Next week is the annual Greenwich Village Halloween parade. It is quite a sight. For hours (yes, hours!) you can go and watch the elaborate costumes go by. Yes, it can be a bit crowded. Yes, it can get a little chilly. However, it is fun. I went my first year in New York. I was early (if you know me, you are not surprised by that statement) and had to wait. As I was early, I got to be right in front and that was nice. I didn't have to crane my neck or stand on my tiptoes to look around someone else's head. While the dragqueens and scary costumes were cool, I really liked the monsters that were set up on people's backs and moved by wires. Very cool.

Speaking of cold, I was talking with my Speaking/Listening class yesterday about the coming winter. Yesterday was a chilly day with the wind blowing. In class, one student did not take off his jacket and another did not take off her sweatshirt; she didn't wear a coat. Some of the students are from Taiwan and Shanghai are really do not know waht the weather is going to be like here in the winter. The Taiwanese students are going to be surprised to see snow, perhaps for the first time in their lives, while the student from Shanghai says it only snows once a winter, if at all. We talked about boots, coats, hoods, gloves, hats and earmuffs. It made me laugh a little. However, I did think it was an important topic to talk about after class.