Who knew Christmas would be so festive in faraway China? Everywhere we go there are beautiful lights and lit up Christmas Trees. Decorations galore even if a bit “dollar store quality” and Christmas music on all the over head speaker systems. China knows what sells!!!!
So far our Christmas has been lovely. The schools all have their winter concerts and Anthea’s choir performed at a really swanky downtown hotel. The lineup of songs was a bit strange but, whatever, it’s an anthropological culture clash and thats fun!! I mean who has 6 year olds (who sounded horrible by the way), dressed as white ninjas, sing “The Beatles: Imagine” for their opening song at the “Lighting of the Christmas Tree Ceremony at a “Russian” styled five star hotel while the ambassador to Argentina gives a speech about some charity program? Hmmm… But the horse da vores were delicious, the sofa was cushy, and it was a great intro to the Christmas season.

So where’s the snow? It certainly is cold enough!!!! All we have is big wind that bites and thick pollution on really cold days. This is definitely time to hunker down. My poor Ayi. She lives in the Hutong and has no heat nor a bathroom because the Hutongs are communal. She rides her bike about five miles in the cold wind every day to save four cents. She is one tough chick. I told her that one day but she said “no, men are tough.” Then she showed me her muscles and she was right. There was nothing there! I don’t get how she is so tough!!!!! She says she sleeps with 3 big bedspreads and wears lots of thick layered clothing. She acts like that is no big whoopdedoo, but tells me I have to stay in and not let the children play out or work so hard. She’s the best!

So all the hotels and fancy eateries are making GIngerbread houses to sell and after seeing their prices I decided a graham cracker one would be just fine. THen we had a lucky break when someone gave us their stash of “gingerbread house kits” from the U.S. We ended up with about three little ones and one big with the best candy collection and hard as rock but super fragile one from the Sofitel Hotel. We were sick of gingerbread by the time Christmas came. Ughhh!!!!

The best parts of Christmas in China for our family was the three week break from school, the amazing Christmas brunch buffet at the Millennial Hotel next door, the gallons and gallons of hot chocolate and rootbeer floats we consumed, and our incredible trip to Cambodia.