Before I started my whole traveling around the world over a year ago, I thought by the time Christmas came up and I wouldn't be able to be together with my family in Germany, homesickness would hit me hard. Like laying-on-my-bed-crying-hard. But I have to admit, and I know that my mom will not misunderstand me at this point, that spending Christmas away from home is not bringing up sad feelings in me at all. It's again more of an adventure to be able to experience how people all over the world spend those special days. And me being part of their celebration for once. So the only thing I happened to really miss knowing Christmas is coming up was, for the second year, to grab my mom and best friend by the hand for a nice late afternoon stroll over one of our various Christmas markets, sipping punch and munching on some candied almonds. But you better watch out, after my 2 year's rehab I will be more than ready to hit like EVERY SINGLE market that's out there 2014. No kidding.
Let's say I already expected Christmas in China to be really different to the point of non existent. I mean, first of all, the whole pre-christmas celebrations, cookie backing, candle lighting, decorating, music and simply the emotion was completely lacking. Though I, for my part, took care of the cookie baking ;-) and as I, as my role of a Cultural Ambassador, wanted Rex and Amy to experience the feeling and excitement that I as a kid (and actually still feel) felt with Christmas coming up. So I made both of them an advent calendar, but being a responsible big sister I chose to not ask chocolate or candy for help. Instead, I drew both a huge santa head and a snowman, with 24 circled numbers, on which the kids were supposed to glue a cotton ball on for every day that passed, so that by the time Christmas Eve arrived, both Santa's beard and the Snowman's body would be soft and fluffy all over. The kids were estatic - and with them myself :-) I kept spreading the joy of Christmas by singing songs all day with our Ayi and the kids joining in at some point. But unexpectedly, one day before Amy's 5th birthday during dinner of Dec, 19th, my hostparents informed me that, the next day (wow, that's what I call Chinese notice in advance!) they would be heading out to Macau for 8 days to enjoy their holidays together with the kids and 2 befriend families. Which left me and the Filipina Ayi alone in the house for over a week. And for Christmas. So all my hope of maybe getting my hostfamily to have a nice time together at Christmas with maybe a meal outside was gone within seconds. But hey, I wouldn't be Ronja not making the best out of the situation. So I used my unexpected days off to see my friends, hunt down the Chinese pre christmas bargains and bake even more cookies. The essential part about Christmas are the cookies, folk, I'm serious! So by the time Christmas Eve came up and all of my friends, as all Chinese, turned out to be working over the holidays, I took our Ayi out to eat a nice lunch together with my best Chinese friend Eleven during her lunch break, and afterwards headed to the Global Center to go ice skating. I had a great time both skating and watching the Chinese trying to keep their balance on the ice. Did I mention before that the skill of balance is not really distinct in Chinese genes!? So I did have reason to be amuse. On the contrary our Ayi, who stood outside the skate ring for a whole hour being too scared to go on the ice and give the fun a try. Oh well, her problem. And my wallet's. But it was Christmas, and I didn't want her lack of adventurousness screw my day. Haha, see how much I already adapted to Chinese habbits?! I am becoming selfish :-)
So for our dinner I prepared handmade jiaozi aka Chinese dumplings or like we Swabians like to say Mauldäschle. They turned out great and I enjoyed them both boiled and fried. Yes you heard correct, I enjoyed them. Our Ayi had previously, even though she knew I prepared those dumplings (may I just add that the whole process took me 2 hours), bought herself a huge piece of pizza at the mall that she was knocking off that evening. At that point I was truly dissapointed by her. But it was still Christmas Eve. And me not in the mood to start an argument. So while she got ready to go out that night (which left me guarding the house), I headed to the nearest supermarket to get some cookies to put out for Santa in case of a sudden hunger attack resulting from his long travels. Together with a glass of milk and a little note advising him to share the treat with his reindeer, I set up the tray next to Amy's, Rex' and my own stocking next to the fire place. After sending a picture of the scene to my hostmom, whose response was a audio message of the kids singing me a christmas song I taught them (how something seemingly small like that can so make someone's day!), I headed for a Skype call with my mom and brother back home. That night, as nobody was home but me, and Santa chose the 3 hours I slept to visit, I turned the volume of our TV up as high as possible and literally danced my ass off to Jason Derulo's Talk Dirty. Thanks for keeping me company that night, Jason!
Thanks to the lack of sleep that night, I spend most of Christmas day sleeping. As I managed to get up from the couch by early afternoon, I found filled stockings and a note from Santa together with some left over cookie crumbs. He must have enjoyed his midnight snack of Chinese banana flavored oreo cookies :-) Apparently we all had been good girls and boys that year as a look at the stockings assumed. Santa brought me a beautiful lucky-cat-bracelet and a much needed calendar for the upcoming year. How come Santa keeps guessing my wishes?! The kids' stockings were also filled with gifts, which I had to immediately share with the two munchkins via Becky's wechat. So for Christmas day I kept it low, tried to fight my bad Christmas eating habbits for a day and saw my grandma and grandaunt via my brother's chat. Second day of Christmas brought me Mexican food for dinner, as I met with a new found friend from Michigan who treated me to some good food after a nice stroll and chat in English at a nearby mall. Oh and just FYI, by the evening of the 27th, out Ayi was still not back from her going-out from Christmas Eve. This lady does know how to party and sleep at people's houses that she just met that night. No offense though. Let me just add she has two little boys at home. But hey, no offense.
So after the holidays were over, I wasn't quite sure of what to think about my Christmas in China. Good that I didn't have any expectations, those would have just been totally screwed anyway. But asking myself if I spent the holy days with a happy spirit, I found myself confirming that I did enjoy my Christmas in China - even though spending it in a way that was knew to me til that point. But in the end it all comes down to what you make out of your day and I for my part did have a nice time. Though I do not at all feel bad saying that I'm glad to know that, for next years Christmas, I will be back in Germany, spending my favorite holiday of the year together with my family and people that truly care as much about me as I care about them.