Christmas in China

I was at work today, and I looked down on my computer, and the date was Dec. 25. It's the first Christmas that I've worked. Most of the other expats have gone back to their home country, and our shuttle that usually has 25 people is now down to 3. I got to my office at 8:00, and it felt so quiet, and I felt so alone, since the locals don't get to work until 8:30.

It's strange here because even though most of the Chinese aren't religious, on Christmas Eve, everyone goes out to eat at the restaurants and to go shopping. Some of the Chinese interpretations of Christmas are very interesting, and for a mostly secular country, there are an amazing amount of christmas decorations, trees, and girls dressed in santa outfits with short skirts, despite the fact that it is -15 degrees Celsius outside. Each of the major hotels and restaurants have large Christmas trees, but instead of nativity scenes, which I have not seen here yet, there are often cartoon characters used as Christmas decorations. For example, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs seem to be a staple in Chinese Christmas decorations. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are also quite commonly found.

Tonight, in the name of Christmas, the Chinese technicians in the shop that I work for invited the three expats that are remaining to go to dinner. After work, we took a shuttle with them to a restaurant called "Little Fat Lamb", where we ate an Inner Mongolian meal. Each person had a pot and a stove in front of them, with a broth, and a lot of raw vegetables and meats were ordered. To eat, you simply dipped the vegetables and meat in the boiling broth at ate it. I was really touched by the hospitality of the people, for the fact that they thought of the expats and wanted to be sure that we had a good holiday away from home and a warm welcome. We ate together, and during the meal, we played drinking games. After we were done eating, there was a TV and Karaoke machine in the room, and each person took turns singing. It was such a warm feeling to spend Christmas with all of them.

However, there is nothing that could make me not miss my family and friends back in the US. I miss by parents, my brother, my dog Savannah, my boyfriend, and all of my friends. I feel so far away from home, and it is my first Christmas in my memory away from my parents. I called one of my friends tonight, and as soon as I heard her voice, I started crying unexpectedly, and not for any particular reason other than feeling homesick and missing my loved ones. Sometimes, you don't realize what you have until you don't have it. I always took Christmas with the family for granted, but this year, I envy those who are able to go home and spend it with those that they love. It is truly a blessing that none of us should take for granted.

So here, I want to wish all my friends and family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and know that I am thinking of all of you as this holiday passes for me in Shenyang, China.