More happiness today -

The trees outside the teahouse (where the ladies go dancing at night) were in bloom! No leaves yet, but there were pink and white flowers all over the branches. The bees were buzzing around, the air was warm, the sun was shining (kind of), and the sky was blue(ish). What an afternoon! While a lot of the plants stay green all year here, it is nice to see these early signs of spring.

Also, tonight is the Lantern Festival, which marks the end to Chinese New Year celebrations. It is traditional to begin and end the year with a bang, so there are lots of fireworks to mark the occasion. We don't have the best view (a lot of the explosions are hidden behind other buildings) but some went off right across the street.

Fun!

-alan