Happy Christmas........

..... the sign read as I made my way into Tokyo Hands, an amazing store here in Tokyo that has everything from stationary to camping supplies on 8 fully stocked and always crowded floors. Christmas in Japan - shopping, shopping and more shopping. Apparently, it is a big date night here, while New Year's Eve is meant for family gatherings. We will be spending the early part of the day celebrating the old fashion Jewish way, with Chinese food and a movie. I found an American animated movie showing (in English) and a Chinese restaurant that serves lunch, so we will be venturing into Ginza. After that, we will be heading to our friends house for the Catholic (or in their case, British Protestant) celebration. Yesterday, we stopped by our French friend's house for some champagne and pate - it is fun experiencing all types of celebrations. Last week, Ariana and I made our way to the local children's hall for their Christmas celebration - filled with lots of people dressed in costume and singing songs.

For your viewing enjoyment, here is Ariana at her school Christmas celebration...

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!!!