If going to Chinatown on Saturday evening was a bad idea, going on Chinese New Year Eve must make me criminally insane. But for the first time ever, I saw firecrackers go off, had the red bits exploded off them blow into my hair, and inhaled all the smoke. Finally, it felt like an authentic Chinese New Year, save for all the cheongsam-cladded Mickey and Minnie Mice all over the place.

In a few hours, the bai-nian-ing frenzy will begin. Cars will jostle cars on the highways, everyone will fight for parking lots, drivers will be honking at each other as if it helps the congestion any, and my relatives will once again be tut-tutting over my complete inability to speak Cantonese.

GONG HEI FAAT CHOY EVERYBODY!!