Happy Year Of The Piggy!!!

恭喜發財, 心想事成, 萬事如意, 龍馬精神, and things of that nature.

And if all that above comes out a garbled mess, then your computer's broken and you need to throw it out. Well, if you don't know Chinese, it'll probably still look like a garbled mess to you, in which case you need to throw out your computer anyway just to be safe.

For some, Chinese New Year is a time to get together with the family, have dinner, and buy lots of crap. For me though, I take CNY as an opportunity to educate my friends on Chinese culture (and all the delicious foods that come with it). And to buy lots of crap. I take this extra step because I simply love to contribute to the multicultural education of others, and because I somehow feel obligated to show them that there is more to Chinese people than rudenss, awful driving, and pennypinching behavior.

Conversely, all this crap-buying is mainly because Chinese New Year, like any new year, represents a new beginning, so out with the old and in with the new; some would even believe that by discarding the old stuff, one would also discard the misfortune associated with it during its use. This could include buying new clothes, perhaps new food to restock the fridge, new furnishings and appliances, and if you're a rich Honger or Mainlander, a new house and mistress.

Furthermore, you're supposed to start a new beginning by cleaning the house and sweeping out the bad luck from the previous year. However, if you're one of the aforementioned rich people who buy a new house every year (and actually live in it), that is not necessary, as you can either sell the old house, or burn it down and build a new one on top. Or if you're like me, who would rather deal with the ill fortune rather than to invest the time and effort to clean up my shithole.

Cultural note aside, I spent last night doing what I said I do every CNY, and introduced my friends to my culture at a party at one of my friends' place - through delicious foods like the octagonal party plate full of fried pastries and candied foods sweet enough to dissolve teeth, pan-fried turnip cake, and new year cake, which my Japanese friends recognized as mochi. Unfortunately, everyone came so late that by the time I was done cooking them the turnip cake, taking a well-earned break, and preparing the new year cake, they were ready to leave, so a lot of them missed out on the new year cake. Oh well, their loss and more for me.

And so I begin The Year of the Pig by hogging all the new year cake.