Christmas is almost here, so Ryan and I are getting in the mood by celebrating advent, drinking hot chocolate and watching Polar Express! We actually found Swiss Miss in the import section of our grocery store, and I just couldn't resist getting a box. I went to turn on my computer (to upload this week's photos) and found out my battery is dead :-( So I'll have to go buy some ASAP. Sorry, no pictures again this week (I'm starting a new trend in picture blogging without the pictures. hahaha).
This week we went to several new places. One is a shopping ally called Shiza ma lu— I'm not sure how to spell it— where there are hundreds of shanties in double rows & everything is really cheap. These little shops are so close to one another that it almost has an indoor feel and kept us from freezing. It got really cold a couple days ago and was probably just above freezing, but the little shops warmed it up to 50 degrees or so. We're doing Secret Santa and White Elephant at our school, so Ryan and I both bought scarves for our people... don't worry, it's still a secret since we're not posting names :-)
There are 3 big industrial districts of our city; Jiaojiang (where we live & the biggest), Luqiao (Starbucks area) and Huangyan. We had never been to Huangyan before, but decided to go on Monday night after work to meet some South Africans and go to an American Pub we heard about. It only took about 30 minutes to get there by taxi and it was so worth it. The Pub is called Steve's Pub and we both got burgers and fries— I felt like I was back in America for a while! I know it's kind of cheating to have American food when we have such amazing Chinese cuisine around us as well as the rare opportunity to try different dishes, but sometimes its comforting to have food that reminds us of home. However, it is a little expensive, so we're thinking of limiting Steve's to once a month (or special occasions... we're planning on going for our Christmas Eve dinner). The three South Africans we met are Kirsten, Tiago (I hope I spelled that right), and Mark. They're really nice and work at a competitor school in Huangyan. It's really good to get together with other foreigners and talk about holiday traditions.
The strangest thing about Christmas here is the freedom we have to celebrate it. I mean, we have freedom to celebrate it in America of course, but there's all the fuss about being "P.C." Here, we tell our fellow teachers "Merry Christmas", and teach it in the classroom, without having to worry about 'offending' anyone. I haven't heard "Happy Holidays" once this Christmas season. Also, our favorite grocery store (Auchan—the big one) was selling a few different cards with nativities and Scriptures on them (Isaiah 9:6... go read it! It's good). And these cards weren't even relegated to the 'religious' section (China doesn't have one). One of our competitor schools is acting out the Biblical Christmas story for all the students and the parents. Its just such a shock to me I guess, to see all this 'freedom' in a land that is viewed as religiously restricting—while I've grown up in a land that restricts my own beliefs for the 'freedom' and comfort of others. I don't want to start a political debate on our blog, but I do think it's important to think deeply about the issues in life and not just pass them by or brush them off. I find great joy in being able to celebrate my beliefs openly while I'm here! I get to rejoice in the birth of my Savior, and God's incredible gift of love, without hearing negativity from those who don't accept my faith yet want me to embrace theirs.
Our apartment is finally all decorated—I'll post pictures as soon as I can—complete with hung stockings, an advent calendar, ornaments, a mini tree, some little presents we've wrapped for each other and our first overseas package courtesy of Aunt Lona and Uncle Dean! This morning we went shopping at Auchan and I found all the ingredients for Stollen (a yummy Christmas bread my mom makes every year). I am so excited to try to make it on my own. I'm not sure if I can, but I'm going to give it a go this Sunday while I'm at work... the school has an oven!
This Christmas season is upon us and I get more and more excited by the day. However, there is a bit of sad news. After arranging our entire Christmas dinner with the other foreign teachers, buying food online, and planning out who would cook what, Ryan and I had a huge disappointment that will probably keep us from participating in work-sponsored holiday events. Some of our dear friends here (that we all hang out with on a regular basis) found out we were having a huge dinner and wanted to join in on the festivities. One of these friends is a guy who owns the bar which our co-workers frequent every week and the other two are sweet, fun people. Of course, Ryan and I were so excited to have them join in, so they didn't have to spend Christmas alone, and so another foreign teacher from EF Luqiao invited them. However, after he invited them, some people in our office took a vote and decided not to let them come. Kevin, the guy who invited them, had to tell them they were not welcome to our dinner because it was "an EF thing". It must've been so hard for him to do that, but even harder for them to hear that. Honestly, I'm ashamed of my co-workers who voted to exclude others. They first claimed it was because of management, but after management gave the go-ahead, they still excluded the others because they thought it would be 'best' for us. We apologized to one of the girls today, but I think there might be a rift between foreigners in our city now. Ryan and I are trying to find a way to patch things up by about inviting them to a Christmas night party at our apt with hot chocolate and cookies.... i LOVE hot chocolate and cookies. If you have any other suggestions, let me know! Christmas should be a time of celebration and unity, not exclusivity. I'm so joyful that God offered His gift of love to everyone and not just a select group of people. My wish and hope for you this season is that you extend love to those who might be hurting and lonely. Christmas is a hard time to be alone and I pray that everyone will find comfort, even if it's in a stranger's smile.
Anyways, this blog is getting super long. I hope you have a warm, snuggly night and frosty, fresh days! Thanks for always reading our blogs. We love you and cherish your constant support of our adventure. Merry Christmas, see you soon!
