It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas time in Dhaka...no snow, no carols in the shopping malls, no mention of it at school...but luckily we have friends with a Christmas tree and a house to decorate. Singing Christmas carols, baking cookies, putting up decorations, watching Christmas classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, and the Santa Clause...this makes it feel more like home, more like the holiday spirit that I sorely miss right now.

Our school put on a Winter Masquerade Dance and a Winter Wonderland Concert. My first experience trying to organize my students for a concert as a music teacher was interesting to say the least but I managed! With a lot of help and support along the way, especially from my room mate, who always keeps me sane when I'm stressed. I was so proud of my little ones singing their hearts out and the Grade 11's and 12's who I don't even teach decided to join the Middle years choir and sing along to Jingle Bell Rock and Winter Wonderland.

The last day of school Ganraj and I decided that we should probably start planning our trip seeing as we were leaving the next morning. Her students were appalled that we had nothing planned and took over being travel agents for us giving us all kinds of recommendations and helping us book better hotels and telling us where to go. (Her students are Grade 11 and 12).

So we took off to Thailand to celebrate Christmas and found some Christmas trees, heard the same three carols on loop in public places like hotel lobbies and shopping malls. But our Christmas was anything but traditional, we ate lots of meat on a stick, a delicious delicacy sold on the street, we bathed elephants, petted tigers, kayaked on the ocean, and enjoyed traditional Thai massages along with clean air, blue skies, and ocean waves. We even made Christmas Eve wishes with the Thai lanterns that float up to the sky at night.

For New Years, we headed out to Bali, Indonesia to go white water rafting, surfing, and climb yet another volcano at sunrise because I just can't get enough of those treks. :)

It was a much needed holiday and I am feeling refreshed and ready for the new year...only now I have to deal with elections. Which turns out, may mean staying at home for the next week as things might get a little crazy out on the street. But we stocked up on food and we have been safe so far, so hopefully it will stay that way.

I have to say though, there's no place like home for the holidays, for no matter how far away you roam-When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze, For the holidays-you can't beat home, sweet home!