Holidays in Shanghai

Kuài lé Shéng dàn!

We decorated the Christmas Tree yesterday.  We decided to opt for a live tree instead of a fake.  The live tree was delivered in a pot that I can transplant at the end of winter, and next winter I can re-pot it and bring it back in.  It's a little scrawny compared to the big american trees we are used to.  It's more of a juniper bush than a pine, but it still has a lovely smell.  But regardless, Emily and Katie still decorated it with love and listened to holiday music all the while.  We brought most of our holiday decorations with us, and I'm glad we did.

This is a photo of the window alcove in our family room.  Emily made the snowflakes and hung them above the poinsettias.  Both girls have been working on a window gel craft of holiday decorations.

The girls will have a very long school break beginning December 21st.  Over 3 weeks off.  We may go out of town, but it all depends.  Chris has been working a lot lately, and may only be able to get away the week between Christmas and NYEve.  I may be too late to book anything for that time.  We might just stay put and explore Shanghai a little more.  The city of Shanghai is so huge, and we've really only seen our little pocket of it.

Successes

Da Boots

1.  Emily needed white shoes for the holiday show at school.  Only thing close I found were a pair of furry boots (abominable snowman?), and the only pair that fit her were on the window display model.  So in my beginner mandarin, I somehow explained to the sales person that I wanted those boots and could she get them for me.  Nailed it!
2.  SCIS Holiday Program:  Emily's 5th grade sang "We Go Together" (from Grease), Katie's 2nd grade sang "Singin' in the Rain", and all the kids ended with John Denver's "Country Roads".
3.  Packages received from back home - hooray!  The kids love having American snacks (Cheetos, fruit roll ups, etc).  They have them available here, but very, very expensive.  I can't see myself spending $14 on a bag of imported chips.  Thanks Grandma, Jichan and Uncle Charlie!

Fails
1.  SCIS Holiday Program:  Beginning guitar and recorder (really, the instrument) and "Smoke on the Water".
2.  Floor heater install.  First the boiler needed to be repaired.  Then we turned on the floor heaters, but still not working.  Sigh.  Very typical.  Will try again this week.
3.  Google map directions from online!  After back-and-forth arguing with our taxi driver, telling him to make a U-turn, how we're tracking our progress on our map, etc., etc., we were the ones that were WRONG and he was right.  Burn.

Me & E