Merry Monday
Today was a good day. I got alot of christmas stuff done. I was working on the christmas tree. I put up a bunch of decorations. Getting some Christmas presents. We are doing Secret Santa with all the foreign teachers and the internet random number generator generated Clyde as my gift recipient. What would Clyde like? Well, since he has been living clean for years...opium is out of the question. The best thing I can think of is a gag gift followed up by a serious gift. I got the gag gift. I am also giving my Christmas DVD Present to all the foreign teachers that were here when it was made. As well, Daisy, the 4 year old genious is attending the party with her mom and prolly grandparents, so I picked her up a VCD set of Mickey Mouse. I asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she said, "Mickey Mouse" in this adorable shy way. Wrapped up some other presents and got these awesome Christmas cards. They are from Counter Strike, an online military strategy game that is huge in Eurpoe and Asia. Anyways, the cards have these cute disturbing cartoon images of guys in gas-masks and Rambo outfits throwing grenades and carrying rifles while they say, "Happy Holidays", "Best Wishes", and "Happy Day" on them. Wierd.
I tested out the "Snow in a can" that we bought to cover the tree in when it is complete. We want this tree to be the cheesiest looking thing ever. However, I think we will fail because some of the trees I have seen in the shops here...well, I don't know how we could beat those. Alot of the "upscale wannabe Western" chinese shops are putting out the Christmas decorations and wearing santa hats but the real chinese places aren't. My favourite Santa hat is the one with 5 red stars on the white furry part that light up sequentially. I never thought Santa to be a communist before I got here. But I guess its not a far cry, I mean, he does like red alot, and he is a patriarchial leader who exploits his workers (the elves) to do all his work for him and he just uses one night a year where he does this big publicity stunt. His face is plastered all over the place and he no longer has any association with religion. Hence, the "Save Christmas" movement I have heard about in America from John Irish. Take Christmas back from the heathens I hear. I will prolly have a Christmas lesson on Friday, Christmas Eve, and I am trying to decide how I will explain it to 4th and 3rd graders. Since there are three things you don't talk about in China: Religion, Sex, and the Government...I wonder how I explain Christmas. I have thought to just say that its a time to give and to love one another. However, I feel I would be doing it an injustice by not explaining where it came from...the birth of Jesus mixed with the pagan holiday of winter solstice or whatever.
Speaking of Jesus, there was this TV program on the english channel...well, its not the english channel, but it plays english programs in the evening. Anywho, there was this program entitled, "Pontius Pilate: The Man Who Killed Jesus". It was basically comparing historical fact to the writings of the Gospels and to the writings of Jewish historian Josephus. It was quite interesting. The show claims the Gospels shows Pilate as a weak leader - i don't think that is neccessarily very accurate - i think he is just shown as man torn between either condemning an innocent man or mob justice. But definitely historical fact and the writings of Josephus show him as a strong, cunning, Roman prefect. Very interesting. Maybe the Bible shouldn't be taken literally and it was written with a very tilted bias. Makes you question things. Which is good. "The truth shall set you free."
Enuff of that. Oh, Peter bought The Incredibles, that computer animated cartoon that recently came out. Very awesome. I watched it while wrapping presents n stuff. What else happened today...Oh, I got the most adorable e-card. Daisy, the little genious, and her mom sent me this e-card thanking me for inviting them to our Christmas party. Its so cute. That put me in a great mood for the rest of the nite. Oh well. I should prolly head off to bed. The government is coming to watch all the teachers tomorrow. I wont be viewed, but the others are all freaking out about it. Toodles.