It is New Year's Everywhere

 So much celebrating!  I had no idea what a huge holiday New Year's (or what is also known as the Spring Festival) is in China until spending two weeks there in the midst of it.  The whole country is taken up with it for weeks.  The only thing that I have seen that is similar is Christmas time in Latin America.  The whole country is on the move, everyone returning home to spend time with family and to celebrate.  The decorations abound and the shops are closed, or at least half of them are.  Even the street vendors are away.

The peacefulness of the crowded streets, and the sensation of being very close to others without feeling pushed or shoved is very nice.  I was at a tea house in a crowded part of the old town in Shanghai, and it was just packed, with a long slow line to look at various decorations.  But not once did I feel uncomfortable, and when the line wound it's way to the front of the tea house, we went in and enjoyed an interlude there, looking down on the crowd.  It was quietly joyous, and it was very nice to be a part of that.