Chinese Acrobats torturing themselves for tourists, Fall 2008.
Epcot, China
Walt Disney World
Photo by Katy
Today, and for the rest of the week the people in China are celebrating the new year. It is the year of the OX, whatever that means.
I have to confess that I'm not Chinese. I don't celebrate the Chinese new year. I don't know what it means that this is the year of the OX. The Chinese zodiac has always confused me. Still I know that it is their new year because all of the agents that I deal with in China are not in their offices today. They aren't there today and they will not be there for the rest of the week. Even the Beijing office of my law firm is closed.
It is times like these I want to not just step, but leap of the bandwagon. China, a nation that generally treats it citizens like pawns in an international game of chess can find it in his stone cold heart to grant a week long holiday to its people. For one whole week the nation of China will not be checking its e-mails or listening to voice mails.
Yet, somehow, miraculously... the world is not going to end.
Bravo China. Well played.
1 comment:
The Chinese do not celebrate Thanksgiving and many Chinese do not acknowledge either Christmas or the Gregorian New Year. I think their own major annual festival is something we shouldn't begrudge them even if we do not necessarily understand it or share their enthusiasm.
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