Tonight is a big night for the BISS Choir. 36 students are participating tonight. The bus isn’t leaving until 5:00pm, so the students have to be entertained after school, until departure. There is nothing like trying to corral that many students for that long in a small room. Judy has snacks and a movie ready for the kids. The buses depart on time. The traffic is really slow on the 3rd Ring Road, but the group arrives at the Renaissance Hotel as scheduled.
The hotel had told Judy they would have a meal for the students. Judy expected burgers or hot dogs, or similar kids fare. The hotel turned the students loose in their fancy seafood buffet with no limits. The results were hilarious. A few of the students had every color of ice cream imaginable on their shirts when they sang. You’ve never seen so many desserts on one plate at a few of the tables. The students got their money’s worth.
The amazing thing for me about the evening was how well the choir performed. After all the chocolate, desserts, snacks, after-school bus ride and many other distractions, they sounded great. They looked so cute and christmasy (?). The hotel was decorated to the hilt, and the tree was very impressive. It was a great evening. I’ll post pictures when we get some. One year ago, we had no idea we’d be having this kind of a Christmas season. December in Beijing, unbelievable!
We ride the bus back to school with the six remaining students whose parents didn’t attend the performance (back to reality). It surprises me how much of Beijing is decorated for Christmas. Driving at night gives us a chance to see all the decorations and lights. The kids are all picked up when we arrive, and we’re home much earlier than I expected, ready for some sleep.