Local time: Sun Feb 11, 19:41

Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese new year!

恭喜发财！新年快乐！龙年大吉！身体健康！万事如意！

I didn’t go to any big celebration events because in Zhuhai city itself there wasn’t a lot going on. A and Lan from the boutique recommended I go to Changlong, an amusement park here in Guangdong, but it’s pretty far away and entry tickets were too expensive. I was also encouraged to go to Xing Le Du (星乐度), a flower park along the water, but I discovered that it’s actually in Macao. There is a temple in Zhuhai that lots of locals go to to pray during the holidays called Jintai Temple. I haven’t made my way there yet but might try and visit there tomorrow or soon after.

So what I DID do is go to GongBei port shopping center at the border of Zhuhai and Macao. It was very busy! I then went to the Zhuhai waterfront where I took in the sun, ocean breeze, and car/people watched for a while. Finally, I went back to Pao Tai Shan park in the evening as the sun was beginning to set. Unlike last visit, the park was very lively with people sitting at tables playing cards, groups of people playing sports, people doing yoga or using the exercise machines, and lots of people making their rounds on the track that runs through part of the park. I ended my time hiking up a little ways (signing a waiver saying I won’t catch the park on fire) and getting a good view of the sun setting behind the city. Finally, I went and ate hotpot! The hotpot place I went to was very busy with large tables of families sharing meals. The hotpot wasn’t my favorite experience (lots of cigarette smoke inside) but it was fun to try on my own. I will definitely need to expand my restaurant and food vocabulary to get more ingredients next time!

How could I forget! There were fireworks on the night of the 9th from 8p-1a… I went down to the waterfront to watch them for a while. It was a very fun experience. Lots of locals at the boardwalk with their own fireworks setting them off into the sky.

Though it wasn’t the Chinese new year experience I was expecting, so far it has still been a unique and touching experience. I have been able to experience authentic foods and traditions, and take part in some of the same things locals do ~ such as going to a public park to socialize and exercise.

Today is the second day of Chinese new year. I chatted with Lan over WeChat for a while last night about Chinese new year and even some of our personal hobbies and (food) interests. She told me that on the second day of Chinese new year it is custom for families to return to their relatives and spend time with their immediate families ~ definitely noticeable in the big groups of families we pass in the streets and see in restaurants!

I am just relaxing now, enjoying the city and time. Have a happy new year, good luck, prosperity, and eternal happiness!