Chinese New Year - Happy Year of the Ox!

 I don't think anyone is missing the Year of the Rat.

This was my second Chinese New Year in China, and I thought it was even better than last year's. People always have super creative and colorful lights in their apartment windows, and when you live in the midst of 60-odd highrises, it's especially colorful. 

For context, here is what my apartment complex looks like without all the lights (this was about 3 weeks ago):

And here is what it looked like just a few nights ago, from the same angle:

Some of the windows up close:

Chinese New Year day was a Thursday, and this was probably one of my favorite things about it:

The ordering screen on the app

Here's the still picture. 

Anyway, that evening, a bunch of our friends came over and played Jackbox TV. We toasted the new year, ate some yummy food (and brownies!), and then enjoyed the fireworks display that exploded right next to our patio window. 

After everyone left, I went out walking (like I did last year) to enjoy the fireworks display. I'll try not to spam you with too many repetitious pictures, but I got about 70, and I love most of them. It super beautiful yesterday. 

I can see my window in this picture!

Now, last year (and the year before that), our school had China Week the week before Chinese New Year break, and part of that included everyone dressing up in Chinese clothes. We didn't do that this year (because we're back in online schooling again, ugh), which means I don't have a Chinese New Year picture this year. In lieu of that, I'll just post this picture from October:

Yes, this is me.

If you want the story behind that picture, you'll have to keep up with my Travel Blog!

Anyway, happy Chinese new year, everybody! Hopefully everything gets back to normal soon.