新年快乐

New Year, New Endings, New Beginnings

Well, we have done it! You should be congratulated: You have made it through yet another year of your life, making it safely through 365 days around the sun, spinning at over 1,000 miles per hour... That is a feat in and of itself and (if nothing else happened to you this past year) you should be proud! 

Yes, technically 2014 ended and 2015 began over two months ago, HOWEVER in China, they like to do things a little different and today (yesterday now that I'm posting it) was the official start of 2015 in the lunar calendar. So, we bid a fond farewell to my year--the Year of the Horse--and we enter into the Year of the Sheep (or goat or ram... I've heard three different names all day today). 

Were you born in 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, or 2003? Then you are a sheep. Sheep are generous, just and kind, and easily touched by other people's misfortunes. They are artists, and are creative. If something goes especially wrong in their careers or other aspects of life, they will become very sentimental and pessimistic, even world weary. 

If you're a sheep, here is some fun tidbits that you might want to remember if this is your year! Your lucky numbers are 3, 4, and 9. Your lucky colors are red, green, and purple. Your lucky flowers are carnation, primrose, and Alice Flower (I don't know where they come up with these things). And a word of caution: your unlucky numbers are 6, 7, and 8 and your unlucky colors are gold, brown, and black... Use this information as needed...

Most of this information I'm sure you already know from the oh so lovely place mats at Chinese buffets but the Chinese zodiac and astrological signs are deeply engrained into the Chinese culture so when it is your year, it is a very special time. 

Your year is a very special time for you--it is meant to be a lucky year. Whether you believe in "luck" or not does not matter--the Chinese love to talk about luck and if it's your year, it's always fun to get to play along. Want to enhance your luck? Try to wear red every single day. Supposedly, your year is already a lucky time for you but if you manage to wear red every day, you just add to your luck. Most people get red underpants for Christmas (it's true!) but I settled on a red bracelet I wore everyday last year and it worked out pretty well... I landed myself a man!! ;-)

Christmas 2012, Olivia got her red undies!!

 I've never actually gotten to spend a Chinese New Year in China (ain't that such a shame?!?)-- in 2012 I missed it by a few weeks, last year I was traveling in Nepal and Malaysia (I think I might have actually been flying back into the country on the new year) and this year I spent it at Roswell Cancer Institute (they did order Chinese food though which made me smile). HOWEVER, you can be darn sure the holiday is filled with eating, drinking, giving money in red envelopes, and fireworks (just like every day in China at 3am). My students have compared it to our Christmas celebrations (with fireworks because it is China and a holiday is incomplete without them). Over the years it has begun to make it's way over to America where we see red paper lanterns, pictures and decorations of the annual animal, and (if you're lucky) you might snag some Chinese goodies (I made sure to eat green tea oreos in honor of the holiday).

With the coming and going of a new (lunar) year, it is always fitting to talk about endings-beginnings. 2014 ends and 2015 begins. The year of the Horse ends and the year of the Sheep begins. It seems fitting that Adam's surprise trip to America came to an end on the new year and he began his last semester in China (the poor guy has been there for three years now). We got to celebrate our last Valentine's Day together before our wedding. And now, we have our final hurtle to overcome--5 months of separation. This is the definition of a long distance relationship with us living in completely different hemispheres (so be aware that if I see you complain that "so and so lives an hour away" or you "haven't seen so and so in a week" I will glare at you through my computer screen)! It is the end of many things but it is also the beginning of even more exciting new things! A wedding! Potential jobs! Babies being born (good god, not mine)! And Henry getting the snot kicked out of him!

We got to celebrate Valentine's Day together (for the first time!!), got to go to a Sabres game (they lost), and I got my engagement ring (it's gorgeous)!

Another thing that is coming to an end before I had planned is my time in China. After being home and seeing what my family has had to go through for the last six months while I was away, I have decided that I just cannot hop back on a plane and go back to China. Adam and I have talked about it and I'm in America to stay... My China adventure is over. It's a bit sad--I wish I could feel like I had more closure but I don't and that's okay... That's life. I know that I am needed here right now. One door closes and another opens. So my adventures in China are over (for now), I will be home until my wedding this summer, and then my husband (crazy to write that down) and I will be winging our way to a new exciting adventure together... When we know where we end up, I'll be sure to share it here with you!

Here's a postcard from the past:

 It is sad to see my adventures in China end... Thank you for going on them with me! I hope you enjoyed celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival and climbing the Himalaya and Yellow Mountains; I hope you loved my students as much as I did and I hope you had fun on the adventure with me. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for reading. Thank you.

Let's see where life takes us next!! Wide Eyed Wanderer will keep on wandering...

Until Next Time,

Amanda