With the biggest holiday in China coming up soon (Chinese New Year), I thought I'd write a post about the past few western holidays we celebrated here.
First up: Halloween. We decorated the classroom with Halloween crafts and then threw a Halloween party complete with costumes.
First up: Halloween. We decorated the classroom with Halloween crafts and then threw a Halloween party complete with costumes.
What costume did I wear to the class party? It was going to be tough to top my 2011 costume, when I dressed as a pineapple, but this one came pretty damned close.
Here's some more of the kids playing games.
I LOVE the girl on the far right's expression.
After the class party, the foreign teachers got together and had a Halloween party of our own, since most Chinese people don't really celebrate Halloween. Here's my really unracist costume:
After the class party, the foreign teachers got together and had a Halloween party of our own, since most Chinese people don't really celebrate Halloween. Here's my really unracist costume:
Just kidding. I went dressed as a sherif. Not even exciting enough to post pictures up on here of me.
The next holiday we kind of celebrated was Thanksgiving. There was no party, though I taught a tiny lesson on why we celebrated Thanksgiving and some kids felt inspired to bring in food. They of course brought very traditional American food, sushi and Papa Johns pizza.
The next holiday we kind of celebrated was Thanksgiving. There was no party, though I taught a tiny lesson on why we celebrated Thanksgiving and some kids felt inspired to bring in food. They of course brought very traditional American food, sushi and Papa Johns pizza.
Very American. We then made hand turkeys and wrote about what we were thankful for. Then this happened.
Hupple Tunksgiving!
The final holiday I spent in China was Christmas. I've never been big on Thanksgiving, and Halloween can be made fun wherever you are in the world, but Christmas overseas is always a bit depressing. This is my fourth consecutive Christmas away from home (two in Taiwan and one in Australia). I decided to spend it the best way I knew how: day drinking in a beard.
The final holiday I spent in China was Christmas. I've never been big on Thanksgiving, and Halloween can be made fun wherever you are in the world, but Christmas overseas is always a bit depressing. This is my fourth consecutive Christmas away from home (two in Taiwan and one in Australia). I decided to spend it the best way I knew how: day drinking in a beard.
A massive group of foreigners dressed up as Santas at Shanghai's Santacon. We roamed around the streets of Shanghai acting like idiots.
After hitting a few bars, we all got on the subway and started drunkenly singing Christmas carols in the middle of the crowded train station.
At that point, it was late at night, which is a perfect time to go to the Bund.
Now, I get photographed a lot in Asia being a tall, white, almost blonde woman. I'm kind of used to it, though it still irritates me. However, when our big group of drunk, foreign Santas ran around Shanghai, you would have thought we were Tom Cruise or something. I am not exaggerating when I say hundreds of Chinese people took my photo that night.
This happened the weekend before Christmas. The week of Christmas I still had to work, because Christmas isn't a national holiday in China. I spent Christmas eve trying to teach my students about the true meaning of Christmas by watching The Grince and Elf, but all they got out of it was that presents are cool and Santa Claus is probably real. I then went to a potluck dinner in my giraffe onesie with my coworkers and spent the night there, woke up on Christmas day, and ate a massive lunch at an Indian restaurant. Totally normal.
I skyped my family later in the evening and they sent me photos of them wearing the onesies I sent them from China for Christmas. Success!
This happened the weekend before Christmas. The week of Christmas I still had to work, because Christmas isn't a national holiday in China. I spent Christmas eve trying to teach my students about the true meaning of Christmas by watching The Grince and Elf, but all they got out of it was that presents are cool and Santa Claus is probably real. I then went to a potluck dinner in my giraffe onesie with my coworkers and spent the night there, woke up on Christmas day, and ate a massive lunch at an Indian restaurant. Totally normal.
I skyped my family later in the evening and they sent me photos of them wearing the onesies I sent them from China for Christmas. Success!