Getting into the Christmas Spirit...

This blog is a bit of a rewind...I realized that I didn't really tell you about many of my activities leading up to Christmas, so here you are!

The snow started falling, Christmas songs started playing on the radio, and little by little Christmas crept up on me. I bought my first fake Christmas tree, put up lights and a nativity set in my apartment, started Christmas shopping, attended many a Japanese Christmas party, and day by day grew more excited for Christmas to arrive. Here are a few pictures to show you some of my pre-Christmas events.


One Saturday night Siobhan, Stephen, Jamie, Lindsay, Paula, one of Jamie's students and I went carolling to some of our friends houses here in Ishikari. We donned Santa hats and reindeer antlers (which broke in about two minutes making me the one-antler reindeer!), and headed out into one of the first real snowfalls of the year. It was so much fun to knock on doors, and be greated by "bikkurishita!" (wow...I'm so surprised!). Everyone loved this "weird" Canadian tradition.
















The Sapporo Factory Shopping center. They converted this old warehouse into a shopping mall a few years ago. At Christmas they put Santas all over the outside walls. Ayumi, Nanako and I went Christmas shopping one Sunday afternoon.

















Ayumi and Nanako at the Sapporo Factory...





















And the famous giant Christmas tree at the Sapporo Factory. Believe me it's not just a normal tree! At 5 o'clock music started to play, and lights began to flash. The tree is loaded with lights, and different ones flash at different times, all in time with the music! Wow... I'm not sure if I would call it cool, interesting, or just funny! But everyone seemed to love it.





















Dinner with friends in Sapporo at this great little Italian restaurant...Girls, it was pretty "crisp" wasn't it! And, although my pasta required an "itadakimasu", the cheese that Ally had was definitely "itadakimasen" ! : )
















The Sapporo Chocolate Factory. Kae and I went there with great intentions of being highly educated in the art of making chocolate. However, we ended up spending our 1500 Yen on an all you can eat dessert buffet!


















Inside the factory. It looks really beautiful, but trust me, the food tastes even better!






















With Pinocchio at the Chocolate Factory