is from Mindanao, a beautiful tree. So that’s how we got to seven,” she reveals.
Each tree’s décor is carefully planned, like a state visit almost, showcasing Mrs. Carlson’s eye for detail, symmetry and strategy. Her husband, retired diplomat Aubrey Carlson, is the “light engineer.” The ambassador’s strategy is to first put the lights on, twirling lights in each branch.
“After we put the ribbons and lights on, then we line up all of the stuff that we have. For this first tree, ornaments we had left over, combined with ornaments that are mine. Then we put on all the red balls, so all the red balls get distributed evenly and then all the gold picks of this type and of this type,” she says, pointing out that the gold picks are from the Dapitan market in Manila, as are many other Christmas décor in her home.
Just like in diplomacy, nothing is random, or else, “You don’t get an even distribution.”
The tree topper in the first tree, whose lights are also remote-control operated, too, are twigs from Philippine Treasures in Baguio. The tree skirt is a sari that the ambassador bought while stationed in India.
Tree Number Two is a 12-ft. tree of twigs from Mindanao, festooned in silver and gold ornaments. Right behind it is the swimming pool.
Number Three is the “Alliance Tree,” featuring peace doves, mini flags from both the US and the Philippines, tiny capiz parols and other ornaments, mostly from Dapitan.
(To be concluded on Friday)
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