Ho Ho Ho, Merry Chinese Christmas

First off, I'd like to wish each and every one of you readers a Very Merry Christmas - all the way from China where it's been Christmas Day for about 10 hours already. I know most of you are headed to bed to wait for Santa to arrive, but fear not, the world will not end before Christmas comes!!

We went out for a very nice traditional Chinese dinner last night at a nice restaurant. The first thing we noticed as we left the hotel in Shekou is how many people were in the streets and in the square. We were trying to get over to an area about 30 minute cab ride which took us about an hour last night with all the heavy traffic. Once there, Tony and I met up with Anni (pronounced like Yanni but no Y) and Eric (from NY) for dinner. They had fireworks going off, a stage production with singing and raffles, tons of people. I seriously think all 1.6 Billion people of China were in Shenzhen last night!! After the nice dinner, we headed to the V Bar which is cool popular night club here in town (just down the road from dinner).

They had an awesome band playing at the V Bar that did a bunch of covers of American rock songs. Disco, Pop, even Reggae was performed. I of course stood out above all the others on the dance floor but I'm growing used to that by now. When we paid the cover to get in, they handed us a box that included 4 different types of noise makers. We also received a hat and sure enough... with 30 seconds to go, they started a countdown. Then at midnight, we all shouted Merry Christmas with Balloons falling, fireworks going off, lots of cheering..... As the four of us from non-China stared at each other to make sure this was Christmas still and not New Years. It felt 100% like I'm used to celebrating New Years. I heard today that it is the largest single day celebration in China - the Chinese New Year is 7 day celebration so it's in a totally different category.

We came home in the middle of the night and me being tired and a dumb a$$, I left my camera in the back of the cab. So no more pictures to share from China for now. Thanks to the always intelligent Hazel, I have a disposable camera to take more pictures on the remainder of my trip.

Work stuff kept us from going to Hong Kong today. Instead we walked the square for lunch with thousands of other people (again, similar to a New Year's Day, not Christmas Day). We had another Chinese Meal that was served similar to a Japanese Steak House back home with the chef cooking the food right in front of us. Then off for an hour foot massage for all of us ($6 each for the hour!), then relaxing watching some movies. Now I'm home. Just talked to my family who are waking up in Kentucky for Christmas and all are doing well:)

I miss you all this Christmas Day. Just for reference, it is now 7:40 am on Christmas morning for those in the Central Time Zone... It is 9:40pm Christmas Day here and time for me to go to bed. Work tomorrow and it's going to be a busy week! I thank the Lord for all the opportunities He's given me and all of you that He has brought into my life in one way or another. I miss being surrounded by people that celebrate Christmas not because of the revenue it brings to the stores, or the opportunity to celebrate in the streets... but because it was on this day (or at least the day that was chosen for us) that we celebrate the greatest miracle to ever happen - the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

The second greatest miracle ever happens today in 2005 as Green Bay beats Chicago (sorry Kahn and Wheeler) and Vikings win at Baltimore. Go Vikings and again...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!