Making A LOT of food for a birthday party :)
A gift from a friend...pig intestine stuffed with sticky rice...yum, yum...
An off-campus class..."learning to write a restaurant review".
And just for fun...I thought I'd end 2010 with a root canal!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas 2010
Christmas Eve ...advent wreath...carols...gifts...snacks...and games!
Christmas morning brunch : )
My cozy little house and a fire Christmas morning :) 
Dinner with friends at our favorite Indian restaurant...including a spontaneous Christmas song by a group of Singapore tourists and a memorable Christmas decoration...doesn't this clown framed by styrofoam and lights add to the festiveness of the day?? (some things just need a photo :)
Ending the night with some laughs during "Elf" : )
End of Term Student Party
Listening to the Christmas story...
Decorating cookies and eating a snack...
Decorating cards...watching a slide show....
Learning about "Christmas Around The World"...
Sharing Christmas
Preparing a couple hundred small gifts for my teammate and I to hand out with the story of Christmas to different people in town.
Sharing the Nativity Story movie (in a language that was understandable) with my friend and her family and neighbors (about 17 people watched at least part of it). This provided a chance to answer some of their questions too. 
Decorating Christmas cut-outs :)
Hmong New Year-Out of House Celebrations
Traditional dress worn by young and old.
Young people play a traditional ball-toss courting game.
People try their hand at festival games (not too different from the west...difficult games and cheap stuffed animals...or beverages...for prizes!)
Bull fights!
Hmong from all over, including many foreign countries, come to celebrate.
Hmong New Year- In House Celebration
The first three days of Hmong New Year are a time of ceremonies within the house. Some of these things include calling souls of ancestors back and sweeping the house of bad spirits. You'll notice some of the things associated with these ceremonies displayed at my Hmong friend's house...rooster sacrifice, candle, knife, incense, flags etc.
Joining my friend and her family for dinner. 
Special rice cakes made from pounded sticky rice, cooked in banana leaves and served with a molasses type sauce.
National Day
Lots of sports games around town to watch...
And if they are hard to watch, then climb a tree so it is easier to see! 
Having lunch together with friends...
Fish soup...
...and lots of salad!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)