So my plans to go to Qibao fell through not once, but two times! The cloud gods decided that cold wasn't enough - and that snow was necessary，especially on the days that I planned to head out to Shanghai's river town. Well, we decided to make the most of it anyways (and move the day to this coming monday). Instead of trucking ourselves to the outskirts of the city, Josh, James, Temmy, and I (as a result of a blackout in our dormitory) grabbed some steaming mugs of SwissMiss hot chocolate and moved over to a nearby cafeteria. A deck of cards and Bananagrams in hand - we determindly overcame boredom and the cold. It was epic. Passing time and talking was so much fun - but it made me miss St. Olaf and the days slipping away into Thorson's fireplace room with blankets at midnight even more. I'm coming home soon - and my body knows it.
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| ; ) |
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| mmm, hot cocoa! hangin' with James.... |
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| Josh and I - the only time we took a nice photo...haha |
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| TEMMY! The greatest host in the world -- he looked after all the St. Olaf kids and showed us the ups and downs of Shanghai. He became and remains a great friend. And an awesome SuperSmash Bros gamer. |
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| ....it's not raining? |
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| Bananagrams. Who will win this next round of speed Scrabble? |
I've noticed in the past few weeks how much I am psyced up for Christmas back in the States. Because there is little to no decoration around in Shanghai (or, at least, no where near the amount St. Olaf puts up), it's easy to forget that Christmas Eve is just around the corner. There is a particular feeling of Christmas in the States - people are a little more upbeat, the music on the radio changes, your work desk acquires a snow globe or two, shirts and socks flaunt reindeer and penguins with santa hats (or, if you my mom, frogs would be the choice of animal). Here, the holidays is like a cold, early November day in Chicago: windy, grey, and a little bleak. The one Santa Claus dressed up on the street is a reminder, but the stares and unsmiling faces of the passerbys say that he is out of place.
