I am happy to report that after all the adventures buying a tree, baking and seeing what Christmas does not look like in China, in the end, we had a really wonderful Christmas and I got over my homesickness.
About two weeks before Christmas we hosted our first party here in China. We had about 25-30 friends over for drinks and dessert and it was truly a wonderful time. We were able to look around and see that in our 5 months here we have indeed made some great friends. And having them all together to celebrate the season felt just like home.
For Christmas eve, we had our British friends Emma and Graeme and their kids and Emma's parents (who are visiting) to our house for dinner. It was just like our own families to have a boisterous bunch sitting 'round the table talking, eating, laughing, drinking and telling stories of Christmas past. And then we did the traditional parental thing of staying up way too late wrapping Santa's gifts and filling stockings.
Christmas morning was fabulous, with two bright-eyed little girls climbing on our bed asking if they could open their presents! Joe and I had to chuckle a little bit at the journey the toys they received had before coming to our house. Surely they traveled as much as Santa did. They were made in China, exported to the US, distributed to stores, purchased and wrapped in the US, taken to the post office and then sent back to China, through customs, and then finally to our house! But oh what happy little girls who opened those gifts!
And of course, Christmas day would not be complete without a dinner. This year we went to Sarah & Andy's house for a proper Christmas dinner, with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings. And in case you didn't read my earlier post about my friend Sarah who told me where to find a proper Christmas tree, it was to that same Jewish friend's house that we went for a marvelous Christmas dinner. Only in China...
CHEERS!
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