Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! It’s been a while, but J wanted to let everyone know how her Christmas went. Obviously, since this was her first Christmas away from home, this Christmas was a little different than any before. J invited a group of people come over to her house and eat dinner together to celebrate, and she said it was so much fun! She cooked chicken and rice with cream of chicken soup for everyone, and her new neighbors brought side dishes to go along with her food. She said everyone had a great time eating together, reading the Christmas story, and opening presents from each other. And, since J’s packages from home haven’t arrived yet, her neighbors brought some Christmas presents for her to open as well. Since they’ve been here, she has become really close to them and they knew just what she would want! She said her neighbors know how much she loves Disney and Disney princesses, so they got her some really cute little Disney-themed gifts. She was really excited about that and their thoughtfulness!
Even though it was her first Christmas away from her parents and family, J said that she was able to have a really good time making new traditions and getting to better know some of the people she’s met so far. She was also able to Skype with her parents and family on Christmas Eve for a while, so that helped as well.
Aside from celebrating Christmas and making new traditions, J had the chance to visit a nearby zoo recently. She said it was extremely different from zoos back home! For instance, instead of the animals being in cages and separated from people visiting the zoo, J said that the animals are able to walk right up to visitors’ cars—even the lions and tigers. Obviously, people keep their windows closed and are not allowed to feed the lions, but because there aren’t as many safety standards, there aren’t fences separating the animals. J got the chance to take a picture with an orangutan and hug a lion! She said that it was one of the best experiences she’s had, but she said the best part of the trip to the zoo was when she got the chance to take a ride on an elephant. She said it was an awesome experience and completely different from any zoo experience back at home!
That’s all for this blog entry, but please continue to keep J and the people she comes in contact with at the English Center in your thoughts as she continues to get more acclimated to her city. She said she is becoming really comfortable and at home there and can hardly believe that she’s been there for as long as she has. She hopes everyone had a good Christmas and has a happy New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment