Blame it on Chicago Blizzard 2011

26 Replies

I failed to call my parents on Chinese New Year’s Eve again.

I used to blame it on miscalculation of time zone differences between Chicago and Taipei.

This year I am gonna blame it on the 3rd largest snowfall (20+ inches) Chicago has ever seen.

We had to shovel in the blizzard almost every hour yesterday.

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Mr. Monk vs. Chicago Blizzard 2011

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When I finally got up this morning, it was already 8 am (i.e. 10 pm in Taipei), and this is what I saw outside the window:

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Sigh.

I wanted to go right back to bed and hibernate until the snow melted away on its own, oh, say, a month from now. (Did I tell you that we do NOT own a snow blower? Out of principle? The Husband’s. Not Mine, thank you very much).

Still I dragged myself downstairs. I had to make the call, knowing that I had missed the opportunity to call during the Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, arguably THE most important meal for every Chinese, when all my families got together. Getting my call when everybody was together having Chinese New Year dinner would make up, to a >0 extent, for the fact that I was not there physically. But I had missed the golden window. Sure enough, I found my parents back in their apartment.

“Your brother wanted to call you at 8. But I told him not to because it would have been 6 in the morning your time. Your father wanted to wait for you to call but then it got too late, we had to come home. Your father was tired.” Mom said.

Sigh.

Since I have a flair for the dramatic, I felt I had ruined Chinese New Year and I was more than happy to ignore it. If I did not mention it, my kids would not even notice that Chinese New Year has come and gone. So why bother. I’ve had enough to do all day.

At 5 o’clock, the guilty conscience finally got a hold of me.

“Hey, how about we go to a Chinese restaurant tonight. It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve.” I said to The Husband. “And how about you invite the two Chinese co-workers of yours who are here by themselves? It would make it feel more like Chinese New Year having dinner with them than with our children who would undoubtedly whine about the food.”

The roads are still treacherous and not many cars were outside. Almost all stores and restaurants were closed, including McDonald’s. Thank goodness for the cliche “Chinese restaurants are always open” because it is true.

I am glad that I made the last minute decision to have some semblance of a Chinese New Year’s Eve: We made it to Chef Ping’s and for once it was not crowded; I got to order a shrimp dish AND a whole fish; I did NOT eat one single piece of the stupid General Tsao’s Chicken that we have to order every single time for the kids; I said Happy New Year in Chinese to more than a dozen people in the restaurant and it made me feel so much better, that Chinese New Year is not ruined after all.

I am really deprived, I know.

When I came home, I saw the email from Amanda who told me that her kids get a day off tomorrow for Chinese New Year because that is how they roll in San Francisco. And she sent me this picture of a fellow Taiwanese celebrating Chinese New Year. She at least made Mango a hat. I guess I need to get it together.

I need to go find some red envelops to give to the boys tomorrow. I was supposed to give it to them on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Oh well. They would have had to kneel and kowtow to me and The Husband and wish us long life and stuff before we gave them the red envelops anyway.

I was supposed to buy them new underwear too. I guess what you don’t know won’t hurt you.

Here’s to The Year of the Rabbit!

In case you are wondering what 2011 holds for you according to your Chinese Zodiac signs, here it is.

And for some of you, you’d be excited to know that for the Vietnamese, this year is indeed The Year of the Cat. Yes, that song is for real.

Now… who wants to look at The walking Bunny again?

26 thoughts on “Blame it on Chicago Blizzard 2011”

  2. Miss B

    Bunny. Bunny bunny bunny. Heeeee!

    How about you quit whining about the snow and just send me some of it instead? Every other fucking person in this damn country is getting for-real proper winter this year, except me. I mean, it has snowed in motherfucking _Texas_, for fuck’s sake. *grumpy face*

    (Bunny!)
    Miss B recently posted…Egg FarmMy Profile

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  4. SisterMerryHellish

    I LOVE bunnies, and always wished it was my Chinese horoscope sign, but it sounds like a good year to be a Rat! Hell, some of it sounds like it’s happening already! Hopefully the romance part is on target too!

    Happy belated Chinese New Year to you, Honey Bunny!
    SisterMerryHellish recently posted…Mother Puss Bucket!My Profile

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  5. Marsy

    I think your snow pictures are amazing! I would love to be trapped in my flat for a few days and just watch endless TV, eat all the packets of crisps in the cupboards and sleep 🙂
    Belated Happy New Year, how does it go? Kung Hei Fat Choi!
    Marsy recently posted…NeighboursMy Profile

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  7. dufmanno

    That first photo of Mr. Monk’s barely discernable outline through the thick wall of snowfall makes it look like he’s cocooned inside a protective Mothra type structure.
    That is INSANE.
    I’m glad you are alive, and warm, and still functioning, and seemingly sane.

    I’m disappointed in myself because I said “self, you need to remind Lin to call on the New Year” and then I sputtered out and forgot.
    So “Happy Chinese New Year”!!!!xoxoxoxoxox
    dufmanno recently posted…Dude- I Got Knocked OutMy Profile

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  9. Velva

    Happy Chinese New Year!!! I just smile and laugh through your post.

    I read my Chinese horoscope…I am dragon. I know that because I have read many Chinese food place mats, that told me so. 🙂 Appears, that I should avoid risky behavior this year, and can have an unplanned pregnancy, if not careful.

    Look at that snow!!! Damn, it looks cold too.

    Velva
    Velva recently posted…Honey-Roasted Onion TartMy Profile

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  10. The Reason You Come

    Happy Chinese New Year! The Philippines celebrates it, too, because there are a lot of Chinese-Filipinos here. My family doesn’t celebrate, but we buy “tikoy”. (I don’t know what that is in English.) It’s a sticky rice cake, I think. Well ok, I’m not sure what it’s made of, but I love it! In fact, I’m visiting the folks later and looking forward to having some of that.
    The Reason You Come recently posted…Domestic Bliss and then someMy Profile

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  13. Justine

    Lin, Gong Xi Fa Cai! I was also too preoccupied with the blizzard to work on the CNY fanfare in my house. No new little cheongsam for my toddler and the lanterns aren’t even up – YET. But I do have the hung pao from last year and have plans to make a Chinese dinner tonight, so hopefully that will kinda, sorta, not really make up for the rest.

    I know what you mean about calling the family at home at the right time too, to catch everyone all at once, although that could be a long conversation. I do suffer from homesickness the worst on occasions like these – when my extended family is all together…everyone but me. Waaaa, I know.

    Anyway, hope you have a wonderful Year of the Rabbit all the same. It’s my year! And coincidentally, daughter Number 2 will be born this year, so yay to 2 rabbits in one house. Whatever that means… 🙂
    Justine recently posted…Snowpocalypse 2011My Profile

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  16. b

    The rabbit! I loved reading this blog. My son is living in China right now but trying to get to Chicago then Cedar Rapids to hire teachers for Shanghai American Schools. Isn’t it funny what a small, flat world it is. Like you I feel so near yet so far away! Thankfully we communicate with skype…you could have actually been at the table…well if it hadn’t snowed and the time zone thing….

    Be well. And yes the armadillo was real but the picture was not mine. It came from another blogger. The link is on my website.

    b
    b recently posted…ArizonaCold weather and Hummingbirds!My Profile

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  19. Tom G.

    Happy Chinese New Year Lin!

    Sorry we forgot to remind you to call home! Glad to hear you were able to get out in the blizzard and enjoy it with others.

    PS- I thought this was the year of Nathan Lane?

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  21. Andrea

    I was thinking of you yesterday — the pics on the news made it look quite apocalyptic in your neck of the woods! My husb was at work, so I started the snowblower, but it ran out of gas within minutes. So then I started shoveling, and shoveling, and shoveling. Today I feel every muscle! It’s a workout I’d prefer to have skipped.
    Andrea recently posted…FameMy Profile

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  22. Caro Webster

    Lin,

    Stop beating yourself up!! You are a fab Mama, a great wife (I detect) despite your husband’s idiotic reluctance to buy a snow blower thingey. Buy the red envelopes and the new knickers next week. That way you get to bow to the Rabbit all over again. much love. xx
    Caro Webster recently posted…Go play! In the kitchen with kidsMy Profile

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    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      Thanks Caro! I know. Sometimes I am infuriatingly obsessive and dramatic. I shall go to bed now. I know the boys will be happy to get money in red envelops. That’s always the best part about CNY when I was a kid! xxoo

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