Christmas wraps up another year of surprises
<p><span word="Can">Can</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="flown">flown</span>? <span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="weeks">weeks</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="tear">tear</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="buying">buying</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="presents">presents</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="posting">posting</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> (<span word="as">as</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="now">now</span>), <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="wrapping">wrapping</span> <span word="gifts">gifts</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="loved">loved</span> <span word="ones">ones</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="wrapping">wrapping</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Lennon">Lennon</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mind">mind</span>: "<span word="So">So</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="done">done</span>?"</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expat">expat</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>.</p><p><span word="We">We</span> <span word="started">started</span> 2008 <span word="with">with</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worst">worst</span> <span word="snowstorms">snowstorms</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="followed">followed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tragedy">tragedy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span> <span word="earthquake">earthquake</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="image">image</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="crouching">crouching</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="holding">holding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="son">son</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="trapped">trapped</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rubble">rubble</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="haunt">haunt</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="forever">forever</span>.</p><p><span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Games">Games</span> <span word="begin">begin</span>.</p><p><span word="Fireworks">Fireworks</span>, 5,000 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="giant">giant</span> <span word="whales">whales</span> <span word="swimming">swimming</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stadium">stadium</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tone">tone</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Olympians">Olympians</span> <span word="dazzled">dazzled</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="records">records</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="feats">feats</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fantastic">fantastic</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="watched">watched</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="host">host</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="banquet">banquet</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="expats">expats</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="lucky">lucky</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="enjoy">enjoy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="experience">experience</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="Games">Games</span> <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="stereotypes">stereotypes</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="thanks">thanks</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="reports">reports</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 30,000 <span word="members">members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="media">media</span>.</p><p><span word="These">These</span> <span word="short">short</span>-<span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="visitors">visitors</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="television">television</span> <span word="reports">reports</span>, <span word="feature">feature</span> <span word="articles">articles</span>, <span word="radio">radio</span> <span word="interviews">interviews</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="blogs">blogs</span> <span word="reached">reached</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="worldwide">worldwide</span> <span word="audience">audience</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Olympic">Olympic</span> <span word="history">history</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="view">view</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="changing">changing</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> <span word="organized">organized</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Communication">Communication</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span> (<span word="CUC">CUC</span>) <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> <span word="revealed">revealed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="liked">liked</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="before">before</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="more">more</span>.</p>
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