Chinese New Year is wonderful --and we moved into our apartment just in time! First, red is the color of luck -- and I love red! Second, everyone shoots off fireworks -- and it's a huge party!
It's hard to believe...but John and I saw over 100 fireworks displays from the windows overlooking the park -- and they've gone on all week. In Beijing, you don't need a special permit -- people simply light them in the streets. It's fabulous. I'm so happy!
We also went to the Temple Fair in Chaoyang Park across the street -- there's a thin veneer of weiguoren (foreigners) here in Beijing -- we were the only "big noses" (an endearing term also used for foreigners...) in the place. Yan Shifu taught me to say, Xin Nien Kuai Le (Happy Spring Festival) and I say it to everyone. As John says, I've become the trained monkey...the local folks are shocked when they hear you utter a single word of Mandarin!
Everything shuts down for Chinese New Year, even Starbucks. My wonderful Berlitz teachers still made it in -- we were the only ones in the place! And of course, Yan Shifu has been driving me around...and teaching me even more phrases!
1 comment:
Yeah. I'm glad you got to have fireworks and seems like it was worth the wait. So what was Valentine's Day like. Have you introduced that holiday to the Chinese? Take care Nancy.
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