Our Christmas fun has continued over the past week. Here's the rundown. . .
There was a Christmas/New Year banquet for all the foreign students at our university (at least 600 people from around the world). We and our classmates sang Joy to the World and Angels We Have Heard on High in English and Chinese.
It was a long night of performances and pushing and shoving in the buffet line to get food. Not the highlight of our Christmas season, but the fellowship was good.
White Elephant Gift Exchange Party with our tutors
The whole group with our gifts
Chip and I with his tutor at the party
You know how it works: pick a gift from under the tree or steal something from someone else. There were lots of laughs. Sometimes you get something good. . .
And sometimes you don't.
But everyone goes home with something.
The gift my tutor most hoped to keep
But the gloves got stolen, and she ended up with this bear which she still seemed pretty happy about. And I got this. . .I really don't know what it is, but it means that lots of boys like me. ??
At the end of the night, there was lots of Chinese cake left. Turns out, not even Chinese people like Chinese cake.
My language partner Flora came over a few times during this Christmas season. Once with her roommate to watch a Christmas movie and eat cookies.
And once to learn how to bake bread and muffins. Flora and I baked bread for my Chinese neighbors. I delivered the bread on Christmas Eve. They were all surprised and grateful.
On Christmas Eve, we had a service with others from our organization in the morning followed by lunch.
In the evening we went to a Chinese church service. It was so crowded that we were in an overflow room watching the service on a screen. I didn't get any pictures and I didn't understand a lot, but the cool thing was it was lead mostly by Chinese youth.
On Christmas Day, we talked to our families in America and then had brunch with friends.
Cinnamon rolls and breakfast burritos
In the afternoon, we met up with some fellow Americans for a great party entitled:
Dipped in Chocolate, Wrapped in Bacon.
There were strawberries, pretzels, raisins, and peanut butter dipped in chocolate. And lots of meaty things wrapped in bacon. Not to mention, bacon dipped in chocolate.
At the end of it all, we missed our families, but all in all it was a pretty great Christmas.
sounds like you had fun (and unique--bacon and chocolate party!) ways to celebrate Christmas. i remember when my family was in Honduras for Christmas when i was in ninth grade, it felt very odd not to get together with extended family for Christmas. i imagine it would be even more so when it's just the two of you. i'm glad you had some good celebration times planned, though.
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