Christmas Thoughts

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Christmas is coming up in a mere five days, but the vibe is definitely lacking here. You can go into our supermarket and hear Christmas songs, and all the workers have Santa hats on, but not a whole lot of people really celebrate the day. My middle school students have school that day! It's a lot like Chinese New Year in Tulsa. It's a big deal for the Chinese living there, but you can't get fireworks.

I got a nice little fake tree, and cute stuffed Santa, but there is no egg nog and I can't find wrapping paper anywhere. My wife insists on seeing what the presents are right away, so there is nothing under the tree. I have been able to make a nice hot Christmas drink with Chinese brandy and Nestle's Milo, though.

We do have some interesting plans for the holiday, though. I received a couple of extra days off so I have a four day holiday. I normally teach the rugrats all day on Saturdays, but have decided to have a Christmas party for them on Christmas morning. We will draw names for gifts, eat yummy treats and play some games. Christmas dinner is at the nicest hotel in town which has a great banquet that includes all the turkey, ham and imported cheeses you can eat. All the foreigners show up, so it makes for a pretty festive evening.

One of the great things about Christmas here, is making do with what you have. We enjoy our loved ones here and miss our loved ones back in the US. The holiday is much simpler, but the love is just as strong.