Thursday, December 31, 2009

And now the new year...

New Years Eve and I'm teaching until 9PM again. I can't hook up with my foreign friends for best boy boozing because our new house is across town and the police have bribe stations spread out across all the major highways and byways. Angie got caught in one last night, she was saved by the rain that fell. Cops here hate the rain, they'll abandon a line of sure-thing payments to get out of it. They told her to wait right where she was, and then they all motored away. Imagine how many people stayed where they were.

I think I'll grab a bottle of fifty-plus percent and hide away in my new second story office with a DVD and a blanket. Yeah, it's cold right now. Most houses don't have central air, much less heat. Our two space heaters will crank out 3 feet of heat for our babies and parent-in-laws. Strangers reading this blog might air a criticism, something like "why don't you spend it with your family, you schmuck!" and I'll be forced to explain the sad fact that this day, this New Years Eve at the end of the first decade of the second millennium is just another Thursday to them. The babes will be in bed by nine, the folks by nine-thirty, the wife by ten.

Chinese New Year is sometime in February, the fourteenth I think. You can bet your ass there will be a party then. It'll be the Year of the Tiger, fireworks will fly from every balcony and droves of people will converge upon the open air market seeking treasures and plum blossoms. I'll be there, among them, celebrating who knows what for as long as they let me. You learn to take a party when you can get one in this country.

Happy New Years to those of you about to stay out late tonight, blow a party horn for me will ya!

7 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Daniel!

    It's still 18 hours off here but I'll raise a glass to the east at midnight.

    Evidently it's impossible to over-feed cartoon koi.

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  2. lol. Harry, I'm sure the fish emjoyed the meal.

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  3. Happy New Year Danny - post pictures of your new house and family ok? You guys got any hot water bottles to keep warm? I hear they work great. :)

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  4. Lots of love and (American) New Year's madness to you, my friend!!

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  5. Dude, I feel for ya. I hope you still had time to reflect and make yourself a few new resolutions which, like most guys, you will completely ignore!!
    All the best, mate, for a prosperous and exciting 2010!!!

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  6. Well, I'm late to getting here due to internet troubles, but I want you to know I did think of you the night. I was wondering when the Chinese celebrated their new year. You'll have your chance to party soon enough.

    Happy New years, Daniel!

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  7. Happy New Year to you as well, Daniel... If it makes you feel better, I also had just another night. I was under the weather and plus, you can't do much with a two-year old anyway.

    "I think I'll grab a bottle of fifty-plus percent and hide away in my new second story office with a DVD and a blanket"

    My kinda night...

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