One Big Holiday

When I came to Hong Kong, I knew that they would go nuts for Chinese New Year, but lately it feels like it has been one constant party and celebration ever since Christmas. Everything continues to be more and more decorated leading up to this weekend (CNY), but it is hard to tell if there has been a break from Christmas celebrations. Some buildings still have lights up depicting Santa in bright neon red. I thought Canadians were bad for leaving lights up late.

Also teaching has been considerably slack the last month and a half. I don't mind, but it's hard to get any rythm going because the kids have so many days off. One school I teach at has almost 2 weeks off, plus weekends. This translates into days off for me as well. All in all I have 8 days of actual holidays, plus weekends.

Yesterday, as many of you know, was Valentine's Day. It is not as big a day here in Hong Kong, which was quite surpising for me. They still celebrate it, but nothing to the extent in North America. I imagined with all the shopping and buying potential it would be promoted up the ying yang. It is CNY, so maybe that's why, people are in holiday overload.

Last night Mai and I walked through the Victoria Park New Year Festival/Jamboree/Millions of people thing. I was impressed at all the vulgar over-use of balloonege. I had thought it was only a flower market, but they have at least 1000 booths set up all selling mostly crap in the form of balloons. They had guitar balloons, lollipop balloons, potato chip balloons, and various other things you could blow up. The bus ride home was intense as we stood jampacked up against the front windshield, nice and safe I know. At least it smelt nice as half the bustomers had purchased flowers at the Victoria Park Stampede of People.