I wish I had some really funny stories from the Christmas party, but it was actually a pretty nice event.

There were a few Xining quirks (you’ll see the pictures below) but overall the gala was quite enjoyable.

The girls ran around almost the whole time. There was a live band (orchestra) playing different Christmas songs and the girls jumped up onstage at any opportunity.

I somehow totally avoided participation. I think one of the people in charge of the entertainment tried to contact me the day before the party, but I wasn’t home to receive the call. Awww, shucks. I missed a great opportunity to embarass myself in front of a large number of my peers. Maybe next year…

Santa Claus showed up and gave the kids presents, but to be honest I’m not sure it was really him. He looked suspiciously like one of the foreign students I see in the hallways of Min Yuan. Hmmmm… The Fat Man needs to get a better handle on the imposter situation.