It is Chinese New Year! Today is the 17th, the final day of the lunar year. Early in the morning, I packed some things from my apartment and gave it a quick clean, then returned and spent some time cleaning the dining room.

The highlight came at dinnertime, when I sat down to a generous feast. There was plenty of seafood, including raw fish, which her mother knew I loved. She also bought me a few beers because she knew I didn’t care for rice wine. I had a bad experience in Zhongshan; ask Ian if you want the details.

After dinner, I sat down to watch a movie and began hearing fireworks near the end. In a completely uncoordinated display, what seemed like thousands of fireworks went into the air at midnight. For ten minutes, nothing could be heard but “boom boom baaaaam,” and sporadic “booooms” continued until three in the morning.

Looking back I enjoyed my first Lunar New Year’s Eve, including the fact that it went out with a very literal “bang.”