Fire-chickens, reindeer-dragons, and bears oh my...

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Happy late Thanksgiving and an early Merry Christmas to everyone!

I am especially missing you all during these months. Luckily celebrating the holidays here in China has been pretty amusing and distracting. I was able to enjoy two days of Thanksgiving dinner at various friends' houses, complete with real turkey and pumpkin pie! The Chinese word for turkey is "fire chicken," which kind of cracks me up. It was a great week and I am reminded how much I have to be thankful for all year long. Christmas is my most favorite time of the year, and I am surprisingly seeing a lot of lights and decorations everywhere. Also, the Avril Lavigne that is constantly playing at the supermarket (they seriously loop like 5 of her songs all day every day) has been replaced by jingle bells. Just jingle bells. It's funny, the vast majority of people here do not celebrate Christmas, but the whole city still looks really festive. It's nice to have a little taste of home. I really really hope it snows - it's already freezing here and since I'm cold all the time anyway I'd like to at least get some snow out of it!

Between work and tutoring and Mandarin lessons I've been busy busy, but I finally found some time to visit Shanghai a few weekends ago. The city was AMAZING, I think I might have to start going every weekend I can. Everything is under construction for the World Expo happening next year so no good pictures, you'll just have to come visit and see it for yourself! 😊

Exciting news! You can now mail me love letters/presents/packs of taco seasoning (thanks mom!) But seriously, for those for those of you who prefer the good old-fashioned pen and paper to email, I finally have my mailbox key! So here is my address:

Rose Garden 15-1A
No. 318 Chang Jiang Rd.
Suzhou New District 215011
Jiangsu, PRC

Please consult the following site for a list of contraband items:
http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ce_009.htm

Sorry people, you cannot send me a bicycle for Christmas. Or meat.

I hope everyone back home is enjoying their holiday season! Miss you all!

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Photos

Thankgiving #1
Nothing warms my heart more than sharing our gluttonous holiday with people from all over the world

Thanksgiving #2
turkey!!!!

making jiao-zhi
The mom of two of my students invited me over and showed me how to make homemade Chinese dumplings. Hao-chi!

i found this sign enjoyable
"please do not: hack a lugi, litter, remove items from the trash, bring your giant dog, wave newspaper around, bike, carry your bags on a stick, perform pilates on the bench, pick flowers, or point. thank you for your cooperation."

love my kiddies!
they are so darn cute.

what are these people doing?
well...this is a marriage market in Shanghai. The families of single people prepare advertisements for their daughter/son and can also go browsing on their behalf. it's like internet dating...minus the internet and plus your family. sounds super fun.

this is my Christmas card
a dragon with antlers...works for me. Merry Christmas!

Comments

[Mamacita]

Your Future
So, should we prepare an advertisement for the marriage market and go there when I visit in February? :-)