Christmas

I feel fortunate to be here for the year, watch the seasons change and milestone events come and go. This past week marked the winter solstice, which is celebrated as an important holiday in Suzhou. Families and friends get together for a big meal and make toasts with special Chinese wine in the spirit of gratitude and to honor the sun and the longer days that lie ahead. At least this is what I understood as my students' interpretation of the holiday. Sometimes things are lost in translation, but for the most part I think we communicate quite well.

The students seemed a bit chagrined while I was answering their questions about the American winter holidays and told them that we get two weeks vacation this time of year. Even though this is a fairly significant holiday time for them, they have to wait until February for a rest. I tried to console them by saying their break is even better than ours because it's three weeks long instead of two; this response was met with little satisfaction.

Despite the long days, tests and pressure that make up their lives, many students still find outlets for some fun. A phenomenal group of Senior III (12th grade) students have created an English Corner of which I feel honored to be a member. Knowing that Christmas is the biggest holiday on the western calendar, and with a passion for glitter, lights, decorations and food, they decided to throw a Christmas party for the group. You have to understand the extent of planning and thoughtfulness that went into preparing such an event, despite the fact that they have very little time for this sort of thing, in order to fully appreciate their efforts. Below are are some shots of the fun that was had...

These kids are truly inspiring! So far, I've found teaching here to be challenging and rewarding in so many ways. I've even found myself doing things I would never otherwise do, like singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the group. Well, this happened during one of the games they played at the party. You see, the stuffed animal landed in my lap as the music stopped, and since I was unable to answer the riddle I chose, I had to do a performance. Luckily, most Chinese are apparently tone deaf, at least when it comes to singing because no seemed to flinch when I sang out of key. No matter what it sounds like any attempt at singing seems to be always well received.

Other highlights this month included the Bilingual English-Language Drama performances. It was a lot of fun to see them on stage and running around the way teenagers will. One big cultural difference I don't think I could ever get used to though, is how they behave as an audience. There's no such thing as focusing only on the efforts of those performing on stage. The audience is loud and talking and moving around throughout the entire show. I sat in the front row and just couldn't let myself look back. Below are several photos from the day's performances.

With festivities such as these and the new Chinese friends I've found, this Christmas promises to be a great one. The weather has turned cold and there are signs of the holiday all over town. I see all kinds of festive and entertaining sights as I walk through the streets of Suzhou.

It won't be a white Christmas like family and friends in Denver are experiencing, but it's one I'll always remember!

Wishing all a Happy Holiday!