Happy Chinese New Years Eve!

Not surprisingly, Chinese New Year hasn't ever been a huge event in my life. Back in elementary school, we got pennies, as I recall, and once we had a lion dance, but since then I haven't had much reason to celebrate it. However, as about half of our house is Chinese, it was quite the event here today. All the Chinese students got together and cooked us all real Chinese food. Real Chinese food is fascinating and very good, as long as you bear in mind that under no circumstances should you ask what it is that you're eating (which is how I once wound up having lobster, shark fin, and jellyfish all in one meal). We were also treated to some delicious green tea that we were all just swilling down until the person who had brought it said she had paid somewhere in the vicinity of $400 for it back in China, which made us all slow down and appreciate it a bit more. It was without a doubt the best Chinese New Year I've had in ages.
In other news, I think I'm going to buy a bike here. Not a nice one, mind you, just a clunker I can ride to the zoo, train station, and suchlike and then jettison at the end of the year. I hear there's some nice paths along the Avon that are worth cycling along too. Plus, biking is just fun. The only downside to my plan is that even the used bike shops around here are selling theirs for upwards of £100, which is a bit out of my price range, so I guess I'll just be watching the classifieds with an eagle eye. What better way to kick off the Year of the Dog?