Feliz Natal!

Feliz Natal!
Hi and Merry Christmas/Feliz Natal! I hope you all had wonderful Christmases. Mine was quite different, but pretty good.
Here's what I've been doing the past week....
I don't really remember what days I did everything on, so I'll just list at random:
-I made Christmas cookies three times. The first was with my 3 little host cousins and their friend and Miguel. so there were 6 young people in the kitchen and it was quite a mess. I don't understand how moms do it. It was fun, but I found myself yelling "no" so much. I felt like an adult. It was an interesting experience....we came out with a couple very decorated cookies.
That night I frosted them by myself. I think frosting with kids would have been difficult.
The second time was the day after, and the kids asked me to help them make cookies again. So this time I didn't have much time, so we made simple kids' cookies: flour, butter, sugar.
The third time was me by myself on the 23rd, making cookies for the host grandparents. I made a ton of cookies! Then had fun trying to frost them. It was kind of rediculous. I didn't have enough powdered sugar, so i mixed regular sugar with the frosting. But that was all grainy so I put it on the stove. and it was still granulated. I realized I missed a very important class in life lessons: how to dissolve sugar. hehe. But the cookies turned out all right in the end.
-Went to a fair with Anne-Lise and the three other Norwegian girls who live in Lisboa. It made me wish I could speak Norwegian.
-Went to the mall with Lisa to buy christmas presents.
-Went to a Christmas concert tuesday night. It was cool---an orchestra and two singers. The conductor and one of the singers were american.
-Went out at night for the second time. It was for the surprise birthday party of a classmate of mine. We ate dinner in a school cafeteria restaurant type thing, then took an electrico (electric bus thing) to another part of Lisbon, where we rode in bumper cars, then went to a disco. I have to say I'm still not a fan of discos--the bad parts still outweigh the good. It's also a lot in my head--I have this problem of thinking too much which is really rediculous. But I do think that the night may have been better spent going to bed early. hehe. Hopefully I can get used to it over time.
-Went to see Déjà vu with Mariana. It was pretty good....nothing special I think.
-Christmas eve we drove to see an exhibit of preseppios--scenes with Jesus and Mary and Joseph and the wise men...how do you say it in english? i think we call them creches. hehe. But it was closed. so we drove home, I wrapped presents and wrote cards.
Then got dressed up for the host grandparents house. We had a nice dinner there, then us kids put on a little performance. singing songs comically. I sang "all I want for christmas is you" with two of my host cousins. I think the play is a tradition each year.
Then we all went upstairs (all meaning the kids) and pai natal (santa) came. He set off sparklers in the front yard! We went downstairs and opened presents. I got a shirt, a sweater, chocolate, a change purse, and a scarf, which i like. Then the adults opened presents--they had lots! Got home late afterwards.
-Christmas I woke up to the sound of the burgular alarm, then christmas carols. supposedly pai natal set it off. we went downstairs and opened more presents. Books and CDs and chocolate and clothes and fun stuff. I enjoyed it.
Then misa (mass), and then lunch with the host grandparents (same ones as the dinner). this time it was full of 50 or so relatives....crazy. Lunch was good...bacalhau (cod, as usual). Then watched x-men on TV. also handed out candy canes, which people enjoyed.
We got home, then I went to bed for a bit because I was a bit tired, then went to the host grandfather (other side)'s house for christmas dinner. Lots more relatives. I'm still learning all their names. Not even close to knowing all of them....it's kind of funny.
Yummy food again, of course. Then more presents--another shirt, CD, chocolate, and a photo album. My room is full of chocolate.
I ate so much on christmas....yum.
-So it was a pretty good Christmas. I was a bit homesick, but not as bad as I expected. I think it just lacked some of the "magic" that comes with all the traditions and the feeling of Christmas at home.
-Yesterday I woke up really late (I've been doing that recently--it's kind of annoying! but it's because I keep going to bed so late!) and then went for a run in front of the river. Came back for lunch, then didn't do much else all day. Carolina (little cousin) came over and kept me company while I cleaned my room. Had to clean up all the presents and everything.
Then had dinner with a host aunt and uncle and two Italians--a friend of Miguel and his friend. Miguel's friend spoke portuguese, but the other didn't, so he talked in Italian and for the most part people understood. I had a harder time, but understood some. and tried out my italian. like ciao and formaggio and grazie. hehe.
-Today we went to see the preseppio exhibit in the national azulejo museum. Azulejos are really cool tiles; it was a really cool museum. I'll put up pix!
-I have no idea what to do this week. I I should be a good exchange student and invite people to do things (I still put some pressure on myself). Though it is quite comfortable for me to laze around the house all day, I know it's good to be social, too. Socialization initiated by me is what I need to practice. anyways, beijinhos to all and chau!