Party for the Students
Just one week after our Christmas For Kids in Fuyang, we gathered up our frosting, Christmas carols, hot chocolate, and Santa hats for yet another party... but one on a much bigger scale. This was a party that we were throwing for all of our students.
This is one thing that I love so much about living and working in a different country, a country so different from America and the holidays, traditions, and culture that I know to be the norm. We get to take our favorite parts of holidays like Halloween and Christmas and showcase them to our students. Things like Santa Claus, paper cut out snow flakes, decorating Christmas cookies, and Christmas trees. I may not get to be home for Christmas this year, but I have been able to focus on the very best things that the holiday has to offer and see people experience it for the first time--the magic of the holiday finding new life in the eyes of my students.
Like I said, this party was on a much grander scale than our gathering in Fuyang. We were split into different groups/stations with storytelling, cookie decorating, singing, games, and hot chocolate and popcorn.
I was drafted into the "warm feelings" station along with Adam (the two people least capable of small talk, mind you). There we passed out milk tea and hot chocolate (the warm part of the warm feelings) and we were also the photo booth.
PS: Our color coordination was completely unplanned
It was so much fun! The students loved posing with Santa hats and beards and the presents that we had wrapped. Hannah painted a beautiful mural for them to pose in front of. It was great talking with the students, taking pictures of them and (of course) with them. I found myself posing and laughing with people I had never met before in my life!
I have no idea who any of these people are.
I didn't invite too many of my students. It was a long trip from the campus to the party location so I only sent out a handful of invites to the students that I was closest with. I was so excited when four of them showed up! Felicity, Gloria, Catherine, and Leila all ventured out into the cold night air, journeyed along buses for probably well over an hour to get to the party. It was so much fun getting to chat with them outside of class and see them playing silly games and decorating cookies. I also got two gifts--a DVD from Catherine and a notebook from Gloria.
Catherine, Gloria, and Leila
Felicity!
I know that so much planning and work went into this party and I think it is safe to say that it was a huge success! The students loved interacting with the foreign teachers, people were practicing their English, traditions were exchanged, and I think that everyone got into the holiday spirit.
Today is Christmas Eve and it has been so much fun being swept up in the festivities with Adam and my little makeshift family over here in China. I have one more class before my mini Christmas break begins. I have received two Christmas Eve apples (Chinese tradition... apparently, the Chinese word for "Christmas Eve" is similar to the Chinese word for "apple" so they give each other apples on Christmas Eve) and there is a small Christmas party downtown tonight to kick off Christmas. Though I am not home, I am definitely making up for it with my social agenda (two Christmas parties down, three to go plus Christmas day, itself)!
So from my little apartment way out here in Cangqian, China to your nice (warm) home back in the States...
Merry Christmas!!
圣诞快乐!!
Until Next Time,
Amanda
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