The start of Chinese New Year – NYE

Tuesday the 8th
The start of Chinese New Year – NYE

Even though the Khmer New Year is later on – April I believe – and despite the fact that we have already celebrated and had a bank holiday for ‘International’ New Year (1st of Jan) we have three days of work this week for Chinese New Year – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Sitting in the office at 07:00 this morning there were only half a dozen of us in [out of 45] it seems that most members of staff seem to have found some obscure family member with a vague Chinese connection and are thus claiming the whole week off of work. Strolling down to our usual breakfast restaurant we were disappointed [?] to find it closed, so dining at the restaurant next door to it we were surprised that it was almost deserted.

Sauntering back to the office I set about my assorted tasks for the day.

Around 11 o’clock I get a phone call from my landlord, Lee, who wants to know where I am.

Odd? It is midmorning, where else would I be but in the office?

Well, he is Chinese and in celebration of the Chinese New Year he is currently loitering on my balcony bearing food for me.

So heading home I am presented with:

o Beef broth with; bits of bone, jellied beef fat the odd gristly bit of beef and black mushrooms - the mushrooms were nice…
o Fried egg noodles with morning glory, shrimps, octopus and beef intestines
o Moon pie - a stodgy fruit and sponge pastry that has to be one of the densest foods known to man; one inch thick and four inches in diameter it requires 4 grown men to lift it and a stomach made out of concrete to consume it

mmm ???