BOXING DAY
Next morning, while they are having breakfast, there are loud knocks on the main door and booming sounds from the porch. Xudong, now knowing who there is at the door, jumps up and runs to the door. Little Qi gets a bit interested too, though she is not quite yet brave enough to go meet Joulupukki.
'Huanying, Shengdan Laoren, Joulupukki.'(that is, Welcome, Santa Claus.)
'Xiexie, wo de hao pengyou.'(Thanks, my dear friend.)
Now little Qi gathers all her courage and runs to Joulupukki and hugs him and receives a warm bear hug back. Then she runs back to her mother Mrs Zhao, proud she had enough courage to meet Santa face-to-face.
'I'm sorry I couldn't have been with you here any earlier; been away on business, you know.
How are you doing here, my dear guests?'
'Hen hao.' (Very well.) Xudong answers.
'Happy to hear that. But now you eat a proper breakfast, get enough energy to be active outside and then let's go for an outing on the ice, shall we. You can fish or skate there, or ski cross-country around the pond. There is also a sled hill nearby there.
( See YouTube videos to know more about ice fishing, skating, cross-country skiing and sledding.)
When it comes to the weather, it's not going to snow and it's - 12℃ outside now so the weather is good, a bit chilly though. Thanks to the keep-you-warm team you'll be okay because they will be giving you warm clothes to wear. Moreover, we have a log lean-to shelter and an open, live fire there too, to give you extra warmth if need be and to make some food on the fire. All the other necessary safety precautions have been taken into account too, so there is no need for any worry. You'll be taken good care of.'
Some time later all the Chinese and also the Finns who were at the Christmas dinner gather together outdoors and are about to set off on their trip through the snow covered forests. Santa Claus checks, 'I suppose you have your mobile phones with you. Keep them warm inside your clothes. I hope you have a USB power bank with you too. If not, we have a few extra power banks with us. However, due to several types of cable connection heads you need to have your own cable with you. We have some more common types with us though.'
Mrs Zhao, mother of two little kids, says, 'Dengdeng' (Wait a minute.) and gets off the sleigh and goes into her igloo to get a cable and a power bank.
Santa has a lot of experience in this; there is always somebody who has to go inside to get something more whenever they are about to set off. So he, together with his assisting elves, checks the food and gear sleigh and the last sleigh for the first aid kit, to make sure they have everything they need with them.
Each family has got a sleigh of its own (search online for a reindeer ride video to get a better idea of the activity), besides, the three Chinese ladies, three Chinese animals and three Finnish animals each in their own sleighs. Magpie and Panda are with the emergency unit in the same sleigh and the single Finns act as drivers.
The first sleigh has got Mr and Mrs Claus (ie Joulupukki ja Joulumuori) because they know the area and the route to the pond like the back of their hands. The next sleigh has the Chinese military man and his family with their kids, youngest ones among the Chinese. Likewise, the youngest kids among the Finns are the Mukulas' kids and they are in the next sleigh.
So the whole lot have been put in this order,
1. Mr and Mrs Claus
2. a) Family Mr Li (Jun, military man: expert in crises) +driver Mr Savunen,
to which is attached the reindeer pulling
2.b) Family Mr Zhang
3. a) Family Mukula,
to which is attached the reindeer pulling
3. b) The Chinese single ladies
4. a) Family Mr Wang + driver Mr Kauhanen,
to which is attached the reindeer pulling
4. b) Food and gear sleigh
5. Family La Beef (who has a bit older kids and all the family are accustomed to looking after the food and gear sleigh)
6. a) Family Mr Liu + driver Mr Suopanen,
to which is attached the reindeer pulling
6. b) Three Chinese animals
7. a) Three Finnish animals +driver Mrs Ahkera,
to which is attached the reindeer pulling
7. b) Family Mr Li (Qiangdong, vet and expert in animals)
8. The last sleigh with
Magpie, Panda (to help with communication, esp in an emergency) and
the medical team (two first aid experts to give medical aid if needed and they have some aluminium foil blankets with them too).
A QUESTION HERE: THINK IN SMALL GROUPS HOW TO ORGANISE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SLEIGHS, SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN TO STOP AND WHEN TO MOVE, TO MAKE SURE NOBODY IS LEFT BEHIND?
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Weigh Out Way-In
General FictionThere is an unexpected turn in the story that drastically changes the course of events and, in the long run, even the lives of those involved. Magpie, the first to be involved, suddenly finds himself in the world so unlike his own. Will he find his...
