Merry Christmas....Whomp

Apparently the Christmas tradition in this country is to whomp a bunch of people upside the head. I'm telling you, it's like rioting. You see, just before Christmas, all the street vendors start selling these big blow-up baseball bats and clubs and on the nights of Christmas Eve and Christmas people fill the square and the streets (and I mean FILL) and they pick out people in the crowd to beat up with their bats. It's one thing to be hit by one, no harm done, but when thirty-plus people start attacking one person who innocently walks by, it becomes a massacre. It's insane, there's literally no way to describe it and I couldn't even take pictures for fear of being silly string-ed or beaten. Some tradition, huh!? All that aside, we had a really great week. My family and friends hooked me up nicely with some really great gifts, which I have been enjoying, but more importantly, it was really fun to pick out gifts for people back in the States. We had a great time here being lazy, watching the Christmas episodes of the Wonder Years and Everybody Loves Raymond on DVD. Christmas dinner was eating out at a French restaurant, which was good, but definitely NOT Christmas dinner. Anyways, made for an interesting holiday, though I miss being with all those I love!