As family and friends back home gathered around their Christmas trees and enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa by the fire, we sure started feeling the homesickness catch up with us. We both missed our New England homes— of course, we missed the tradition of Christmas day, but even more so, we missed the whole season of warmth, light, and time with loved ones.
Needless to say, it was hard getting into the spirit being so far from home. I think we made do with what we had, and made a memorable (Chinese) Christmas for ourselves.
Christmas Eve, our teaching agency took us, along with a group of teachers in the area out to dinner at a pub downtown. Half the teachers were over 50, while the other half were under 30... Not that age matters in this sense, but it seemed to keep the evening a bit split up. The pub, Marley’s Coffee, is one of our go-to spots for cheap drinks, decent Western food, and eclectic music. We gathered around 6:30 that evening and began the meal with several flatbread margarita pizzas. A few more rounds of food came out in a true American style: burgers, spaghetti, salad, and 5-liter beer coolers. Mmm...
After dinner, we walked about a few blocks across town to a club called “Salsa.” We were told we had to be there by 9:00 because of the show that began at 9:30. The name of the club and the show had me thinking this would be a salsa dancing show, complete with Spanish music and all, so I was excited. Once we took the elevator to the seventh floor of a high-rise and stepped inside, I knew I was horribly wrong.
We were then led to our private table next to the DJ’s stage. Twelve beers were placed on the table when we arrived, along with a fruit and veggie platter. It was still early then, but you could tell it would be a packed night. Groups of young people in their sparkly dresses and clean-cut suits began making their way to tables around us and on the balcony above us. Servers in flashing reindeer antlers walked around the club, some with boxes of fancy cigars and cigarettes, others ready to take orders and open bottles. The DJ stood on the stage, mixing American pop hits while the screen behind him faded and lit up to the beat. Cue Iggy's "Fancy."
Shortly after 9:30, the “show” began. By show, I mean six half-naked girls dancing on stage. Not exactly my cup of tea, but they did put on a decent (more clothed) number right before the clock struck midnight and we could all officially say, “Merry Christmas!”
We called it a night shortly afterward and grabbed a taxi home. We wanted to be in bed at a reasonable hour to enjoy the Christmas day festivities we had planned.
Christmas morning, I made a cup of coffee and had a wonderful video chat with my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was Christmas Eve for them, so they were well into the wine and spirits. They even surprised me with a beautiful rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” in Chinese! Pretty impressive, I must say.
Justin made a wonderful breakfast for the two of us: banana french toast, sliced oranges, and bacon. We enjoyed it together after unwrapping our stockings (complete with an orange at the bottom... Does anyone else enjoy this tradition?). My dad and stepmom graciously sent us a package that arrived just in time for Christmas, which was full of gifts and personalized stockings. It truly made our Christmas day hanging the stockings in our apartment and unwrapping a few extra goodies. We were so thankful for that.
We napped the afternoon away and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas dinner together: a salmon filet (rare in our neck of the woods), steamed broccoli, and jasmine rice, complete with a glass (or two) of red wine. I Skyped with my dad, stepmom, and brother, while Justin ended the night Skyping with his mom and one of his best friends.
Christmas here wasn’t what either of us are used to, but we still made the best of it, and had a wonderful time together.
And that’s what matters most. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
