Chinese New Year's Eve - Feb 17

I slept in to 10. Yeah! I made a cup of Balinese coffee with our new automatic drip coffee maker - thanks Bill Gates - and enjoyed the morning alone.

Sun-Ling had to work, but came home at noon.

Minor crisis. In order to make the butter cream icing, a mixture of water and sugar must be heated to 235 degrees F - no more, no less - and then mixed with egg yolks. The first two attempts to heat the mixture failed. The first was too hot, a quagmire, and the second too cold, soup. Finally, after an emergency run to the Family Mart for more eggs, we learned the quirks of our new thermometer and the gas stove, and the third batch was a success. There will be desert tonight!



Nian Ye Fan (New Year's Eve Dinner)is a Chinese tradition. You eat dinner with your family. We rode the un-crowded Metro to Sun-Ling's parent's for Nian Ye Fan. Although the subway was not crowded, everyone seemed to be carrying a bag of fruit, or candy, or gifts. We were all headed to Nian Ye Fan.

Here's the Pig of the Day shot taken inside a Line #2 subway station.


The Nian Ye Fan hot pot was delicious and around 9:00 PM Sun-Ling's sister and family stopped by and the kids got red packets.

Here's the hot pot.


Number two clutching his red packet and candy.


Arrived back at our apartment about 10PM. After last year's spectacular fireworks viewing at LiuXuo Lu, we wondered if the fireworks at Xujiahui could compare. We wondered if the management of our complex would even allow fireworks.

After noticing extra water buckets and fire extinguishers at the lobby doors we figured that fireworks were on for the apartment courtyard.



As it got closer to midnight, we rushed back and forth between the courtyard and the street as the displays got bigger and louder.

Sun-Ling said the view to the courtyard was like watching an IMAX movie - loud and you can't see the whole thing without moving your head - as our neighbors set off some big ones.



The view to the street was hazy with smoke. The nearby He Ji restaurant started firing around 10:30 and didn't stop until 1:00 AM.

You can see Sun-Ling's head sticking out our bedroom window.


I have more photos and video of the fireworks that I'll post later.