From all of me to all of you...

... a very merry Christmas!!!

Christmas eve is around the corner, which makes me think about family and friends even more than usual! I hope you're well!!!
Wanna wish you a Great Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Today, the day before Christmas eve, we've had a huge Christmas show with all kids from the 3 EF schools in Guangzhou. My 9-10 year olds sang Jingle Bells and We wish you a merry christmas. My little ones (3-5 year) were dressed up as angels and Santas singing and moving along with Oh christmas tree... Well, they were supposed to anyways, but so no one started singing, nor moving... So we did it acapella instead. A disaster really, but the kids were happy, so where the parents, and I guess you can't expect miracles with 60 "babys" on stage :)

I'll be working Christmas eve since it's a normal Sunday here and go for dinner after work to a Chinese friend's house - Lily, the girl with the dress factory. Prob won't be very Christmassy, but still very nice! (Christmas isn't traditionally celebrated by Chinese people) Am however celebrating the "proper" western way on Christmas Day, with mainly EF people. Along with a huge turkey everyone's bringing food from their country - Canada, Bolivia, US, New Zeeland, Poland, UK, Sweeeeden - meat balls, mustard, gubbröra, pepparkakor and glögg!

This coming Friday, in less than a week now (!!!!), I'll be waiting eagerly at the airport thrilled to see Annika and Johan. I'll still be working during their time here, but the Chinese government was kind enough to announce the other day, that everyone shall have 30, 31, and 1 off. It made me really happy, since I then have days off when A & J are in GZ and will be working when they go to Beijing. But imagine those who made plans to go on holidays during the previously appointed days of vacation. Quite amazing how the government can make a decision just like that, and then no one complains.

I resigned formally the other week, and was asked to pleeeeeease continue at least a few of my classes with the youngest children. I did consider it, but choose not to in the end. Hence, I'm doing my last day of work at EF on the 17th of January. Teaching has really been a great experience and I'm happy I did it. But am also excited about moving on. I've signed up for Chinese at the University and will start in the very beginning of March. Till then, I'll continue my internship at Ogilvy as well as get started working with my dad's business.

The internship is going well and I'm learning a lot about media relations in China, as well as project managment of press conferences, media interviews, etc. It has been getting to me though, not having hardly any days off for the past 2-3 months. Burning the candle from both ends as they say... My mood has started shifting and when things doesn't go my way, it really gets to me. Like when staff at the supermarket is "stalking" me, trying to sell me a microwave, rice cooker or anything I happen to look at... or when I finally make up my mind to buy sth and the process of bying it is so complicated - getting the person in charge of that particular equipment, checking and showing the machine (extremely thoroughly), paying at one place, picking up at another... phew! I've been attempting to buy a heater about 4 times now, and somewhere along the process given up all 4 times. Haha! Still haven't succeeded on that one, maybe tomorrow will be my day of success!

So, am really looking forward to some days off in January, and with it more sleep and more time with friends! Luckily, I've lately been "forced" to take days off here and there. Like when my dad came over a bit more than a month ago and we went to Shanghai to see Cajsa. Or, when Lina and Thomas visited me a few weeks ago! We had such a great time, and were really lucky with the weather. Went on a river cruise, to Baiyun mountain here in GZ, to the memorial hall of China's first president, to a beautiful park, shopping, etc. Didn't manage to get them to try any snake or frog, nor chicken or pig feet... But we did have tea and dim sum as well as traditional Cantonese food!

Wishing you a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Big warm hugs!
Your Emma

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