The Christmas of 2012 will be a lasting memory in the minds of my family. Instead of the usual traditions of being with our extended families and having the traditional meal of turkey, ham, dressing, and pies, we spent the season in China. For two wonderful weeks, we traveled the area speaking to children, young adults, and retired citizens. As Americans, we were invited to teach about Christmas and about how we celebrate this ancient holiday. We met numerous new friends and enjoyed many local dishes of food. We had the joy of speaking at private English schools, public schools, and a university class. We shared the story of Christmas by performing a small play and acting out the birth of Jesus as found in the Bible. We also showed pictures of the Christmas tree from our house and of all the decorations we put on the house. Also, we informed people about the traditions we continue to keep with our parents and other family members.

My children loved the trip and have wonderful memories of our visit. My son, the youngest of my children, loves China and wants to return there. He says when he is old enough he will go to live in China. Even after three months, he talks about China every day and begs me to take him with me the next time I return. All the girls, including my wife, loved our visit to Yangshuo, GuangXi. The landscape in Yangshuo is very beautiful and there are many local shops to visit. The women of my family are vigorous shoppers. We discovered that my youngest daughter is quite the negotiator and we gave her the task of getting the best deals. For myself, I found a nice seat in a local coffee shop while they braved the cold rain in search of bargains. I am not overly fond of shopping.

The end of our trip was capped by a weekend in Shanghai. None of us had ever been to such a large city before. Instead of a hotel, we rented a house and I became the official chef for our final weekend. While the rest of them explored the wonderful markets of Shanghai, I prepared meals and enjoyed the warm comforts of the house. The first day we were in Shanghai it snowed and sleeted on us! But neither sleet, nor snow, nor freezing cold would stop the girls from shopping. It was all a very grand adventure. For fifteen days, we ate tasty Chinese food, talked with gracious Chinese people, saw the beauty of China’s land, and rubbed elbows with the millions of Shanghai’s citizens. It was indeed a Christmas trip that our family will never forget.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Besides being tourists what else did the family do in China?

2. Did the family enjoy the food in China? What is your favorite food?

3. Have you ever eaten western food? What did you think? Do you have a favorite?

4. What did the father prefer doing while the girls went shopping? Which would you prefer?

5. If you could travel to anywhere in the world to visit where would you like to go?