Happy New Year! At midnight last night the Chinese New Year started and it is now officially the Year of the Ox.

This year I am in Beijing during the celebrations and as usual the fireworks were amazing. It was like being in a war zone, inside we could not even hear the sound of the TV anymore after 11 PM (even with our windows closed) and the whole sky was yellow and red because of the fireworks. The weather was perfect this year, a clear sky and enough wind to get rid of the fireworks smog. From our 18th floor apartment we had a good view over the city and I enjoyed the free show.