Sunday 7th February, 2016 Chinese New Year’s Eve          1430

I went to town yesterday as well. I didn’t need to of course but I felt too lazy to cook, cooking for one seems pointless at times and not a little sad on occasion. I have frozen meals but I thought I would give the steakhouse another try, this time though without opting for “pizza”!

I ordered a T-bone, more in hope than expectation because steaks here are normally plastic but I figured that it would be too much trouble to reconstitute meat (if that’s what they do) and reattach it to bone. It was skinny but actually quite nice and in the true tradition the Chinese have of serving up the most bizarre combinations, it came with spaghetti instead of chips! I ordered French fries as well.

I had been to the bakery for sweet things and after I came out I went into the entrance to the RT Mall. I did an immediate about turn - the LOBBY was teeming so Lord knows what the supermarket would have been like. Puzzlingly, the buses back were half empty yet both drivers (out and inbound) seemed in less than good humour. I could understand it if they had pulled the last duties today but not on new year’s eve eve. The woman outbound didn’t know how to smile and if people didn’t hail her she sailed straight on by, I saw irate people at two stops having to wait for the next one.

The chap on the way back was highly vocal because people weren’t shouting “jam bai sha” loud enough, causing panic and loud shouting as we overshot the stops. I sat there smugly, safe in the knowledge that I had bagged the seat near the exit doors and all I had to do (all the buses are brand new now and have them) was lean and press the “stop” button. I did so on the approach to south gate. There was only me and one other passenger, he being bound for the final stop.

I thought we were going too fast as we neared the stop and sure enough, he drove on past! Considering he wasn’t a driver I was familiar with and coupled with the fact he had been berating everyone for not shouting loud enough, with righteous indignation (having used the button seeing as that’s what it’s for) I emitted an extremely loud “Whoa! What are you doing?? I pressed the button!” For good measure I pressed it again to get my point across. He stopped.

Once home I sent Anthony a text. He had phoned me when I was on my way to town, he wanted to come and see me to give me a new year gift because he was leaving this morning and I had no intention of getting up early today. Either he never saw it or thinks I was being rude because he never came over.

I had been musing for a few days as to whether to go somewhere for tonight. The weather in true fashion having gone from minus last week to plus this week, ten forecast today and fifteen tomorrow with twenty in a couple more days, it was infinitely possible. Buses run until this afternoon but there are none tomorrow so it had to be the bike unless I wanted to fork out a fortune on a taxi.

To hell with it. I booked a fifty square metre business room for 258y the night at Dong Rong resort hotel (no breakfast but I wouldn’t even be up for it, let alone eat it) and used my Ctrip rewards before they expired. In other words it cost me nothing. All my time here I have toyed with the idea of being in town for midnight at new year but apart from the unseasonably warm weather (as it is now) when I went to visit Amy’s family two years ago, it would have involved two nights - impossible seeing as I had a dog or dogs at the time. Cats you can leave for days on end as long as they have food, water and fresh litter. This is hardly “in town” but I expect it will still be lively come midnight. And I remembered to bring my camera! Sadly I neglected to bring the lead to upload pictures to the laptop.

2100

I managed to get about forty winks earlier, it defeats me why they don’t save their fireworks until midnight or at least until it’s dark. They have been going off all day and somewhere about half a mile away on the train station-town road, a business has send a fortune up in smoke, they were at it for about two hours. I know a box of 36 rockets costs around 170y and I shudder to think how many they set off. It’ll be just my luck for nothing to happen at midnight when I go down to try and get some photographs!

I had dinner in the hotel, kimchi as a starter followed by barbecued beef ribs which turned out to be some sort of steak. I was the only customer in the restaurant but I think a couple of private rooms had parties going on. I have some brioche in the room in case I get peckish later.

The photos will have to wait until tomorrow but in the meantime I wish everyone a happy Chinese new year and hope health and happiness accompanies it. It’s my year  and I need to ensure it’s a good one.