To go to the flower market, we set out today. Because, along with me, almost all of my foreign friends had decided that they needed to get new plants for their apartments. (Remember, we just had a big move into the new foreign faculty residence, and most of my friends were among those privileged enough to move into the new building.) So, we organized several vans and off we went … to turn our vans into literal jungles. And to realize that it’s Christmas. Or almost Christmas. Christmas season. For the big mall where we went first to have our lunch gave it away all too clearly. And since the Christmas season is my favorite time of the year, and because nowhere else you can see any signs of Christmas (which is usually generally the case around here), seeing all those fancy Christmas trees hanging from the ceiling and some other actually really pretty decorations was a welcome sight to me, and once again I thought what a happy thing it is that Christmas is around the corner yet once more.