Yes Celine, these are the special times

For the past THREE weeks I have been committing many musical faux paus.

1.       Don’t listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving

2.       Don’t listen to Christmas music at the gym

3.       Don’t listen to Celine Dion Christmas music at the gym

Thanks to a godly service called google.cn/music I can download all the Christmas music I want… for free!  For the past twelve years (hard to imagine) my favorite Christmas album has been Celine Dion’s album called These are the Special Times, which is actually one of my favorite songs on the cd along with duets with Andre Bocceli and R. Kelly (better you never thought you’d hear those two names in the same sentence).  Anyways, this is not gym music.

Preparing to spend Christmas alone is not something I am looking forward too.  I had a small break down in I’ll be home for Christmas… and tis only November.  I actually used to love preparing for Christmas in Miami.  It was so cute to see people wear Uggs in 70 degree weather and I would load up on Starbucks peppermint mochas, particularly at the Starbucks on Lincoln road because it brings memories from Christmas’s past.  The best part about preparing for Christmas in Miami:  I WAS GOING HOME.  Free of classes, free of work.  Unfortunately, I am not going home because I am not free of work. Thanks anti-religious China for giving me ONE LOUSEY DAY off for Christmas.  I would love to celebrate Christmas on the beach but since I am underpaid and waste my on retail therapy, I will be spending it alone in Shanghai.  Expect Skype calls.

Anyway, my glee club that I coach had our first practice today to prepare for the school Christmas show.  When choosing songs there were some that I just could not handle.

List of approved Christmas songs

• I’ll be home for Christmas (cruel joke)
• Let it Snow (I wish, I miss NY white Christmases)
• All I want for Christmas is you who? I'm damn lonely
• Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree uh that can cause a FIRE
• The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open FIRE--- still too soon)
• Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer/Jingle Bells/anything childlike will not be played (I am used to spending Christmas with 20 younger cousins and now cousins children… don’t make me homesick)
• Christmas shoes (WORST. CHRISTMAS. SONG. EVER.)
•  We Wish you a Merry Christmas (why not?)
• Blue Christmas (that’s more like it)
• My Grown Up Christmas List (peace and love? Still good themes)
• Santa Baby (more my Christmas list style)

And speaking of music and my Christmas list, here you have it:

1. Cinnamon gum
2. Resses peanut butter cups (apparently those Chinese don’t think it is a good idea to mix chocolate and peanut butter
3. A new 60gb iPod (I have LOTS of music and my broke a few days after arriving in China)
4. A plane ticket to Koh Samui so I can hop and inconvenient ferry to spend Christmas day with Susan

You know where I live mommy dearest :)