All merry and bright

Weather: cold
Temp: -7 - 4
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,43
Grassy rooftop: Dry winters grass growing in a roof gutter of a hutong.

Hey, Merry Belated Christmas everybody. Hope you had fun, ate too much, and had a jolly good time with your family.

We had a great Christmas. We opened our presents in bed on Christmas day. Demi our Mandarin tutor gave us scarves from Italy and Stan, my student gave me a Peking Opera wall hanging. After presents we phoned home. Speaking to our family in South Africa made me a little teary, but such is life and we got on with it by going for brunch to Grandma's Kitchen near the Bei Xin Qiao Subway. It was all very jolly with everybody who arrived wishing complete strangers a merry Christmas. I guess that's what happens - goodwill to all men.

As a treat we then headed off to Garden Books. I got Kabul Beauty School and Frikkie got the latest John Connolly. Then it was back home for some gluwein, cheese and crackers.

We had dinner at the Westin Hotel in Choayang, with complete strangers and it was great! We were suppose to join my fellow teacher Richard and his mates for dinner. So, we arrived not knowing anybody but Richard, and he didn't even show up, but we met a cool bunch of people, some of them as new to Beijing as we are and others who have been here form ages. And quite a diverse group - from Taiwan to London... Finally it looks like we've met a group of people we could be friends with - the best Christmas present we could have asked for.