Thursday, February 11, 2010

Tiger year is around the corner...

Celebrating the year of the rat 2008.

Chinese New Year is around the corner, and so is Valentine’s Day. I’m actually quite happy the two come in joint forces this year, so that the whole “Valentine’s frenzy” doesn’t need to get so hysterical. When I worked at a magazine in Shanghai back in 2006/2007 Valentine’s Day was H-U-G-E! The sales girls in our office competed on who could get the biggest bouquet of flowers, and once a couple of pretty impressive bouquets had appeared, the competition change direction and started being all about “who could receive the MOST bouquets?!” (A girl named Carrie won. She had a boyfriend at that time and received a total of four bouquets: two from her significant other, one from an over-friendly client and one from a secret admirer). As you all might have guessed I did not participate in the competition.

As for Chinese New Year, my years in China have actually offered quite a bit of diversity:

In year of the dog/year of the pig (2006/2007) we celebrated together with a Chinese family in Pudong, and I ate pig’s ear for the first time of my life. Although neither me nor my bf could master much more than “Ni hao, ni hao ma?” at that time, and our host family could say about the same stuff in English, so conversation was obviously limited, but we still had a grande time!

In the year of the pig/rat (2007/2008) we celebrated together with another Chinese family at a large restaurant in Xujiahui. Although this celebration was pleasant in so many different ways (I didn’t have to eat pig’s ears, we didn’t have to watch 4 hours of TV after dinner and my Chinese had become good enough to actually have a small, shallow conversation) I still missed the intimacy of being at someone’s home, making dumplings together and running in and out of the kitchen all the time.

In the year of the rat/ox (2008/2009) we decided to make our own version of the CNY together with a bunch of Finns. We did a winter version of a BBQ, drank copious amounts of wine and margaritas, and enjoyed the fireworks around midnight.

This year (we go from ox to tiger) I will spend the CNY in Sweden (leaving tomorrow morning). I took the opportunity to turn the CNY-holiday week into a work trip, since I’ve just started my new job and have a lot of things to learn/catch up on. I’ll be spending most of my time in Stockholm, and go and see my parents on the weekends. Not bad if you ask me. I have not been in Sweden at this time of the year since 2001! So it's about time.

Happy New (Chinese) Year everyone! 新年快乐, 恭喜恭喜发财!

9 comments:

Unknown said...

where is the best place to celebrate CNY in Stockholm?? I want to know this ^^

Little Tiger said...

This is gonna be my year, I can tell! Happy New Year!
Have a lovely time in Sweden and I hope you find somewhere to get some dumplings.
I'm spending my NY in Budapest. I doubt I'll find any Chinese restaurant, so goulash it will be :)

mantse said...

Wish you have a great year as the past~~

新春進步~~
身體健康

Shopgirls Shanghai said...

if you ever miss chinese food in sweden, go to dragon house, t-bana: hornstull

the most authentic chinese restaurant in sweden.

马麟 said...

OMG! Going home when CNY, you are turning into a Chinese!
Well, it's still snowing here. I guess I can't go back home till May this year. I miss the food there T_T

Melody said...

Have fun in Sweden! It's nice you can spend some time home with your family and friends :) I'll be celebrating CNY in the Chinese neighbourhood here in Amsterdam [and I'm not even Chinese]. Looking forward to it!

Have a safe trip home! :)

Bere Tarde o temprano said...

Enjoy Sweden! have a safe trip! It is always good to go back home :)

Wei said...

新年快乐
大吉大利

what a pity no celebration here in stockholm.

Jonna Wibelius said...

CY -wouldn't have a clue, but shopgirl might b able to tell!

tiger -great 2010 huh? Yeah let's hope so! Jan started well, that's for sure! Have u found a job in China yet?

Mantse -dito!

Shopgirl -I think I can manage... hehe

马麟 -aiiyoo, are u not reading my posts?! I am going to Sweden for WORK! Not holiday! ;)

Melody -thanks! I hope u had fun celebrating in Amsterdam!

Bere -will do. Will probably enjoy the food more than Sweden.. hehe!

Wei -throw your own dinner party! What's better than a great dinner with friends and loved ones?!