Bead tree

I was reminded today of this little Christmas Tree which I bought a few years ago on a visit to South Africa. We were taken to see the switching on of the Christmas lights in Somerset West in the Cape and they surpassed any lights that I have ever seen. On the way we had passed beautiful big houses and also thousands of shacks, some of which were just tarpaulins covering frames. It seemed incongruous that the wealthy and poor lived not too far from each other and while the lights shone so brightly, only a few kilometres away the people in the shanty towns lacked even basic services. I thought that I am fortunate to be living in a place where I can afford to buy non essentials such as tree decorations and that although this bead tree cost me very little, the money was probably much appreciated by the very poor person who made it.