It's Almost Christmas

... and while Laos is free from the nasty winter weather that Seattle is getting (and other places as well, but I hear Seattle is unusually blustery this winter), it does now get down to 60 degrees F at night and it is breezy during the day. When people ask me if I'm cool, I sometimes am. This gives me great joy. I smile happily to draw a blanket and not just a sheet over myself at night. It does make unheated bucket bathing more challenging, but I sweat less so maybe I can get away with just a foot-washing on some days?

In my classes, I am trying to decide how to teach about Christmas. There are certain restraints teaching here so that the holiday lesson cannot be religious but I don't want to only tell about Christmas trees and Santa Claus (besides his being a very commercialized figure, it would be hard to explain why he does not deliver gifts to children in Laos, if he really is such a good-hearted fellow; some of my students are indeed naughty but I do believe that the majority should make his good list). None of my lessons worked last week in any case, so it may be a moot point if this week is similarly unsuccessful.

That is not to say that last week was a bad week. In fact, I had only two classes that I would not want to go through again and several that I felt rather good about. I did rediscover how poor a singer I am when I tried to teach a carol or two, but did not lose heart-- I still enjoy singing to myself, just not in front of classrooms of students who are unfamiliar with the words and tunes of the songs. I'll also refrain from any solo-caroling, though I will deliver some Christmas cookies to some neighbors. In fact, I'm off to make them right about now.

Peace to you all.
Renee