Two posts in a month. My Christmas present to you:) I know, I've really outdone myself.
Mostly I just wanted to post a few pictures to complain about...
How pathetic our Christmas tree was:
How we moved to what the Chinese call "the City of Eternal Spring" and yet somehow managed to have the first subfreezing temperatures they've had in a decade and the first snow they've had in 15 years:
And how weird their Christmas traditions are:
1. Anyone dressed as Santa must always carry a magical staff. Apparently because he has a beard they associate him with the only other bearded Western figures they know-Gandalf and Dumbledore. We call him Sandalf.
2. The only gifts they give are apples and they give them on Christmas Eve. Because the word for Christmas Eve and the word for apple sound the same, so it only stands to reason. The only wrapping paper they sell comes in 12x12 squares and is literally translated as "apple paper"
3. If you want to celebrate the Chinese New Year, you give gifts to people if it is "their year" (this coming New Year is the year of the horse). The best gift to give people? Red underwear. Apparently whenever it is "your year" you must wear red underwear. Every day. All year. So you need a lot of it.
The funny thing is, it's the best Christmas we've ever had. So little stress and so much gratitude for all the little things, like Christmas pjs to camp out by the tree,
friends to share Christmas with, 
eating American food for the first time since Thanksgiving
That's not to say we didn't miss our friends and family back home...we love you all and hope you had a Merry Christmas!!
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