Remember that Christmas tree? The one I keep telling you about? The one that needs some imaginative powers to be regarded as a Christmas tree. The one about which I can’t decide whether it’s just not good looking or plain ugly. The one that has all these little notes added by the students to make good for the lack of other Christmas decorations and ornaments. Well, I was wrong. About the little notes, that is. And about how they’ll soon cover up the bottom part of the tree. I should have never told you about the little notes, because this year? They’re … HUGE!!! Or about how they only cover up the bottom part of that tree. Because that whole tree looks like a carnival scarecrow for Santa Clause. Just saying – oh Christmas tree! Or maybe: Oh, oh, Christmas tree! PS. And I haven’t even told you about the Winnie Pooh Bear and Micky Mouse balloons that are flying far above the tree. Wonder how they got there? I agree – that’s a gooood …

I promised you, I’d post more about the floor decorating competition, so here goes another hall that I went to explore. This one’s all about the journey to Bethlehem, and I love how entering the hall you enter into the oriental world of the past – with flat-roofed houses, hills and mountains, camels and what not … and if you look very hard, you can even see the wise men following that star! On the doors my colleagues posted different Christmas carols, and I’ve been told that after entering the hallway, everyone starts humming, or singing, or whistling, or whatever … Christmas songs! That’s it for now as far as the hall decorating competition goes, but stay tuned, because I have more to come about the oh-so-famed Christmas tree …

Look at what happened to our hallway: Thanks to the floor decorating competition, it looks like Christmas all around! Admitted, I can’t take any credit for the way our hallway looks now, but I like it all the same! Every year, the foreign faculty housing has a floor decorating competition for the foreign faculty. While some years, having the competition doesn’t mean much at all, in other years, my colleagues outdo themselves. This year, they turned our hallway into a winter wonderland. And then, after the walk through the chilly snow scenery, you’ll end up right here: By a cozy fire where you can shake off that winter chill. I just wish, there was a little more reality to this … Anyways, I’ll keep you posted with what happened in the other hallways.

  It’s up again. The Christmas tree that is. Today, when I crossed the square, I saw it. After years of being around campus, I still haven’t quite decided yet whether I think it’s just a really bad tree, or flat-out ugly! But at least it’s a tree. A very artificial looking, skeleton like tree. And of course, the students are staying true to their tradition – within the hour of setting up the tree, they start adorning it with little notes of good wishes. Soon, the bottom part of the tree will be covered with them. But then, I think a tree full of wishes is better than a bare tree – even though both don’t really have much in common with a real Christmas tree! But who cares about such things as these here!? At least we have something like a tree. And with some imagination, it might even be considered a Christmas tree!  

Here he is. Santa Clause. The other day I promised you some insight to some of the Christmas decoration around, and here’s our first glimpse of Santa Clause. Actually he doesn’t just greet you at the door. He’s definitely made it inside as well. As a matter of fact, once you enter the lobby, he’s all around you, hanging like banners from the ceiling. So, even if you wanted to, there’s no escaping him. No wonder he’s able to tell whether you’ve been naughty or nice recently. And for anyone wanting to live in our building, you’d better behave yourself, because Santa’s definitely watching …