Christmas is coming!!

Less than two weeks to Christmas Day and Judy is busy making mincemeat, Christmas puddings, etc. Her school Christmas dinner is on Christmas Eve and on the evening of the 25th we have invited some of her colleagues to join us for a meal, but it will be strange not to be doing many of the important things we usually do on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Many Chinese now celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees, decorations, etc. even though they don’t know the reason for it.


Robert, who runs the school will be away for a while and has asked Peter to take a couple of lessons for him while he is away. This is supposed to include "Christmas activities" although Peter is not too sure what that means in China!
We are not able to send Christmas cards this year but we hear that a number of cards and letters have already arrived for us in England. Thank you to everyone who sent them. We look forward to reading them in January. Judy’s school closes for Chinese New Year, so we are due to visit UK from January 21st to 4th February. On the way back to China we plan to spend 4 nights in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Peter has made friends with a Chinese family who run a Chinese pharmacy. He had a meal with them recently (while Judy was teaching). As in most small Chinese shops, the meal was prepared and eaten in the shop, with heating coming from an open fire burning in a metal bowl beside the table. Peter wasn’t too sure what all the dishes were and the family spoke no English but the generous hospitality needed no translation.

Peter continues to enjoy the warm indoor swimming pool. Life is tough in China!!