Christmas Time

Soooo I'm doing a horrible job keeping you updated on my life! Sorry about that. Yesterday was really crazy, moving into our new apartment, taking that twenty minute walk to our place with 5 bags, and after finally getting there finding out that my subway card had disappeared. But, we are moved in, almost unpacked, and I can't wait to be able to come back there every day and just relax. I took the bus today, which could have been worse. I got off at the wrong stop (it's 10 stops going home from work and 11 going to work from home) and was twenty minutes late for my class. I don't think they cared though, they have a singing competition tomorrow so they were all practicing for it when I got there. Sometimes I think the other teachers are happy when they have more time with the students so they can get more done with them, especially now when they also have to do Christmas stuff on top of the stuff their students are supposed to be learning.

Here's a picture of one of the student's letters to Santa. I think her Mom helped her with it or something, she gave it to me a couple days after we did it (most of the student's letters are pretty simple, but this one made me laugh).

OH! One night, it was really really windy. We had a glass ceiling in our other apartment, and the wind was blowing bricks onto it. I was sooo scared that it was going to come crashing down (thankfully the window wasn't over our bed), but it didn't. Here's a picture of it:

Ok, here's what you've been waiting for. Here are pictures of our new apartment! It's still messy (trying to figure out where to put stuff), and we're waiting to see if they want us to keep those boxes or not. It's a studio, so it's not really big, but it has amazing lighting and we have our first couch.

There is a kitchen, but I didn't really take a pic of it, and there's a washing machine in the kitchen area too. Ummmm, I think that's all. I want to find Christmas decorations, but I don't know if I'll have time before Christmas. We're going to a Christmas Eve service on Friday, and just relaxing on Saturday. Sadly, we both work on Sunday, so we don't get too much of a break, but it will be nice.

I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We're Moving!

Soooooo I haven't written in awhile, I'm sorry, I know my life is soooo important to you. Thanksgiving was fun. We were able to eat pie and turkey (they DO have turkey in China!), sweet potatoes, mac n cheese, and other things. It was really good. We hung out with people afterwards and got to know some people. I haven't made brownies yet, but I went to her place and made pumpkin pie with her. It was fun.

So, like my title says, we're moving in a week. We found a new place that's REALLY nice and closer to our jobs/school. I will take a 20 min bus ride instead of an 50 min subway ride and a 20 min walk and Dan will either walk or take a bus to campus. It's a studio apartment (pictures will come later) with a couch (our first since our marriage), and bathroom (that is NOT the same room as the kitchen, AND you can poop in it), and I don't think anyone has lived in it before. It's like brand brand new. Now I just have to figure out all the new shopping places and stuff.

Because we're moving up north, I will probably have to quit my tutoring job cause it'll be really far away...but it will make everyone sad, cause they like me a lot and they're fun to teach, so we'll see what happens. We're hoping to be completely moved in by Christmas, and we will spend our first Christmas in our new place.

I stole the idea from another teacher to have my 1st graders write letters to Santa (it's English month, so we get to do lots of fun activities with them), and I had already explained who Santa was in a previous class, so when the teacher translated that they were writing him letters asking for stuff they all cheered, like, really really cheered. I felt like a horrible person when the teacher said they actually thought I would be sending the letters. Oh well. They probably won't remember in a couple weeks anyway.

I hope everyone is enjoying the almost holidays and that you get a lot of snow for Christmas!