新年快乐

happy new year!!

i can say "happy new year" in chinese, and it has been my party trick for days.

the week between christmas and new year's was wildly busy for me. i gave 10 final exams, and i am so happy they are all done. because the students cheat so much, giving finals is really stressful. more on that later, though, i'd rather not think about it.

new year's eve was really lovely. a group of people and i went to our friend brad's beautiful apartment. he has the most beautiful apartment of any foreign teacher i know in wuhan. duff and i have the worst one. i love brad's apartment, i want it. my apartment has a lot of character, and it is really fun, but it is old, and run down, and filthy. even if i mop once a day, i always pick up more dirt and dust. it just settles out of the air.

for dinner on new year's eve, we had salmon in sorrel sauce, and it was excellent. the best meal i have had in china. there is a huge german supermarket down by the river and they have lots of foreign food, and fresh norwegian salmon. they claim it was caught 5 days ago and flown in. it tasted so good! we also had a lovely salad, pasta and vegetables. an excellent meal on which to end 2005.

we had planned on making it to the bar for the new year, but didn't. we went afterwards, though, to vox. a few of our friends own and operate it. when it opened last year, it was supposed to be a punk bar, but every time i go there is a dj from africa and lots of hip-hop and dance music. different from what they originally set out to do, i think, but the bar seems to be doing really well. it was great to see friends there who i haven't seen in a long time. i had a little mini-reunion with two teachers i worked with last year. they are doing well.

there are little kids setting off fireworks right outside my apartment window. we have a tiny little part across the street. i thought a screaming eagle was flying into my window. i didn't see many fireworks on new year's eve, but they went off all day and night on the 1st. i stood on my balcony and watched them in between the other apartment buildings. fireworks are illegal in the city, but we are on the edges of town, and there are a lot of fireworks. i love them.

duff got back last night, rather than this morning, as i expected. his parents got him a plane ticket from beijing to wuhan rather than having him wait and then take the 11 hour over-night train. i was so confused when he got home, i had been asleep, but it was the greatest surprise. we are going to head to hot pot tonight (my favorite meal), but now, we are relaxing with the internet and warm cups of hot chocolate he brought from home. tomorrow our first order of business is to book our tickets to india. we have been having trouble figuring out how to pay the travel agent in hong kong, but since we want to leave in a week...... wish us luck!