One of my favorite things to do way back in my high school days was Christmas for Kids. To me, it was an excellent way to get in the spirit of Christmas and it helps to remind you of everything that you have that others might not. I've worked as an elf, a singer, and a face painter extraordinaire. When I was younger, I was my father's daughter and took after his Scrooge-like ways and events like Christmas for Kids always helped to give me a nice little kick in the butt and set my priorities straight; don't worry--I've become a softy in my old age and thoroughly enjoy the holidays now.
This year I was a bit nervous about missing the holiday spirit. Christmas is not a big part of Chinese society or culture and so it is just kind of an extra little thing younger people tend to celebrate with their friends or significant others. I had no snow, no Christmas tree, and I was just about as far from home as I could possibly be--all the things that Christmas means to me! I was definitely expecting Christmas to come and go without too much holiday cheer... But it looks like I was proven wrong (yay!).
On Friday (those of you who saw my Facebook status, already know), I ventured all the way across the city (but no...seriously, it was like a four hour journey there and back again...... Uff da! <--my BF's culture is rubbing off on me) to finally get my gosh darn Christmas tree. By this time, my family Christmas tree has been up for weeks and I was less than two weeks away from Christmas. After three different buses, I got to the mecca of grocery stores in Hangzhou (imported goods galore), picked out a tree, ornaments, stockings, lights, and garland (go big or go home, am I right?!), packed my backup up and carried my 6 ft. tall Christmas tree back three more bus rides out to Cangqian. I was able to assemble it and with the help from my very own Bumble (he put the star on top), I finally got my decorated Christmas tree!!
{Being the total loser that I am, I also hung the stockings in front of my TV and am now constantly playing the yule log video... now if only it actually heated up the room!}
I think finally getting the tree up (and Phil and Chanel's gift AND my first Christmas apple from a student under the tree) was the start of my Christmas season.
Myself and many of the wonderful folks I have met from FoC (my Adam, the Other Adam, Nathan, Nate, [lots of doubles in the group I've come to realize] Steve, Hannah S., and Karin) decided that it would be a great idea to catch the 7:30am bus to the village of Fuyang about an hour from Hangzhou on Saturday, December 14th. Not so great an idea when you have to wake up at 6am, catch a cab, pile into said cab, and sit on a cold, crowded bus when the sun is barely up in the sky (remember: SATURDAY). But you know what? It was a good idea.
Getting out of the city is always so nice. After awhile, the crowds, the pollution, the beeping cars, everything about downtown Hangzhou can drive you a little bonkers so it is always nice to get a change of scene and be reminded that not everywhere in China is like the bustling, crazy streets that you walk along every day. Watching the mountains and fields zoom by as we drove down first a highway, then a road, and then a dirt country lane was so sobering and made me wonder what kind of experience I might have had if I had been a teacher out in the country and not in a city (but then I remember, no night life and I get over it).
We arrived in the village just outside of Fuyang and were greeted by overly enthusiastic kids from maybe six years old to 13 or 14. At first I was a bit nervous--I hadn't been in a situation such as this since I was in Costa Rica with the Res Life missions trip when I was 15... so it had been some time!
Karin was definitely the woman in charge--she was a lady with a plan and a mission and we were simply the ones to help make it happen! We sang some Christmas carols, taught the kids "Silent Night" (one of my favorites!!), and read them a Christmas story. It was at this time that a little girl came over and sat down next to me with no fear. She introduced herself--her name was Emmy and she was nine years old; she liked singing and playing the piano and she just loves Christmas. I loved being able to sit down on the benches just surrounded by these little kids. We were barely able to speak to each other, other than the generic "What's your name?" and "How old are you?" but that did not matter in the least. A smile, a goofy face, a high-five, a nudge seemed to go such a long way.
After the musical festivities, it was time for arts and crafts. While Hannah and Karin got the kids to sit down and cut out paper snowflakes, the Adams and I attempted to make frosting. I don't pretend to be a chef but I do love baking and I'm half decent when it comes to mixing water with powdered sugar. The Other Adam on the other hand... eh... not so much (it's okay--I can say this... I doubt he reads this anyway... I actually don't even know if he can read). After a bit of a struggle and an inability to mix the right amount of water with sugar, we finally had five batches of frosting mixed up--red, yellow, blue, green, and white.
The kids LOVED it!! I definitely enjoyed watching them get more and more creative as time went on adding colors and other ingredients (you knew you were working with Chinese kids when the sesame seeds were thrown on top of the cookies). The girls enjoyed decorating the hearts with delicate care and precision and the boys battled to see just how many ingredients they could incorporate into their cookie and just how high they could stack the frosting.
Of course, I won't openly admit that one of the best parts of the day was the chance to eat all of the leftover cookies and frosting (I might have had four... Might have... I'm not saying I did but... I did).
It was so much fun to be able to travel within the foreign country that I am living in and spend a day spreading Christmas cheer (and the best way to do that is by singing loud for all to hear, don't'cha know <--there goes that Midwestern vernacular again...). Things as old and familiar as paper snowflakes or Santa hats or Christmas cookies suddenly becoming these strange, new, and interesting things from a different culture was so surreal--it's everything that I have known since my childhood but to the kids I was with, it was all new and exciting (especially being brought to them by a bunch of Americans). I think it is always good to look at your culture and your traditions from the eyes of an outsider--it makes you question what you do and think deeper on it and makes you appreciate it so much more (I will never take my mom's Christmas cookies for granted again).
As I sit in the glow of my Christmas tree and the yule log on my TV, I can't help but feel in a Christmas mood (though that might have something to do with the SNOW that fell yesterday!!). Last week I taught my students all about Christmas, Adam and I have marathoned through all of our favorite childhood Christmas movies over the last few days, and I have (at least) three more Christmas parties to get ready for... not to mention Christmas shopping for a certain someone (::cough::NOTYOUADAM::cough::).
I guess, no matter where you are in the world (literally), you can't escape the good feelings that Christmas brings. No, I won't be at home with my family but I wasn't home for Christmas last year either (this is my second Chinese Christmas)... that doesn't take a bit of the melancholy feeling away but I have been blessed with so many wonderful people and friends in my life, this will surely be a Christmas to remember! It will be different but that doesn't make it bad in any way.
So as I huddle under my blankets, trying to keep warm as the rain/wet snow falls from the sky, please know that wherever you are--whether you are my new friend in China, an old friend in New York, or a member of my wonderful, beautiful, crazy family--I am thinking of you and counting you as one of my gifts this Christmas.
The Christmas season has just begun for me over here in Hangzhou and I couldn't be happier (though a cup of hot cocoa and a bagel would make it perfect... oh, and an electric blanket)!!
Until Next Time,
Amanda
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