Gung Hei Fat Choy!

The first day of Chinese New Year is upon us, so let me be among the first to wish you Gung Hei Fat Choy! (Loosely translated, this means congratulations and be prosperous; it wasn't until after we named our cat that we learned her name might well bring us wealth. So far, though, if her vet bills are any indication, she's helping us spend, rather than accumulate, wealth.)

It's the Year of the Pig, so Hong Kong's streets are full of pig decorations, including these at the nearby Times Square shopping center, which were part of the "Piggies My Love" public art charity, each designed by a different local artist. I could have bought one of these pigs. Being from Iowa -- the hog capital of America -- I actually thought about it.




Chinese New Year markets sprung up around Hong Kong a week ago, so Shelly and I went to visit the market in Victoria Park Tuesday evening. In large part, the markets were full of tacky pig souvenirs, including the pig snout toilet paper dispenser a vendor tried to sell us:

Vendor: It's real leather!

Me: Really? Leather? (It looked more like pleather to me.)

Vendor: Really! Leather!

Me: Hmmm....

Vendor: I wouldn't lie to you!

Me: Hmmm....

Vendor: Okay, but you can just believe me!

With that last bit of honesty, I was tempted, but not quite enough to spend the HK$150 she wanted. I don't need a 20 dollar pleather toilet paper dispenser....

But the markets are also full of plum trees (for luck), kumquat trees (for prosperity) and chrysanthemums (for longevity). Since I'm about to start looking for a job, I'm hoping the plum branches Shelly brought home will bring me some luck.

In order to invite wealth into our home -- this is also job search related -- I placed nine coins in a red envelope this morning and then put in the apartment's "money corner," which is the back left corner. Shelly is not at all convinced this will work, but then she is skeptical about most everything that cannot be scientifically explained. It really is quite amazing that she married me, a guy who believes in ghosts, UFOs, conspiracy theories and things like red envelopes full of coins bringing wealth into the house.

Many expats get out of town during Chinese New Year (including Shelly, though she's on business rather than holiday). Many shops and most offices shut down for the week and, from what I've heard, there's really not much going on if you're not following the Chinese traditions of visiting family. I'm going to brave the crowds tonight, though, and go to Tsim Sha Tsui for what is supposed to be a great parade, and to Causeway Bay tomorrow night to watch the fireworks over Victoria Harbour. I expect to be fully squeezed and packed into spaces much too small for the number of people them, but that's one of the joys of Hong Kong...