a little coffee

I was doing fine.  Just fine.  And then this week, I decided to talk about Christmas in class, frankly because I didn’t feel like planning anything else, this being the second to last week of class before exams.

By my last class on Monday I had started to feel that feeling… that yearning for Christmas.  Where I try so hard to ignore what day it is, but inside I know it’s exactly 21 days and 5 hours until Christmas Day- when I can spend the whole day eating and lounging in pajamas and eating and playing games and eating and playing with my new presents!

Snow and twinkle lights and Christmas cookies and Christmas carols… there isn’t much of that here.  Only the occasional Christmas decorations in the strangest places- two trees in a park near the university are wrapped in red and green twinkle lights, mini Christmas trees at Dennis, the small jewelry shop just down the rode has garland and a Santa Claus flag… Yes Christmas’s popularity is growing in China.  The students know something about the holiday, and they are absolutely captivated by it.  Tell us about Christmas trees and Christmas foods and Christmas songs!  Will you see a song? (Eek!)

I haven’t had everyone’s rapt attention since the first day of class when I showed my white, laowai face. That they’re interested makes me even more excited to tell them about the holiday, how my family celebrates, how awesome, amazing and beautiful Chicago is this time of year… and then I feel a little sad that I’m not ice skating in Millennium Park or stuffing my face with Christmas cookies or making Chris watch “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (I foolishly didn’t bring a copy).

So today I’ve spent too much time skipping around the intertubes looking for Christmas songs to download to play during the class Christmas parties next week. I’m blaring Bing Crosby right now and having a good ol’ time with the small Santa and snowmen toys relaxing at my desk.