Merry Christmas!
For the first time in both of our lives, we are spending Christmas outside the US, on the other side of the globe. We have always seen at least one of our parents, if not both, during the holidays, plus our siblings. This is the first time that it’s just the two of us . . . in our apartment overlooking Hong Kong.
Thanks to modern technology, we’re planning Zoom sessions, opening presents across oceans with family in the States. At the same time, we’re taking it easy, which is kind of nice. No flights, packing, rushing from California to Boston and back to Hong Kong . . . all within a week.
Instead, we will spend this week at home, resting, reflecting . . . . maybe even catching up on hobbies, or perhaps starting something new.
It’s hard to know what the next year has in store for us. If I’ve learned one thing from 2020, it’s that you can’t count on any plans. Haha, 2020 was the year of derailed plans, and as far as I can tell, “normality” (whatever that means) is not resuming anytime soon.
This past year we didn’t know if we’d make it back to see our family for Christmas. Now, I think we’ll be thrilled if we can go back to the US by next Christmas. We’re really learning not to take anything for granted.
For now, we’re making the most of our time here. I plan to spend this coming week perhaps learning to cook some of the traditional things we used to enjoy during Christmas time. Or maybe I’ll learn to make something completely new.
Meanwhile, my other silly project this week was constructing a Christmas tree (at the last minute) out of our yoga mat and lamp. It was oddly satisfying to let my creative, “build from scratch”, “scrape it together” side go wild. Because I didn’t want to actually purchase anything for this project, I literally hunted around the apartment looking for paper clips, ribbons, scrap paper, plastic bags, whatever I could find to make this tree.
I have also discovered “painting” on the iPad with the Apple Pencil, which has been surprisingly therapeutic and really, really fun. My Chinese teacher and I decided to write a fun illustrated book in elementary level Chinese about the adventures of two rabbits and a fish traveling and eating around Greater China, which we gave to Bryan as a Christmas gift.
It’s been a tough year. Stay safe, all. Have a blessed Christmas!
Warmly,
Jen
Let us rejoice in the hope that came to the world through the birth of Jesus Christ. Glory Hallelujah.
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