I read some melancholy Twitter posts from some ex-pat teachers in China who are feeling the pain of being far away from their loved ones and their familiar haunts at Christmastime.  I haven't felt this ache or at least, hardly felt a twinge. I don't think this is because I care for my family less, I think it's because of one simple fact -- they are at the beginning of the Christmas life cycle and I'm at the other end.

For a single young man, Christmas is an occasion where you show up somewhere and somebody gives you things you really need -- maybe some socks and underwear and a sweater -- and a great home-cooked meal. Perhaps I paint with too broad a brush here -- perhaps there are young men who are in demand as Christmas party guests because they know how to make killer pecan pie -- but I think it's generally true, for all young people. They aren't yet parents or grandparents, where the pleasure of Christmas lies, in large part, in making a memorable occasion for someone else...

Friends, sorry for the long silence. I don't have time to blog in the morning, and in the evening, my internet connection is too slow to upload stuff. I hope to have a blast of blog posts done over the upcoming holidays.

​Today my students told me that it is traditional to eat dumplings on the winter solstice. I never need an excuse to eat dumplings. I mean, you had me at dumplings. So that was good news. And I know a place I can get some....

On a cold winter's day, there is nothing like a piping hot bowl of spicy ma la tang (pronounced more like mah la tong) for lunch. Since we discovered ma la tong ("ma la" means "numbing spicy"), we've been choosing this build-your-own soup for a simple meal when we're downtown. Slip into this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant with us. The windows are covered with steam. Inside are just a few tables and chairs.
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​Of course nothing beats getting to know your students like sitting down with each one individually. Last year, with the help of another teacher, I managed to do this at at the outset -- she took the class while I briefly met with each student. That doesn't mean I can remember every detail, like who has a brother or who comes from this city or that. But there are just too many freshman this semester for me to meet with them during class time. So for the first class, I had the students interview each other with a short survey so I could collect the basic detail about each student -- where they were from, what their career goals were, if any, their hobbies and interests. And it's not like I make the time to study and memorize these facts and I won't have the time, but it's there to refer to.  The random fact does get stuck in my head along with the random name.