The Pig. What a great symbol! Here's a shot I took today.
Today, Friday the 16th, was the last day of work for me as Intel gives us 8 days off, going back to work on Sunday the 25th. Sun-Ling must work tomorrow, then she has 7 days off.
As in the US, most Chinese white collar workers get to go home early the day before a long holiday. So just after lunch I walked down the aisle, wished everyone a Happy New Year, announced I was going home early, suggested they should leave early as well, caught the shuttle bus to the Dongchuan Lu Metro station, and was home before 3PM.
On the way home, I got a call from Sun-Ling saying we are invited to dinner tonight by an Aunt and Uncle on her Mother's side. So that's the plan for tonight. It was not revealed if we are eating at their house or out.
My next task was to give a red gift packet (Hong Bao)to our maid (ayi). It's common to give domestic workers a New Year's bonus or time off with pay or both. Xiao Xiao was very happy to get the red packet and some days off next week.
Dinner was at a somewhat fancy restaurant in one of the malls near Jingan Temple. We rode the Metro. It was raining but the mall is right above the Metro Station so the umbrella did not come out.
Turned out the dinner was mainly for Aunt's co-workers. She has several businesses. There were three tables of 10 each. One for the men to smoke, drink, and loudly toast each other. One for the wives and small children. We sat at the table for older children and a few of the wives.
The three tables (back to front: men, wives, the rest of us)
Two of the children were on holiday from university in Australia. So Sun-Ling and I quizzed them about school, Australia, internships, etc.
Here's Anthony who is going to school at Canberra and just finished an internship with Mary Kay (yes, the cosmetics Queen) in Shanghai.
The food was good with lots of vegetarian items, the beer was cold, and the restaurant an inferno - lots of people and halogen lighting.
Check out this fancy deep fried in tomato sauce fish dish.
And another shot of our table.
It was all over at 9:15 and we rode the subway back home.
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