It’s late Thursday morning in Thailand on Chinese New Year’s Day. Also widely called Lunar New Year here and other places with large Chinese populations. This is NOT a holiday in Thailand, but it’s still a big deal, because of all the ethnic Chinese (like the wife). Lots of stuff going on, including at the large and beautiful Chinese temple down from our balcony, which I see is buzzing with activity right now. Yesterday, the last day of the old year, was a time for paying homage to the ancestors, and the wife was off making the rounds of her relatives. (I was occupied elsewhere and could not accompany her.) At that temple down from our balcony, there was a large candle procession last night around 11pm; it looked very nice.
Once again, the sheer amount of fireworks at midnight last night was amazing. And I live in a “quiet” neighborhood. Hard to describe to anyone that has not experienced the thousands of firecrackers, bottle rockets, rockets, etc that go off. It’s a huge continuous roar for about an hour. The smoke is astronomical. And this shit goes on for 15 days.
Off on a road trip to the countryside for a couple of days. Hot springs near Nanjing and then for some fried rice in Yangzhou.
My Vietnamese friends reckon this year’s going to be an interesting one. Firstly, New Year’s Day is on a lucky 8 date of the month (and year, really), secondly, Sydney was hit by enormous electrical storms for much of the day, and thirdly there was a partial solar eclipse!
The Toronto Star had several articles welcoming the new year. And one about the popularity of red panties as a celebration of it. :dubious:
In other news, my birthday this year is on 08/08/08. And if I were a year younger, I would be 44. Though, now that I think of it, it will be the end of my 44th year.
Og, I am a number geek (in fact, I think I just scared a customer when I exclaimed “cool! Your order number is 872278!”) This year, my daughter’s bday falls on 08/08/08 – she will be 16 (double 8). She and I have been talking it up like mad – she’s a numbers geek, too. Interesting side note – her father’s birthday is 08/06 – six months and a day before mine, which is 02/07 – six months and a day before hers, 08/08. Of course, my birthdate is 2/7/72, which I swear is what created the numbers geek in me. It’s one of my weird OCD behaviours – I compulsively do the numerology thing with everyone’s birthday – even though I hold absolutely no faith in it whatsoever.
I was going to wear red panties, but they were in the washer, so I opted for pink. Wonder what that says about me.
Hal Briston – so, a sheep and a ladle and I get to be New Year Baby?
Today, my morning commute of thirty to forty minutes took a nice, comfortable twelve minutes. I kept wondering if today was a holiday nobody had told me about.
I guess there’s quite a few people with today off (or whom were out really late last night).
And if I were a year younger, I would be 44. Though, now that I think of it, it will be the end of my 44th year.