20 days until Christmas, 17 days until my birthday.

just put my tree up and decorated a bit. i absolutely love this time of year: full of joy and wonder, memories and traditions.

however- it's odd to live in a country that doesn't formally celebrate Christmas.

no one in my city, besides other foreigners, know what's really going on. there are holiday displays up all over town, yet when was the last time you saw a zebra, giraffe or cow in a Christmas scene, as they are included out here?

at least they're trying. and it does make me smile.

cold.

like, 32 degrees while i was waiting out on the street for the bus to class yesterday at 7.35am.

i could even see my breath during the bus ride.

it's perma-jeans for the next 5 months, which, now in week two, is still something i'm getting used to.

it's beanie hair, futzing with gloves when you need to get your keys out of your pocket to open the front door, and shopping for long johns.

winter. but it also means crisp air, a possible white Christmas, and a toasty apartment. a real season. which helps me understand the rest of the world, after growing up in a place where i always went to the beach on Christmas day...