God Jul! to our Danish familyFeliz Natal! to all our Brazilian friends
Feliz Navidad! to our Mexican friends
Kellemes Karacspmko Onnepeket as Boldog Oj Evet! to our Hungarian friends
圣诞快乐，恭喜发财 to Eric’s Chinese friends
Hoping that this finds you all well and happy. We travelled afar and had lots of family and friends come from afar. It was a Great Year!!
Well, I am writing this Christmas letter because I like the tradition of it all, including “Sending Christmas Cards”. I guess I am just old fashioned. (Old for sure!!)
For Christmas last year, we went to Brazil. We went with Eric’s friends, Ipe and Victor to visit their parents, Sergio and Heloiusa. Our flight from Calgary was delayed. When we got into Chicago, our flight to Sao Paulo had just left. Therefore, we got stranded in Chicago for a day, which wasn’t too bad, because the guys got to go up the Sears Tower. They loved it!!
We arrived just in time for Christmas dinner. (Two hours, before in fact). We had a CHESTER, which is a bird which is a cross between a chicken and a turkey It was good. It was the start to an incredible trip!!
While in Brazil I had my first facial. . . It is very inexpensive in Brazil. So I went to a Brazilian esthetcation. She did not speak English and all that I could say was, ”Il falla poco Portugese”. …which translates to “I know a little Portugese”. So we smiled and she talked and I nodded, not really understanding what she was saying. She put on creams and such. Helouisa, my Brazilian friend, picked me up, and said “Oh Sherry, you look beautiful!!” As soon as I got back to the apartment, Brian and Eric took one look at me and laughed hilariously. “Look at her eyebrows!!!” said Brian. The lady had dyed my blond eyebrows dark brown. They thought I looked FUNNY.
We spent 3 weeks with Sergio and Helouisa. They were terrific hosts and tour guides. We had great food and lots of laughs. We got to know their whole extended families and friends. They’ve been here three times since then and we still have good times with them.. Their neice and nephew were here in Calgary in April. They had never seen or experienced snow. Predictably, Calgary’s weather cooperated and it snowed while they were here. We also roasted marshmellows and made scores!! It was a first for them, also.
In May, Eric partook in a month long Engineering exchange program with the University of Shantou, in Guangdong, China. He lived in residence and ate at the cafeteria there. He said the servers would give the Canadians double the amount that they gave the Chinese students. He used chop sticks the whole time he was in China. Eric had one classmate from Calgary who is 6’7” tall. Eric said, “Chinese people would stop and take pictures of him in the middle of the street.” The University professors arranged for the students to attend cultural Chinese attractions, wonderful restaurants, a wind turbine factory (which related to their renewable energy class), and Chinese tea ceremonies. He had an absolutely great experience.
After China he stayed home for a couple of weeks and then went to visit his friends in Auckland. He surprised them with an unannounced visit. Then he went to Fiji for a week. After Fiji, he had previously booked a flight to Christchurch to see another one of his friends. She was in Christchurch, when the earthquake occured. All her plates flew out of her cupboards, but she was fine. Eric was there about a week after the earthquake. He said he felt an aftershock.
In May Brian’s sister Lori turned 50. She’s still a kid at heart (look at her having fun on the swing with Emma.) Also in May, Brian and I went to San Antonio Texas. He had to work on his golf swing at a couple of Golf Courses and I had to work on my tan. A couple of days before we were going home, I heard that there was a big snow storm in Calgary and that I would not need to get back to work at the Golf Course. I phoned my Danish cousin, Karen, who lives in Plano Tx and asked if I would be able to come and visit her at her new house. She said “Sure.” So I did and had a great time. She has an incrediable house, with a pool. She turned her American home into a very modern Danish home. Plus she is an amazing cook!
Brian had the priviledge to go salmon fishing on the West Coast. Hannah turned 10 years old in June.
Our Danish relatives Henrik, Lisbeth, Frederik and Mathius came to visit us. They rented a Motorhome and drove through the mountains and experienced Canada. The boys were the perfect age to travel and learn.
…I got back to Calgary on Wednesday December 1, after 5 and ½ weeks in warm and beautiful Puerto Vallarta. Brian had been there for 3 weeks and Eric for 10 days. After they left, I went on a lot of walks and took over 2000 pictures. Construction companies in Mexico are responsible to hire cooks to provide breakfasts and lunches for the workers. One day as I was walking past a construction site, I saw one of the caterers and started talking to her. Then, sure enough, she graciously offered me a tortilla. I couldn’t refuse. They don’t have much but lots of compassion and good hearts. While I was eating and talking to this couple, the man pointed out one of the workers and said, “That man has 15 children (all boys) and no TV.” We all laughed. The food was great and people very friendly.
I had fun at the Puerto Vallarta airport before I flew home I gave my passport to the security guy. He looked it over and said, “Were you in Brazil?” I said, “Yes”. He asked, “How was it? What are the beaches like, compared to here?” I said both beaches are wonderful. During the security xray machine check on my carry on, one of the girls was looking at my carry on luggage. She asked if I could pull out what I had in my shopping bag. (Mexican Christmas Decorations). She said “Can we have a look?.” And then she said, “These look great! Where did I get them?”.
Eric has one more final and then he is finished his engineering degree. We had a fun time picking out his Grad photo this week. His graduation Ceremony will occur in May 2011. He opened up a letter he received from the Alberta government yesterday, and inside was a Scholarship Cheque for $ 1000.00 for his good grades while going to University. (He had not even applied for it.) He danced around the kitchen. Santa came early this year.
Eric’s room mates from New Zealand have arrived. They’ve already gone downhill skiing, and are skiing again today. On Saturday they are going to Canmore for a Dog Sled ride. Derek will be going to the University of Calgary for a year and Chloe will be trying to find a job and travelling around. Christmas will be fun sharing it with his friends. Eric had spent his Christmas at Chloe’s parents house when he was living in Auckland and they went and ate their Christmas dinner on the beach. We will have dinner at Dad’s, all 16 of us!!!! I still have to make our traditional Danish Sirupskeger cookies for Eric and shortbread cookies for Brian and Hannah and butter tarts for Janine. I am not used to being in the kitchen any more.
Now you have seen what we have been up to in 2010. Bri and Eric have convinced me to remain in the 2000’s and put our Christmas letter online again this year. I know a couple of people who do prefer to receive a paper letter to read with a cup of Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows on top. (Dawn, Lori you guys are getting this in the mail, although no pictures).
The music which is accompaning this Christmas letter is a new Christmas song by Coldplay. Chris Martin is the main singer and composer of the music. I admire his piano compositions and piano playing. For those of us that are older than 40, he is Gweneth Paltrow’s husband. Eric went to the Coldplay concert in Auckland and said it was the best concert he has ever seen.
Check THIS out. I thought it was nice to look at and hear during the Christmas season. I can just see the Three kings travelling on their Camels. (going up and down, up and down).
We Ho! Ho! Ho! Hope you have a Merry Christmas!!
and a Happy New Year!!
Love,
Sherry, Brian and Eric
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