Well it is beautiful today outside.  There has been a cold snap around here but it is slowly getting less cold, a few days ago it was freezing.  But today, while in the morning it was really cold it has warmed up to merely a bit chilly and with my new scarf and my jacket it is a very nice day, the sun is shining, which in itself is a good thing since every once in a while China's almost perfect enviromental record there can be a smidge of smog on the horizon but today and yesterday it was almost perfect.  Two nights ago I made chicken soup and then last night french onion soup.  Tonight I was going to make chili but i hink my tutoree's(is that right) mother is taking me out to dinner for spicy food because we both like it apparently.  
New Years was spent in hong kong and it was alot of fun, lots and lots of people everywhere.  We went to a few different bars, including one which is a brew pub or something that had a really good house beer that I am blanking on the name so i will have to go back at some point.  They also have escalators that take you up from the harbor into the Soho district which is where there are alot of foreign restaurants, bars, and people.  I found this out after already walking all the way up the streets which are fairly steep but now I know.  I hope everyone had a good new Years wherever they were!
I went walking in the park near me again and caught the tail enf of Aladdin, the disney version, in chinese.  After that they put on a shadow puppett show, not sure of what was going on but there were puppet dragons, small children, chickens, frogs and other things that I did not recognize.  I didn't understand the show but from the laughing I took it to be a very funny show.  
I am going to have to get my hostel in bangkok today or tomorrow and then we also need to book one for Cambodia where I am meeting up with some other friends.  I guess that is about it on this front so I hope you all had a Happy New Year!