Christmas and beyond!!! by Mia



Us at the restaurant next door for Christmas Dinner. Photo creds to our waitress!

          Christmas was really fun! I actually think it has something to do with the fact that everyone's hopes were way low, but whatever. We  woke up about an hour earlier than usual (not that early-- 7 am, we sleep in on vacation) anyway, just out of habit I suppose, we waited for a  few minutes before going to the dining room to where our presents were under the cardboard tree on the table. The tree was about a foot tall and mommy had a brilliant idea of putting it up on a wine glass so we could fit presents underneath it.
         

Sunset from the audience of a traditional dance at a temple.
Not Christmas.... 

           We didn't have stockings so all the presents we piled up under the 'tree'. Kayley, who was the first one over, spread them out and put  them into piles on our place mats around the table. There was some fruit, (the traditional mango, a few really yummy oranges) Tim Tams (the most delicious things ever!), some local snack thingies, $10- $15 iTunes credit, and another present like a sarong or dress in most of the kid's piles. My local snacks were fried shrimp roll things that were really yummy, except for the shrimpy part, and I ate my entire package of Tim Tams on the spot which I regretted right when I finished! I was so full of Tim Tams that I couldn't eat my fruit or much breakfast. Mommy bought a sarongs for me and Sarah at 50,000 Rp each which is way too much! They are seriously only pretty pieces of fabric, and Kayley and Sarah got equally pretty pieces of fabric but made into dresses for the same price. Anyway, they are gorgeous sarongs and mine looks like tie died fire. We had M&M pancakes for breakfast, which I couldn't fit in my Tim Tam filled stomach so I couldn't actually eat them. It was awesome even though I was a step removed from puking, though!

Monkey at the temple... flash wasn't a very good idea! RUN AWAY!!!

             We spent most of the iTunes money (which adds up to about $50 total) the other day but we have $14 left so we are going to spend that later. The time has to be perfect for daddy too because he supervises the entire thing and makes sure we don't go a cent over, then he takes off his credit card # the second we are finished so there is not potential for theivery. That is pretty much stupid because he is where we get all our money so there is no way we are gunna steal from him. We bought a bunch of awesome music and games for the Touch so it is entirely amazing! I spent mine on a bunch of Taylor Swift and Glee because I'm the only person (except Kayley, and she was in charge of the Adele) who listens to it. Zander got his gangstar game and some other games with his money and he has a few bucks left for his rap music that no one but him listens to. It was the absolute perfect amount and it was awesome of daddy to give it to us!

Us at the 'Mother Temple'. Huge! Also not on Christmas...

               Daddy (aka the money bag) also gave us money for presents for each other too, but I am way to picky with shopping so I didn't have time to pick out a present for myself within the time allotted by daddy's insubstantial patience. Sarah just gave me a 50,000 Rp bill instead. I spent that, along with my remaining allowance, yesterday at the little stand at Echo Beach. There I got all the time in the world while everyone else (minus Kayley who was my shopping buddy, shopping cart and mirror) had drinks. The small selection also helped so I could look at everything in there like three times without taking a million years! It was really fun and I ended up getting a pretty good deal on it too. I got two dresses, some sunglasses, and an awesome hat for about $15 USD (144,000 Rp). I ended up being a few thousand short, but the guy was ok with it so I am completely and perfectly broke!

           Despite what it may appear from all the money talk in my blog, this Christmas was NOT entirely about money!!! We did get fruit, food, and pretty fireworks (fireworks are cheap and very legal, so they go off like every night) out of it and it was a different Christmas than what we are used to but awesome all the same. We went out to dinner next door and watched the fireworks (colored red and green for Christmas, even though they are Hindu) before eating dinner. I had really yummy ribs and we even got dessert! This Christmas was actually better than I thought it would be, which hasen't happened in a very long time.