The Spirit of a Child

The Spirit of a Child

 My daughter was already pained that I wasn’t getting any surprises for Christmas, when we arrived at the store. Close your eyes, she said, and hid something in the cart. I smiled, then wondered what the sales clerk thought when I turned my back while my daughter made...
12 Days of Christmas & a New Year Collage

12 Days of Christmas & a New Year Collage

You know that feeling when you’ve spent two hours preparing a meal and everyone finishes eating in twenty minutes? For me it’s an energy slump and my mind goes a-blur. I feel the same way the day after Christmas. I can never pull myself out of bed and the details of...
A Different Sort Of Resolution

A Different Sort Of Resolution

Something shifted that day, though I couldn’t put it into words. A speaker said something I’d never heard before. He admitted weakness to a crowd. Without knowing it, he offered me an invitation, but I couldn’t accept. I was afraid.  As long as I remember, I’ve...
4 Things I Love About Christmas In China

4 Things I Love About Christmas In China

It’s easy to focus on what we’re missing by not being in Canada for Christmas. But after an expat friend travelled home for the holidays, she told me how much more she appreciated Christmas in China. So although I haven’t gone home for the holidays since we left...
Mandarin Minute – Merry Christmas

Mandarin Minute – Merry Christmas

Say Merry Christmas with JiaJia and I, and learn what it’s like to spend Christmas in China.  And here’s a super short clip so you can practice. For more about Christmas abroad, read: 3 Things I Miss About Christmas In Canada   Come back next week for an updated...