Apparently it’s a tradition for the school to give all the foreign teachers a Christmas banquet, complete with musical items performed by Chinese students or professors, with the foreign teachers sometimes also performing. This year, it appears that the International Programs Office (the school office responsible for all foreigners on campus) somehow got wind of the fact that this year’s ELIC team has musical talent. As a result, we were asked to perform several different items. We decided to reprise our hit piece “Silent Night” and add another number – “Little Drummer Boy,” with me on the dutar (Uyghur stringed instrument) and Lee on the djembe.

From the applause, it seems that everyone enjoyed it, though I’m not sure they actually heard anything due to the enormous amount of ambient noise in the banquet hall. Nevertheless, it was received very favorably.

Now I’m wondering if we’re establishing a dangerous precedent. What are we going to do for the next banquet?