Gingerbread Express and Let There Be Light

Glo-Tribal dance performance at PVCC.

Friday, we attended the annual PVCC Let There Be Light student art show.  It was a freezing cold night but there is always plenty of free Hot Cider and Hot Chocolate to warm us midway around the perimeter of the outside of the campus building.  We also rode a bus in the annual Downtown Business Association Gingerbread Express Holiday light trolley trip. 

This year two refugees went with us.  One refugee had only been here for 4 months and spoke very little English and the other has been in Charlottesville for a year now.  There was little understanding of exactly what they were going to!  My friend Cindy (who adopted a refugee family last year) likes to introduce them to local activities so they will gain a greater understanding of our culture.

Our friends having a laugh over floating marshmallows.

I think the Hot Chocolate was a real surprise for our refugee friends, something neither had tried.  The huge marshmallow was a freak of nature to them, they were not exactly sure what you did with that thing.  Also I think it was super sweet tasting to them (the whipped cream was a bit over the top).  The light sticks were totally new for them and they waved them around for hours.

The light display is always fun and interesting.  Nestled in the woods, hanging in the trees were a series of lighted art creations.  We had to rush through this year because of our pending trolley trip scheduled for 8 pm.

The trolley was actually a 45 minute bus ride through downtown Charlottesville neighborhoods.  There were many oohh's and aaww's.  It was fun to listen to the kids say - that's a dud or scream with delight when a good light show popped into view.  There was a crazy crazy CRAZY Hooville House along the route which made it all well worth the trip - Mountain View St. and Monticello Rd.  Santa came on board for the kids and everyone was happy and having fun until ---------------------------- the kids puked in the seat right in front of us.   Ugh.  Ugh.  Oh gross.  It's been a long time since I've been on a bus with kids, especially with one that puked.  That sorta deflated our spirits and I've never seen so many windows shoot down in my life but now understand why. 

After the bus ride, we went back to the refugees house and had the best meal prepared for us.  A Nepali dish of peas and thin fried bread.  It was a bit hard to swallow at first -- peas and puke certainly don't mix -- but it was so good that all was ok after a few bites.

It was a fun night and you never know what's in store!

-Rebecca