A Christmas Tree or Value Meal?

So, this year I was going to skip decorating for Christmas this year in order to save money for my spring festival trip. Now, you probably think that my decision was ridiculous but after my friend's experience in Harbin I think I need to save as much money as possible. At least 4000 yuan as possible. One day, while shopping for some of my family's Christmas presents, I added up how much it would cost to buy a tree with some simple decorations. Little did I know that this calculation would soon become the hardest decision of the month...

FLASHBACK: A few weeks ago, it was raining. Surprise! Well, not really, it's Yichang. It rains all the time. (Even now as I am typing, it is raining and someone is shooting off fireworks. Why? Oh, I digress...) Because it was raining, I decided not to go out and buy food that day. I thought to myself, "Self, it is raining. Why not stay in and cook all the food in your freezer for your 3 meals today?" Well, when I went to eat breakfast, I found some bread on the table. "Why cook food when there is bread?" So, I ate the bread. I was satisfied. I continued studying Chinese through the morning. At lunch time, I went into the kitchen to find something to eat. I looked in the cabinet and found peanut butter. Mmm, peanut butter. No bread, no jelly, so no sandwich. BUT, I could eat spoons of peanut butter. 1 jar later, I was satisfied. Lunch was over. The time before supper went fast, I was grading papers. Oh how time flies when you are working on boring crap. Finally, dinner arrived. Up to this point I hadn't cooked the food in the freezer, so dinner was going to be nice. I opened up the freezer and what to my wondering eyes didn't appear? But a miniature sleigh and 8 tiny...well, NOTHING! There was ice in my freezer. Yeah for ice. Boo for no food. Oh how I wanted to go get food but I had no desire to brave the rain In the end, I settled on hot water with honey. It worked...for a little while. I though, maybe I can make it to bed time. I did. I went to bed at 10:30 because I wanted to stop thinking about how hungry I was and how lazy I was for not going to buy food.

Unfortunately, 1:15 am rolls up to my sleeping eyes and I wake up famished. I have to buy food - but where? Yes, there is a 24 hours McDonald's. Do I have money? Maybe, let me check. NO! No money on me. Is there money in the bank? Let me check...after braving the rain and checking, 97 yuan. Can't withdraw 97 yuan so I am, well, screwed. I run back to my house. Can I round up enough change? I check my change bowls, there has to be enough. I count it. 50 yuan in coins and coin equivalent bills e.g., a 10 fen coin has an equivalent paper counterpart. Check out the first picture below. 50 yuan would get me there, a value meal, and back. This could work. By the time I was done counting and taping the coins together so I wouldn't have to count them again at McDonald's it was 3 am. I gave up and went to bed. "Self, let's treat you to another random late night McDonald's trip next week. You deserve it."

Fast forward to last weekend. I saw a Christmas Tree and decorations for 50 yuan. Mickey D's or decorations? Which one? WHICH ONE? I gave up the junk for decorations. I am so thankful now that I decorated. It would have been terrible to open my family's presents to me in a sterile room. Oh, by the way, the Christmas package got here just fine. Check out picture number 2. Anyway, with the 40 lb. Yankee candle that I lugged over here to China that smells of fall and the Christmas decorations in my living room, I am set and ready for Christmas evening. Check out the pic's below of the festiveness. That's it. Goodnight ladies and gentlemen. Goodnight.