Snow, Snow, Snow - at the beginning of Chinese Rabbit Year

It was the end of January. Chinese people were expecting a special holiday - the Spring Festival. According to the lunar calendar, 2011 is the Rabbit Year. Though my 3-and-a -half-year-old daughter Joyce has never been to China to experience the atmosphere of the festival, she was the most excited one in the house since I had kept telling her all interesting stuff about the Spring Festival. This year is very special for us whole family as well. My parents came to Columbia to stay with us and it was a family reunion time in the foreign country.

We scheduled a get-together for the celebration of our unique tradition on the New Year's Eve and invited as many as 10 friends to come over to my place, including several Americans in town. It is such a honor to have people who have helped us Chinese students and visitors a lot all year round. I really appreciate those native English speakers with high respect and better understanding of Chinese culture.

The weekend before the Spring Festival involved a lot of preparing and cooking for the get-together. Joyce was willing to help me around. The last year has been busy and hard for my family. So many changes. My husband moved to NY for his new job and Joyce came from St. Louis to live with me. She started preschool as a non English speaker. I myself have been trying the best to be a good mother, a dedicated graduate student, and a reliable employee. Everything went well so far. After several months in the preschool, Joyce has picked up English very fast and learned how to communicate with people from outside of my family. She is not much intimidated by the English environment anymore. At the turning point to a new year, we really need to celebrate - for all the achievement we have made.

The unexpected blizzard comes one night before the New Year's day, causing quite much trouble. My friends are trapped in their homes unable to come out! Few would like to brave the road for the party. As a result, our get-together was called off. The snow was such an upset for us, but, Joyce can always have fun, even in the freezing weather!

While I was sweating to dig my car out from the 13-inch snow, Joyce and her grandparents decided it would be great fun to slide down the slope in our back yard. Fortunately, my neighbor lent her sled to them. I bet that Joyce is only one of hundreds of kids who "enjoy" the weather. Schools are closed. Travel was almost impossible (though I still drove to KOMU-TV Tuesday night for my web shift). But it doesn't matter. Heavy snow often brings enjoyable time to kinds who are not deterred by the cold.

In Chinese belief, the snow coming around the New Year indicates prosperity in the coming year. We are lucky enough to see and feel the snow - probably the heaviest one in the last 30 years. When the sky clears after the storm, the sunlight is just so cozy and lovely.

Snow, snow, snow - just to welcome the Chinese Rabbit Year. Here you may see the precious moment I captured :)