I just woke up from a deep, deep nap, so the corners of my brain are fuzzy, my eyes are red, and my feet are tingly. It feels very good. I haven't had this luxury in months. All I have on my "to-do list" this evening is 'Blog entry.' So I sit down at my laptop, enjoying the last night of Christmas lights, my winter candle, and a cup of tea. This is looking like it will be a very long blog entry indeed. Are you ready? I'm going to intersperse the pictures and stories.


Christmas Eve day was lovely. All the junior high classes were cancelled so the classes could have their singing competition in the morning and their Christmas performance in the afternoon. I just embraced it as an almost day off, even though I had to be at school, I only had to teach 1 hour. And it felt very Christmassy, the students were sweet, I got many more cards than I expected, and they seemed to go out of their way to find me, and give me a genuine, huge smile and wish me "Merry Christmas." After this happened enough, I began to get downright sentimental! It's probably something most teachers experience, but I think I am especially lucky because I only have the advanced kids, and they are for the most part excited to be in my class and glad I am their teacher. So I feel a great deal of love from them, which made me romanticize in my head about being in a foreign country for Christmas and the different places we find love. This Christmas, without a doubt, was about the love I have for my students and they have for me. Awwhh.