As the Year of the Golden Pig draws to a close I thought some photos of the celebrations that kicked off the year would be in order. I see on western websites this year referred to as The Year of the Boar. In China, it is simply pig, nothing politically correct.

The Year of the Rat will begin February 7th. Those born this year are bestowed with the following attributes: (they are) Forthright, disciplined, systematic, meticulous, charismatic, hardworking, industrious, charming, eloquent, sociable, shrewd. Can be manipulative, cruel, dictatorial, rigid, selfish, obstinate, critical, over-ambitious, ruthless, intolerant, scheming (thank you, answers.com)

My sign, the pig, is a good description of me: Hard working, but self-indulgent and sometimes lazy. If you could see the contrast of The Stevo from the workweek to his Sunday afternoon you would agree.

I won’t be making the trek to Mrs. Stevo’s village for the Spring Festival celebration. I’d like to, but the eight-hour train ride is daunting, as is the considerable damage done to my liver each year during said festival. And, two new teachers will arrive just before the start of the new year, and I (conveniently) don’t want to leave them on their own.

To the photos:

It’s reassuring, and scary, to know that men across the world, love to blow stuff up. From those sitting in oval offices after possibly-rigged elections, to the average Chinese farmer, an affection for blowing things up is something in the male collective unconscious. Baba and Didi, light what I thought was a small piece of Dynamite, wrapped in yellow paper, for effect.

Boom. Said explosive parcel was tossed into a small pond. I will miss drunken destruction this year, but may get a few more years out of my liver.