Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Or Gong xi fa tsai for those of you who speak Mandarin. Happy New Year! (a little early). It is the year of the Pig. From Reuters:

Sunday marks the start of the Chinese New Year and it's a lucky one for those starting out in life. But the rest of us are in for a rough ride. Expect epidemics, disasters and violence in much of the world. "The Year of the Pig will not be very peaceful," said Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo. Pig years can be turbulent because they are dominated by fire and water, conflicting elements that tend to cause havoc, Lo said. "Fire sitting on water is a symbol of conflict and skirmish," he said. "We'll also see more fire disasters and bombings." Most soothsayers said the world economy will continue to boom, though they advise people to be cautious about their investments.

That's too bad because after frankly, I've had enough turbulence in my life lately and could use a little calm.

I made a batch of jai yesterday to bring home. Didn't have all the ingredients I needed, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I had more than I remembered (probably from the last time I made it, lol). If you can believe it, I didn't have any black mushrooms, or least not the right kind. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and spend the money. Or maybe I can bum some from Mom. I think she's a little more discriminating in her tastes.