Week 22: V

I knew it would be difficult to find anything beginning with V in Chinese. The "v" sound doesn't exist, which is why I keep hearing about wideo games. Oddly enough, I'm going to Italy next, where they pronounce their w's as v's. Come on world, can't we all just get along?

W will be a little shaky, too, but I promise an excellent X, Y and Z.

I still have two more days to find a better V, but in the meantime, I will show you preparations for what the Chinese will be celebrating on VALENTINE'S Day. February 14th just happens to be Chinese New Year this year.  Here are some of the lights that they have put up near Olympic Square:

When you drive down the main street at night, every available tree is just draped in glittering lights. It's VERY beautiful.

2010 is the Year of the Tiger. (Picture from our VISIT to the zoo, where you could pay about $20 to throw a live chicken into the tiger area):

Spring Festival also means VACATION. I'll be heading to Qingdao (for those of you who learned geography by drinking beers from around the world, this is where they make Tsingtao beer) for two days and then Shanghai for a few days, beginning on February 11.