On the Tuesday before Christmas we had our Christmas program that we had been preparing for with the kids for weeks. Each class had their own song (from somewhere around the world) and the whole school sang Feliz Navidad and Navidad (Jingle Bells tune) together. The day before we were supposed to have a big dress rehearsal with costumes, but since the stage didn't arrive until 10 and it didn't get finished until 11 we didn't have much time left so they didn't use their full costumes.
We arrived at the school after 8 on the big day because the program was supposed to start 9. The whole performance area was very decorated and each classroom had lots of decorations of their own. The head teacher told us that she, her husband, another teacher and her husband had all stayed there until 2 o'clock in the morning decorating. But it looked great! Kent and Luisa went around giving out the gifts that we had made for the teachers (a CD with all the songs we had sung with them and a book with the lyrics). And the 4-year-old teachers (no, the teachers weren't 4) gave us a present. Then we waited around for the program to start.
The program started long after 9, probably 9:30 and it started with one of the teachers singing a Christmas song karaoke style, which is how they like to sing. Then the kids did their songs. We started off with "Ho Ho Ho," a song from the US that has a simple circle dance that one of the kindergarten classes did. After that was "Campana Sobre Campana," a Latin American Christmas Carol that one of the 3-year-old classes did with motions. Next was a simple African song, "Sing Noel," that a 3-year-old class did with a simple little dance. Then "Zumba Zumba," a song from Spain that my dad normally does in the US in English; a kindergarten class did this song with a simple circle dance. Next was "Mi Burrito Sabanero," a Latin American Christmas Carol that a 3-year-old class did with motions. Then was "Noche De Paz" (Silent Night), which a 4-year-old class did with motions. After that was "La Piñata," a Mexican song that one of the kindergarten classes did a circle dance with. Then the last class did "Paz Y Libertad" which isn't a Christmas song but it was nice anyway; a 4-year-old class did this with scarves. Then our family sang "Joy To the World" a Capella and we finished with "Navidad" and "Feliz Navidad."
After the program all the kids headed to their classrooms along with their parents. We were invited by one of the teachers to go to her classroom but the head teacher also told us that each teacher was expecting us. So we went to the first room and ate some fish balls and chicken balls with sauce and she gave us a present from all the kindergarten teachers. Then we went to the next room where they were having a whole meal with big pieces of meat and lots of rice and the teacher wanted to give us all a meal but we insisted on only taking two meals. Then we went to the next classroom where they were having a birthday party along with a Christmas party and they gave us pop and candy. Then, in the next room, we had pop and we were given a basket of candy. And the next room was also having a full meal so we got two more meals and another basket of candy with balloons. And the next classroom we got cake and jell-o and pop. And the next room we got more cake and more pop. And by the time we got to the last room, their party was done and all the kids and all the parents had already left but he teacher had saved us some cake and had a present for us. We talked with her for a little bit and then we went back to the performance area and helped to clean up.
I got a cardboard box and started picking up all the trash. Some people we taking the covers off the chairs and stacking them. Others were taking down the tents that had saved us when it rained. And others were taking apart the stage and the decorations. With the help from the volunteers and teachers we finished around 1. Then we went to the school office and wondered if we would have to take a taxi home because of all the presents and food we had been given but we managed to carry it all. And when we got home we showed our host family what we had been given and they were very impressed.
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