Gong Xi Fa Cai!! Happy Chinese New Year. We have been able to enjoy some of the festivities getting close to the big day tomorrow. Yesterday, we traveled to the new capitals of malaysia in Putra Jaya and learned a lot about the fruit and forests there, lots of huge and different kinds of fruits. We also went to the wetlands and were greeted with a huge rainstorm, after Patty laughed at how weak the rain was coming down. Natures response was quick and adequate!! We also saw the new national mosque and capital buildings which look very much like mosques to show the direction of the government.

About the Chinese New Year, we went to the buddhist temple to see the display of lanterns and zodiac animals, there were thousands of lanterns everywhere and everything decked out in red (lucky color). There were tons of people there and lots of photo opts, and then we prepare now to go for the reunion meal with our friends family. They laid out lots of snacks and thus will go the next few days, eating and talking eating and eating. We are excited to see friends and their families and to eat all kinds of special foods. There is also a total eclipse tomorrow which is a very bad sign in Chinese culture because the sun is the life force and it means 1000X bad luck especially on the first day of the new year. But the year of the ox is for resilence and determination, something we may all need more of with the economy and the way things are going. It will be a new experience to see the new year from in Asia, but not China, maybe in the future.

We wish you many blessings and great joy in all you do.