冬天在北京来到。在中国学习前，我只傻傻地使用了互联网来发现北京夏天天气情况。因此，根据我的研究，我带夏天的衣服包括T恤衫和短裤。我现在发现这些衣服不帮我冬天后残存。温度零下八度，高风速让外面情况更冷，我的短裤不太舒服。结果，我已经投资“长内衣裤”和大衣，我希望我不浪费钱。到目前为止，投资非常成功，但是有得时候早上上课的骑自行车还是非常冷的挑战！
北京最近有日新月异气氛。我非常吃惊因为我发现很多北京人，特别年青人，喜欢过圣诞节。不过，这并不是普通的圣诞节，这是“有中国特色的圣诞节”。
一方面，在北京走动，我看到熟悉的圣诞灯饰和圣诞树。我以前不期望看到这种东西。另一方面，很大圣诞老人脸面的贴纸在各种各样地方被铺摆。这些贴纸表现出圣诞老人的脸面是闪闪发光，有很多颜色。贴纸的图样看起来跟春节和别中国节日的装饰有关系。 而且，圣诞老人常常被描绘吹铜管乐器。还有，他被松鼠或林地动物陪了。中国人肯定有自己款的圣诞节。来到北京前，我不期望在中国可以过圣诞节因为圣诞节不是流行传统中国节日可是我现在非常高兴因为我今年会享受过中国圣诞节。圣诞节快乐！
Struan – December 2014
Winter has arrived in Beijing. Before starting my year in China, I foolishly only used the internet to discover the weather conditions in the summer. Thus, according to my research, I packed summer clothes including T shirts and shorts. I have now discovered that these clothes will not help me survive through the winter. When the air temperature outside is -8 degrees and the high wind speeds making it feel even colder, my shorts are not very comfortable. As a result, I have invested in some new thermals and a coat which I hope will serve me well. So far the investment has been successful but on some days the morning cycle to class can still be a very cold challenge!
The atmosphere in Beijing has been changing in the past few weeks. To my surprise, many Beijingers, particularly young people, celebrate Christmas. However, this is Christmas with a difference: ‘Christmas with Chinese characteristics’
On the one hand, when walking around Beijing, I see familiar Christmas lights and Christmas trees. It is certainly not what I expected to see in China. On the other hand, large Father Christmas face stickers are plastered everywhere. These stickers show Santa’s face to be sparkly and covered in all sorts of colours. The design of these stickers seems to relate to decorations used for Spring Festival and other Chinese festivals. Moreover, Father Christmas is frequently depicted playing a brass instrument and he is accompanied by a squirrel or another woodland animal. The Chinese certainly have their own style of Christmas. Before I came to Beijing, I was not expecting to be able to celebrate Christmas in China as it is not a popular traditional holiday however I am very pleased to be enjoying a Chinese Christmas this year! Merry Christmas!
Struan Rutherford, Beijing, China – Dec 2014