Merry Christmas!

One of my students asked me this week whether I was sad not to be home for Christmas. My answer was a little, but only a little because instead I was celebrating with them. And it really was a nice day. I couldn't really explain Christmas to them, not wanting to do or say anything even slightly religious, but we decorated Christmas tree and snowman posters, ate candy, and said Merry Christmas over and over again and I think they got the right warm-fuzzy feeling.

Many of my students gave me presents--a sweet but odd experience. In addition to the elaborately wrapped apples I was given rolls of decorative cellophane, a fluffy pom-pom, two plastic crystals, many notes, and more.

My table filled with gifts. 

The most elaborate: a snowglobe music box. What does it play? Fur Elise, which is our start-of-class bell and our ringtone
in this region (in other words, a sweet gift, but I never actually want to hear it play).

So much cellophane!

My favorite note. It says "wishing you a merry Christmas, daily smiles, and smooth work' and then "please translate into
English" with the box to the top-left set aside for my translation (also, translate--which includes a pretty complicated
character--is miswritten as "antonymous", also meaning antisense as used in genetics).

Puff ball, crystals, and flowers.

A crying peanut...or carrot? I have no idea...

Sadly, a student spilled water on my keyboard and it is broken...only the middle line types at all and produces: asdfg5h6jkl. I've typed this entirely with the onscreen keyboard. And so, as much as I love you all, I won't be posting again until I'm back in the States. Luckily, this will be very soon! I'm leaving my town next weekend and will be arriving in Maryland a couple of days, three buses, and three airplanes later. Looking forward to being home and seeing some of you soon!