New Year's Eve

We're seeing red... everywhere!  Apparently, it is the color of all festive occasions here in China, symbolizing joy and good fortune.

Pictured are the brand-new display at "Carrefour" (the supermarket nearest our apartment), and my own favorite red-head deep-in-thought!

We'd like to wish our friends and family all over the world a most-blessed new year!

December 28th

Gotta say... (in a wild-and-crazy sort-of-way) there was something extra-special about that snowy, mile-long bike ride back to our apartment on the other end of campus after teaching a full-load of classes December 28th...


Hard to explain, other than to say we must be right where we are supposed to be!

Christmas Eve Lunch

We feel very blessed in that there are TEN Chinese teachers in the English Department at the two campuses of Beijing Institute of Technology who celebrate Christmas for the same reason we do... These four insisted on hosting this feast for us to remember Immanuel together at this special time of the year!

December Coffee House

Greg's 8:30 Table-Mates: Oliver, David, Constance, Rebecca, Vanessa

There is definitely something extra special about explaining the true meaning of Christmas to people who've never been told and really want to know!

Grace and Meshea mid-sentence!

Visitors

Angela, Mandy, Sure, Melissa & Grace

The three on the left are actually from a college that does not have "foreign experts", so through their friend Melissa they arranged to interview Grace and me on our 18th monthiversary (yesterday)... there is a fascination with Christmas on this side of the globe, and it is really fun getting to share with people who've never really heard what it is all about!

Life on a College Campus

Grace and I eat five or six meals a week in one of the six dining halls on campus... this photo shows her in the ground floor option of what is referred to by students as the "North Canteen" (the one nearest our classrooms)...




...on this particular evening, we were greeted by the following message taped to the floor in the lobby of our apartment building:

Decking the Apartment for Christmas

These five from my Friday afternoon Conversational English class offered to help set up our Christmas tree. L2R: G&G, Sandy, Andrew, Wayne, Shelley & Danie. Nice of them to pass on other options for a Friday evening to hang out with their English teachers!

The guys did a great job... Grace is shown adding a few finishing touches!

Christmas came early when we received this box of goodies from our Chets Creek family in Jacksonville!!