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Last weekend was marked as the beginning of Spring festival which also called as chinese lunar new year by the locals here. It is their most important traditional holidays comparable to our christmas.

People celebrated it for 7 days including weekend so we had a long break from work. *Sarap*

The -12 temperature is not a hindrance to the intoxicating festive mood of the people. Just having a cold winter, maybe they are so excited to welcome a new spring. When spring festival comes, spring comes as well.

So when they prepare foods to feast…I also prepared ours hehe…

I couldn’t find tikoy in this part of China, mabuti pa nga sa pinas during chinese new year you could find tikoy in all supermarkets, dito wala talaga, so I cooked arroz valenciana as an auspicious food for the family to stick together, oha!! ha? Lol! I always prepare foods during chinese new year even when I was in PH. Nothing to lose ‘right? Instead you would gain something like…extra lbs lol!

Arroz valenciana..

Pancit  for a long life….

Some sweets….and fruits. (No pic?)

Around 7:00 pm the deafening sounds of firecrackers and fireworks had started to fill the air. After chatting with Ghee, *thanks gurl*. I enjoyed watching it from the balcony I didn’t open the window because it’s really freezing cold. Hindi ko nga alam kung saan ko itutok ang camera kasi kabilaan ang fireworks. It’s beautiful.

When the clock strikes at 12 midnight, there’s more…I didn’t take pictures anymore. I went to bed but never hope of getting some sleep. *ang ingay kaya* it lasted for 3 days because traditionally people compete with each other by playing with firecrackers. In fact up to this time nagpuputukan pa rin.

Gong xi fa cai, Kong hei fat choi, xinnian kuaile, guonian hao, happy new year…whatever form of greetings we used the meaning are all the same. Wishing everyone a prosperous year ahead of us.

Gong xi fa cai! Angpao lai lai!
Happy new year everyone. I’m super late. But I hope we could still grooving. It’s been ages since my last post, actually sama sama na lahat…busy at work, homesickness…holiday aftershock…laziness, weather (too cold) and all. I just got my time now because of the long holiday here in mainland, spring festival and chinese new year. Oh my, banyak makan lagi! Haha, means…puro kain na naman eto. I haven’t get rid all the extras I gained during my vacation.

2009 na! What’s in store for us? Too many blessings and good things that happened to me and my family last year. ‘Though, we couldn’t get all what we wanted but at least…it’s not bad and I am very thankful after a blow late of 2006 when our long running company of 21 years has been grabbed by our trusted business partner in other country (not in Phil). I’ll not put any details by now, maybe some other time ikukuwento ko sa inyo. Basta iyon na yun. I thought it only happens in the movie but it happened to us…in real life. Anyway, I’ve been through with that. I already forgave them. God has other plans for us I believed, he didn’t do it for us to suffer but indeed for a more better opportunity. I didn’t even question Him why? We just roll with the punches and go with the flow.  If He closes the door He opened a bigger window, wider. O ha! Those people who did it to us were now facing some legal problems. All I could say is…”thank you Lord, now we know”. Hub’s business were doing good as well as his work, it’s a double thanks! I could sing my heart out with Shakira’s line “all the things I deserved for being such a good girl…” correction, I’m not a girl…I’m a woman.   Kumusta naman ang holiday season ko? Well, same question for you guys kumusta naman ang sa inyo? I hope lahat kayo naging masaya and wishing you more happiness and blessings. Medyo bitin nga lang ang bakasyon ko, okay na rin kesa hindi natuloy. Muntik na talaga kaming hindi matuloy. Our flight is from  Shanghai to Manila last 22nd of Dec. Then we still have to fly from our place Yantai city to Shanghai on the same day  @ 4:50pm  but 4 days before our flight biglang nagbago ang weather condition. Snowy and foggy and according to forecast; there is a snow storm coming on Dec. 21^st to 22  Oh no! Not again. Taranta ang lola niyo. We rebooked our flight to Shanghai on Dec. 20 it cost us almost doubled not included the hotel, the heck! Ayaw ko na maulit ang nagyari last year. In short, we stayed in Shanghai for 1 day and 2 nights. My friend called us that we did a good decision kasi kanselado lahat ng  flight from our place and his flight going to Singapore via Beijing was cancelled too. O di ba? Kung hindi baka naglupasay na naman ako sa airport.
The day we arrive Manila, hubby received a call that his brother was rushed to St. Lukes hospital. Wala pa kaming pahinga we headed to the hospital at ayun. Thank goodness, he’s fine now after his kidney transplant tsk tsk, another story. Whew…the rest ay okay naman. We celebrated christmas our traditional way, lotsa foodies! Exchanged and opening of gifts after our noche buena. Family reunions with both sides, reunion parties with friends…new year’s party at home…hay, kakamiss. *sniff*
We did spent an overnight stay in Tagaytay as our family bonding, that morning we stopped over @ Enchanted Kingdom in Sta Rosa. We tried some rides, kulang pa ako sa tulog so after one ride aww, nahilo agad ako.

Few photos to share…

View from the hotel…

  I miss sunshine! 

We tried the zipline too…wuho!! (with my daughter..)