Wow, there just seems to be a lot going on right now... come Feb, I'm afraid my blog will get boring! So Chinese new year was today- it's a little like the 12 days of Christmas in that it lasts 15 days and at the end is Yuan Xiao Jie. We'll get into that later. So basically everyone takes the week off and almost all shops close. Two days ago I hung out with a few new friends and in addition to some fun board games, we bought firecrackers and set them off. (Everyone sets off fireworks on New years eve and the day of, so we were just a tad early). Some photos and video below. I had never lit a firecracker since it's so illegal in the US, and your parents scare you so much that you fear that looking at a firecracker stick might cause you to go blind. It was pretty fun! Now, there isn't a big display at the wharf or anything like 4th of July in the states- its more of a local thing. Each family, neighborhood, routy kids, etc. sets off their own. I live on the 9th floor and have a neighborhood right behind me. It's kind of fun as I can see the ground fireworks as well as those that shoot in to the sky. I don't know my firecracker trivia, so don't test me on what each of those are called! But just to reiterate, it's really crazy how many fireworks go off... it sounds like a war zone and there really isn't any regulation.
Yesterday, new year's eve, Wendy and I met up at Longhua temple, a Buddhist temple. It was 300yuan to get in which I think was ridiculous so we just stayed outside. However, that was just as interesting. Hundreds of people gathered to pray and burn incense... and there were firecrackers, and the temple had a bell that rang every 8 seconds. It was pretty intense. It was like sitting in the airport smoking lounge, in a war zone, with policemen, firemen, people praying, selling things, shoving, pushing, lining up to get into the temple, all at once.
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