1st Christmas Away From Home

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Well it was my first Christmas away from home, but it was extra special because I got to spend it with Song Song, who has never celebrated this crazy holiday before. He was treated to the big turkey dinner (which was apparently not spicy enough) with Christina's mom, brother and his girlfriend. That night Cait opened all of her presents, because she would be with her father for Christmas day. My mom was smart and sent her toys that do not sing, move, or make any annoying noises. Toys that keep Joe's sanity in check, in other words.

To stick to my family traditions, I even went to Midnight mass with my host mom, Steph and Annie. Earlier in the night Hu Song said that he wanted to go for a real traditional Christmas experience, but when I woke him up from his nap at 11:30, he stayed true to his character and refused to get out of bed. Church was entertaining though. There was a father sitting in front of us with a little boy who was falling asleep in the pew and complaining about having to go so late at night... Ahhh, that took me back a few years. Annie went up for communion, but was not quite sure what she was supposed to do. She said 'thank you' after receiving the bread and then pocketed it. Hey, there is a first time for everything.

I think this was the first Christmas I woke up so late. Can you believe I set the alarm clock for 9:00? I skipped sleeping under the tree, too. After all, it was plastic... You'd never catch me sleeping under a plastic Christmas tree! Hu Song and I opened up our socks from home and had a few good laughs at the glow in the dark lights and Ab magazines we got. Hu Song asked 'who sent these to us?', but he did not believe me when I told him the story of Santa Clause. I guess he is a bit old for that though. We ran upstairs and eagerly waited for Christina to wake up... But three hours later and The Never Ending Story later, we were getting pretty anxious and decided to wake her up ourselves.

Hu Song opening up his pajama pants in my 'dwelling'

Song Song was happy to get some pretty cool stuff from Christina, my parents and myself - including a much needed soccer ball from home (he has been kicking it off the walls ever since he opened it). I'm looking forward to a big cross country skiing trip with my parents when I get home. Those crazy relatives in T-Bay also sent us tickets to go watch King Kong, which Hu Song has actually been talking about for the last while now (love you Judy). After ripping open all our gifts, Christina went back to sleep, and we did not see her for the rest of the day. She had been up all night with a crying Cait, so it was no surprise she just wanted to stay in bed. That was not a big deal though - we went on a three-hour walk through Wakamo valley, saw some friends, and then finished our night with a 3 hour documentary called Walking with Prehistoric Beasts. definitely the most quiet Christmas I have ever had.

Taking a stroll down the train tracks of Wakamo Valley, sporting my new 'Back to the Future' vest

I called home and ended up talking to eight different people though - it was really great to hear some familiar voices from home. Including that crazy blubbering sister of mine... Or should I now say... Room mate? Yes, for those who have not heard, Nita and I will be living under one roof come next September when I start University . We will be the 4th generation living in the Yorkshire house which is pretty cool. It is now my duty to breed like crazy so that there can be many more generations living there in the future. My best friends will be living with us too - which is the best Christmas news one could get. Guelph, here we come!

Well I wish everybody a Happy New Year! I was never much of a New Years person... I think I will just go for a long walk or something. However, for all you crazy partiers back home, I hope you have lots of fun! Yesss... Now I have a legitimate excuse for not going to that blasted clock tower for the countdown! Muahaha.

Captain Hu Song wishes everyone in Niagara, Thailand, Denmark, Australia, Mexico, England... and where ever else my friends and family might be a HAPPY NEW NEW YEARS!

-Joe

Get to Know my Counterpart: Hu Song

Hello everyone!

Well, we are more than half way through the program, and I realize that you probably don't know all that much about the Chinese boy that I live with, work with, eat with, share a washroom with, and many other things that we do and share together. Hu Song has been my best friend throughout this program - well, we've had to. We are pretty much attached to the hip. The only thing we don't have to share is a room, which I wouldn't normally care about, but... Big secret about to be released: his snores score a 5.3 on the Richter Magnitude Scale! Without any further ado, here is the biography of my little friend from Yichang:


Name: Hu Song (Song Song)
Age: 17
Birthday: April 4th, 1988 (year of the dragon) Favourite Foods: Any kind of meat, mainly beef, pork, and chicken legs
Foods you Don't Like: Bitter gourds and sweet dishes
Favourite Beverages: Milk and tea Hobbies/Leisure Activities: Playing Soccer, drawing, sleeping at noon, and going to bed late Good Things About Moose Jaw: Making new friends, trying new foods, running on the frozen water, and the beautiful scenery
Bad Things About Moose Jaw: When it gets too cold, you can't play sports outside
Future Plans: Finish high school then study science in university
Favourite Books: Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Dream Destination: I just want to find the true life
Favourite Quote: "It takes ten years for a tree to grow to full height, but a hundred for quality persons to mature" - Bad translation of a Chinese quote
About your Family: Father - Hu Hai Feng, 42, tax worker. Mother - Fu Yuan Xiang, 42, bookstore accountant

I'd say we are now all pretty well acquainted with Moose Jaw. We've been so busy with our work placements, petition campaigns, helping out with the food bank, spending time with our host families, planning family craft days, and going to the YMCA and spa. Heheheh. Actually - not funny - Song Song is making us boycott the spa, because last week everything from his locker was stolen - right down to his underwear! Good thing he brought two winter jackets, and three pairs of shoes. His other jacket isn't as warm as the stolen one, so it was very nice of Shirley to lend Hu Song her poofy pink jacket equipped with a fur collar. He said he would rather wear nothing than that monster... But it was the thought that counts. We went and reported the theft to the police station today, but I think the chances of getting all his belongings back is as good as my chances were of finding my camera that I left on a taxi way back in Yichang.

For those who didn't know, there was a lot of drama going around the house concerning a crazy ex-boyfriend and custody over my host mom's baby, Cait. It has all (sort of) been sorted out now, and Christina has joint custody. We see Cait for about 4 or 5 times a week. It was pretty stressful in the beginning of the program when Song Song and I were hearing all these crazy problems, but it is slowly quieting down. A new stress has taken over, and that is the baby itself! Oh my god... I've never really had to deal with babies before, and now I have confirmed that I NEVER want one when I am older. Sure, she looks cute... But the screaming and the crying and the constant need for attention... Holy cow! I'm sure my parents are laughing at this, thinking something to themselves like 'Good, now he knows how WE felt when HE was a rotten little baby!' But Christina is happy, and Cait is on-and-off happy, so everything is okay.

Yesterday, after helping out at the Multi-Cultural Center's Christmas lunch for newcomers to Canada, I went over to Cat and Jiang's house to watch Mulan and eat tacos with their host mom. It was the night of the CPR Christmas train tour, featuring live FAMOUS Canadian stars: Amanda Scott and THE MOFFATS! Yaaaaaay! It's pretty sad when the first concert you go to is the Moffats. Oh well, it was a good time, and Song Song actually enjoyed the music.

Hmmm... What else has happened in my little world? I guess I should update more often so I don't forget. On Saturday mornings, I have been doing some of my own extra volunteer work at the humane society. Last time Christina came to pick me up, she also ended up taking home a rabbit. Now I can't complain - we have a family pet! But, Booba isn't the brightest little bunny (I shouldn't say little, it is actually almost the size of my dog); she ate through the phone lines the first day. Damned rabbit! Now I know why I was never allowed to own one before!

Well, I must be going to the Y now. I've packed on a few pounds with this 'Body for Life' weight lifting program I have been doing with Cait, you might not recognize me when I get home. By the time the end of February comes, I'll be HUGE! Muahahaha. Hope everyone is enjoying the good weather in Ontario while we are freezing our willies off over in the snowy 'Jaw'. Happy holidays, and I wish all my friends (and Nita) good luck with their exams!

-Joe