Today is the Chinese New Year. Me and Pat joked that this year is the year of Charlie, Pat’s golden retriever. There isn’t much new year atomsphere here in Vancouver. Unlike HK, the chinese new year is just yet another normal day. If there is no holidays, there isn’t no atomsphere. Althought in recent years, almost every politician has “Kung Hey Fat Choy” commercial aired in TV around this time as a mean to win chinese votes. It is funny to hear “gwai-lo” trying hard to speak chinese. I didn’t visit any relatives or friends since there is no one for me to visit. I did called a few friends, wished them good luck in the coming year and catch up with them. In the age of instant message and skype, the new etiquette is ask before you call. You never know the other side is free to chat with you or not. I feel odd calling other people just to chat over the phone paying long distance, but I can call them using skpye at ease. Festival days are good chances and convinient excuse to keep in touch with your old friends.