Christmas Eve

The sun is now setting on the first day of nearly three weeks of vacation from teaching. (Of course, it being winter, that doesn't mean the day is over.) The last few days of teaching went really well. We did a lot of Christmas-sy kinds of things, like little parties for the children and teenagers and Christmas discussions and communications games for the adults. Maybe it shouldn't have, but it surprised me how unimportant Christmas is to Russians. I had already found it impossible to buy actual Christmas cards (which means many of you will be receiving New Years cards eventually), but it hadn't really sunk in. All of the commercial and secular aspects of our Christmas have been transfered to New Years, leaving Christmas as a religous holiday. Since not too many people are religious, it is apparently a pretty quiet day. I'll comment more on that after I see the Russian Christmas in January.
Several of my students did give me presents. The business men I teach gave me a matrushka nesting doll, and my upper-intermediate adult class chipped in to give me a linen tablecloth with matching napkins. The best part of that present was the accompanying card with an original "rap" in English inside. The words are as follows: "Droppin' this line at the time when Christmas & New Year is around the corner we sorry 4 our actin' up & wich U 2 be full of beans all 2009 year. We back on your teachin' us next year. What's more U're our neat teacher! We honestly try 2 rack our brain but we couldn't create more words ;))) !!! Happy 2009!!!"
I'm glad to be their "neat teacher."

Tomorrow will be my first, and likely only, white Christmas. Volgograd was very nice looking during the end of summer when we arrived, but after the leaves all fell, it looked dreary for a long time. Now, it looks really beautiful under a layer of snow. I'll be going to Christmas dinner and then to church in the evening, so I'll get to celebrate the holiday properly, if not traditionally. Aunt Karla's card even arrived yesterday, so I even have something to open!
Since it has been a while since I've posted there is much more I could say, but I'll save it for a later post.
Merry Christmas, everyone
!