Chinese New Year

Belated Gung hei faat choi (or for my preferred language Mandarin, Xīnnián kuàilè)! I realise it is now the 8th day of Chinese New Year (only one more year and then it will be my year, the year of the Rat!) but I suppose it is better late than never.

On New Year's eve, I went to Clem's aunt's place for dinner. I fear I may have insulted someone as I don't eat fish (I would make a useless asian - I don't know how Richie does it - wedding banquets - 10 out of 12 dishes are seafood), dropped a chopstick on the ground and spilt tea on the table. I think Jenny (the only other non-Cantonese speaker there) was much relieved to have another anglo there. Afterwards, I played Chinese Checkers with Clem and Cedric (his cousin). They have funny rules, where you can take longer jumps and stuff. Everyone else I talks to agrees they are strange rules.

Last monday (2nd day of the new year), we took a business associate from New Zealand out to Yum Cha. Ten minutes after we got there, all these fire works went off outside and for the next hour (the whole time we were there), there was a lion dance. Aiyah! It was a novel cultural experience for about 5 minutes, then the drumming and cymbals got annoying. We couldn't talk to the person across from our table, no siu mai came round and it just went on and on and we weren't even sitting right next to the drummer. Aiyah!

I'm pretty sure that Chinese New Year is now over for me (although celebrations last for another week), although we were driving through the city yesterday and all these fire crackers went off. I think I'm relieved. I only like it slightly more than normal new year. (I'm a new years scrooge.)