Christmas in Tainan

Christmas started for me December 1st. I decorated my classroom, put the tree up at home. I taught the kids the Nativity story and we did various crafts, a Nativity scene pop up display, coffee filter angels, they learned  some traditional carols (which is not easy for a 4 year old with limited English), we made a hand print wreath out of green felt. Later, I introduced the Nutcracker story, the Ginger Bread Man and made ginger bread cookies (minus the Molasses, so not so authentic, but it was edible). Our Christmas Popcorn balls were a disaster, but fun in a science experiment sort of way.

Winter solstice this year was the 22nd and traditionally Taiwanese eat sticky rice ball soup, usually with red beans, peanuts and lichee (a fruit that induces heat in the body). My friend had some bowls waiting for me when Z and I came over, and then when I came home my other friend had some bagged and waiting at my front door. I added some more red beans, black sesame and black rice to make it more hearty.

Christmas Eve  day I went over my former manager Amy's house. The food spread was fantastic. I made a simple polenta+ Parmesan  crust with some indentions and cracked an egg open in them and baked it until the eggs cooked. There was S. African milk cake, KFC, giant prawns, pesto and pasta, pudding, clams, so ALOT. The adults played Secret Santa, and Amy bought each child a gift. Zenaida got a Minnie Mouse watch which she was ecstatic about. I got some essential oil, anointing oil from Rose of Sharon in Israel, which was a strange coincidence because I recently had the dream of being annointed  by that Bishop (earlier blog).



Singing Carols



Z recieved a watch

That night I let her open a few gifts at home, her big gift, the science kit with a microscope and telescope. She has been playing with her "professional" as she calls it and pretends to be a professor.

On Christmas Day we went to church. Z and her kid Bible class entertained us with a song. My Taiwanese friends came to church and we all went to the mall Mitzokoshi for lunch  on the 6th floor, so the kids could play some games at the arcade.


Z at church



Later that night we shared the joyous occasion of a Christmas Wedding  Feast. My coworker Eric, (my boss' nephew) married. A Taiwanese wedding means getting drunk on food and there was plenty of that. The sushi was frozen, but the black chicken soup was amazing, as was the steamed fish. Z volunteered to sing on stage a few times, which was surprising, she is definitely becoming more of performer. I went to bed too late and indulged one wine glass too many and I felt it the next day, Monday morning.   



Monica and her son, lunch time