Gong Xi Fa Cai and Welcome to the Year of the Earth Dog!
Most of us will be glad to move on from the super-energetic, somewhat chaotic Year of the Rooster. (If you believe such things... and even if you don't, you're probably ready to move on)
The qualities of a Dog Year are harmony, practicality, peace and goodwill, and a Yellow or Earth Dog Year is grounded in fertility and growth. It's not a good time for risks and speculations, but hard work will be rewarded in time.
But if you're anything like me, Chinese New Year is great in theory and in memory but can be pretty stressful in practice.
Often I find I need to get away from people for a bit, ideally to a foot rub place that hasn't closed for the holiday or hiding out in a cafe with a good book... this is a time of year I really appreciate Indian restaurants and fast food chains!
Thank you for reading this. This year I'm also especially thrilled because the Kindle version of Aunty Lee's Meddling and Murder is on sale over the Chinese New Year period for just 99 cents, right up till 26 February
If you'd like to take a break with an e-reader, please take a look!