Christmas

Christmas in Shenyang is different. It snowed today, and there's no shortage of cold. Today Penny and I went out for lunch at McDonald's, and we watched a tractor scoop up snow off the pedestrian street. The first couple scoops it would do unassisted, but then a few people would start pushing the snow into the tractor scoop using snow shovels. As many as 7 or 8 people would circle around it, shoveling snow into a pile, and then helping the tractor shovel that snow into its scoop. The tractor would then dump it into a truck, and the truck takes it over to an empty lot, or a construction site, or maybe out of town, to dump the snow.
When Kevin comes home from work, we eat dinner, and then he takes the girls downstairs to our playroom. This gives me some time to myself, and today I used that time to go buy Christmas presents. Penny LOVES Mickey Mouse, and thankfully, so does everyone else in China. I got some Mickey Mouse chocolates, as well as pencils, stamps, booklets, eraser dolls that you can change their clothes, and random other stationery supplies. I think it will be a very merry, very Mickey Christmas morning.
I love being surprised on Christmas morning, and I love surprising other people. This is hard when any packages we receive at the Consulate have to be opened there, at the Consulate. It kind of takes the fun out of any surprises on Christmas morning. At least for Kevin and me. The girls will be surprised, and I am excited about that.
We hear Christmas carols outside our windows all day long. I love Christmas carols, but there are some mighty annoying ones. And even cute ones grow grating after hearing them on repeat for weeks on end. The mall downstairs blares "Jingle Bells," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and "Frosty the Snowman." That's it. All day. English and Chinese. You think "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is obnoxious in English? Ha! Multiply that by 1.3 billion.
I do love Christmas, though. I have a pandora station that plays classical carols sung by English cathedral choirs. I especially love this one, sung by the King's College Choir at Cambridge. Followed by a reading of Luke 2, this is one of my VERY FAVORITE Christmas presentations. The song is pure, simple, and sweet. And the Savior's birth story is like poetry to me.

 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all ^athe world should be ^btaxed.

 2 (And this ^ataxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called^aBethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 5 To be taxed with Mary his ^aespoused wife, being great with child.

 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

 7 And she brought forth her ^afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the ^binn.

 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the ^agloryof the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you ^agood tidings of great ^bjoy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is ^aborn this day in the city of David a ^bSaviour, which is Christ the ^cLord.

 12 And this shall be a ^asign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 14 ^aGlory to God in the highest, and on earth ^bpeace, good will toward men.

 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 16 And they came with ^ahaste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 18 And all they that heard it ^awondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 19 But Mary kept all these things, and ^apondered them in her heart.

 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.