I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

When I have a group of students for the first time I usually only tell them my name and what I am doing at their school and then I leave it up to them to ask questions to find out more about me and where I come from. This has led to a few very interesting and funny conversations about the stereotypes of South Africa and the many differences between my country and theirs.

Yesterday I had a group of six students that I was seeing for the first time. I'm never quite sure what to expect from a new group because each student adds to the mindset of the group. Most groups have one or two "talkers", but I've had groups where every single student was vying for my attention and other groups where there was not a single student who would say a word or even look up from their books. I was pleasantly surprised with this group. They were all curious and eager to take part, which makes the lesson so much easier.

Christmas lights in Champs-Élysées

With Christmas around the corner, the questions inevitably turned towards our Christmas traditions in South Africa. After telling them that my family gets together for a day of good food (usually a braai), pleasant company and swimming, I could see the little wheels turning inside their heads. Finally one of them had formulated and translated the question that was on everybody's mind: Is it summer in South Africa right now?

Place Davout - Savigny-sur-Orge

France and South Africa are worlds away from one another, and one of the best examples is the Christmas season. About three weeks ago I started noticing Christmas decorations, mostly little lights, popping up all over Paris and Savigny-sur-Orge. When I arrived home one evening I was met with this delightful sight:

Place Davout - Savigny-sur-Orge

There are small things that all add to the festive feeling that we often see in movies. If you go for a walk in the evening, you can feel the cosiness glowing from the houses. It's a welcome contrast from the cold and wet outside. The Christmas trees are REAL and have a very distinct, and pleasant, smell. Then there are the Christmas markets.

During the week I went to the Christmas market in Champs-Élysées (a very big and well-known street in Paris that is filled with expensive shops and leads up to the Arc de Triomphe). It was a charming experience filled with new sights, smells and tastes. There was mulled wine, coloured cheese (blue, pink and green to be exact), champagne, scarves, chocolate and nougat, jewellery, foie gras (duck/goose liver pâté) and many other treats and trinkets.

Christmas market - Champs-Élysées

A building in Champs-Élysées

A food stall at the Champs-Élysées Christmas market

Now the only thing missing from my wonderful, European Christmas is snow. I have been told that snow is overrated and unpleasant, but I'm not going to give up on snow just yet! I have a bucket list that I have to complete before returning to South Africa, and one of the items is to build a snowman and to make a snow angel. So, I never thought that I would be able to say this in a serious context, but here goes:

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!

More Christmas decorations in Champs-Élysées!