Christmas was so hectic. It was one of my best ever despite being away from friends and family. In the days before Christmas I bought crepe paper, balloons, and sweets to make up 205 little parcels for my Grade Ones (11-12 year olds). On Christmas Day I arranged with the Chinese teachers to keep them all in at lunch time and I visited each class and handed out the presents, wearing a Santa hat to add to the effect. I already grew the beard. To my surprise I returned to my room with more than I gave – about 100 cards and a dozen presents. The cards varied enormously; cute little Chinese cartoon characters with big eyes and messages of love, traditional Chinese designs, pop-up cards, cards with batteries and playing Jingle Bells etc., and horror cartoon theme cards (from boys of course – but I guess you could say the Chinese are still a little confused about exactly what Western culture is). The presents were little ornaments, a candle lamp, two Santas, a Santa hat with pigtails (!), some Chinese good luck ornaments, and a metal stand like a traditional gate with a big bell and two small bells and a hammer to sound them. [Later I was given a set of three vases too.]
I went to two Senior class parties, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students got up and performed. There were good singers in both classes, which is not surprising because singing is very popular and it is not uncommon to pass someone shopping and singing softly to themselves. The students sang pop and traditional songs. Two boys did a comic dialogue, a favourite art form. It was obvious they were really funny though I didn’t understand a word.
After the second Senior party I went with Alice and the Vice-Principal, Aussie 2 and the girlfriend to the Lord Mayor’s Christmas dinner for foreign experts. This was a lavish affair with four or five hundred people in the hall. It was held in the best hotel in Xiangfan in a room which could be used for large conferences, balls and concerts. There were a lot of foreigners there and many Chinese, probably from Departments at all levels of Government which have dealings with foreigners. A number of French people were there from the Citroen/Peugot factory and the manager gave a long dry speech in French which was translated into Chinese. I caught just a few words of the French but I didn’t listen because he had the same effect on me as my High School Economics teacher.
The Mayor gave a speech of course and the experience of Chinese political rhetorical style was remarkable. Some politicians in