Merry Christmas!!

Where to begin? I have certainly made some unforgettable memories for my first Christmas in the Middle Kingdom. This past month has been a whirlwind of activities, not to mention the roller coaster of emotions that generally define my daily life in China. I finished teaching about a week ago, but I have felt just as busy during this past week as I did while I had classes. My school has planned several events to celebrate any and every occasion. The end of the semester, the New Year, and, yes, even Christmas. There has been everything from parties and dinners to phone calls and text messages. Last weekend, people who work in several different departments (the School for Foreign Languages, the Foreign Affairs Office, and the International Business School) organized at wonderful event called “Night of China.” Basically formatted like a variety/talent show, everyone involved in the University had an opportunity to display their talents, foreign teachers included. We were asked to sing some Christmas songs – Joy to the World, Jingle Bells, Auld Lang Syne, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. If you look at the picture you will see me holding a toy keyboard, as I somehow was appointed Choral Director. Another foreign teacher bought some garland and made some fashionable headwear for the women to sport. Really, though, I enjoyed the party, and it was a very entertaining evening.

To celebrate Christmas Eve, I decided to stay in for the evening. Apparently there is a major celebration in the city center, Jie Fang Bei. I have heard (and seen pictures from the past) that people fill up the square and beat/hit one another with plastic/blow up hammers and mallets and spray silly string all over. (I have also been told they do this because it is a “Western” tradition…) As intriguing and fun as that sounds, several people warned me that a foreigner would be the most sought after target. It didn’t take long for me decide not to go anywhere near the area. Instead, I made some Chicken Wild Rice soup and bought one of my beloved baguettes and enjoyed both while watching Love Actually. I wish I would have had It’s A Wonderful Life. The movie was constantly interrupted by phone calls and text messages from students wishing me a Merry Christmas. I wondered whether I should wish them a Merry Christmas in return. Most of my students don’t celebrate Christmas in the religious sense, but have recently invented their own unique way to mark the occasion (see above story). Christmas is like a novelty in China, I guess.
Maybe next year I will be brave enough to go and check out whether the stories about silly string and hammers are true.

Merry Christmas to everyone! I certainly miss spending the holiday with my family and friends!
圣诞快乐!!!