The Years Keep Coming

Happy 2012, everyone. Where did 2011 go? I spent the first five months of the year in northern Maine, one month in southern Maine, and the last six months in Guangzhou.  How time flies.

Now, you might have notice from the title of this blog post that I had Smash Mouth's "All Star" stuck in my head today. A little quality time with Google has informed me that the song was released in 1999. This makes me feel a bit old, as I can remember that song coming out and being on the radio all the time. Google also tells me that Smash Mouth peaked around Y2K and hasn't really done too much in the last six or seven years. Ah, well, things change. Now we have Justin Bieber instead of the Backstreet Boys and Lady Gaga instead of Britney Spears. I think I'll stick to folk music.

There really isn't much to say about the last four days. On New Years Eve, I went out with some coworkers and friends-of-friends for Indonesian food. Then we stopped by a dim sum place for dessert (yum, sweet bao filled with egg yolk custard). Then we went down to the riverside and walked along it down to the Canton Tower. It was lit up and pretty as ever, but I didn't realize we were going down there, so I didn't take my camera. We found a little restaurant near the festivities with big screens showing the magic show/etc going on inside the tickets-only area and we sat and had popcorn and drinks while we waited for midnight. Midnight itself was... anticlimactic. Other than the happy new year wishes of fellow tables, there were no fireworks and no Auld Lang Syne or equivalent. We walked home in a flood over other revelers and thus began a new year.

And, of course, I get another new year in a little less than three weeks. Everyone assures me that Spring Festival is when Guangzhou has fireworks. All the little paper goods stores have grown riotous displays of red and gold decorations seemingly overnight. When asked about their hopes and dreams for the new year in class this week, most of my students expressed a desire for lots of "lucky money" (red envelopes full of money that adults give to children during Chinese new year). It looks and sounds like it will be quite fun. On the other hand, next year is the year of the dragon, which is my sign. Alas, superstition dictates that it will be an unlucky year for me. Only time will tell if this is true, but considering my 2012 new year resolution is to worry less, and work on the pursuit of happiness, I think I will not worry unduly about it.