A New Year has just begun. In China, Chinese people don't really celebrate New Years, but this year it has been a little bit different, cause government announced a 3-day holiday for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd to be a national holiday (actually the 3rd is a Saturday, but China still see this as an extra off day, don't ask me why! )
It is actually very interesting how China government arrange the national holidays. Since the beginning of 2008, the Chinese government decided that people shouldn't have the 3 golden weeks ( Chinese new year in Feb, May day in May, Labor day in Oct) anymore and that more spreading of the holidays would be good for tourism, the Chinese economy and spreading of the migrants who all wants to go home during these weeks. So one day they just decided to change this. They announced that people should also celebrate "forgotten" festivals as moon festival, dragon boat festival and Qing Ming. I guess this is a good step, cause many young people don't know much about these Chinese fest.
In December, when I was trying to book my ticket for Malaysia I was thinking about the national holidays for 2009. Last year only the 1st of January was a national holiday. After searching for more info about the holidays, without any luck, I assumed that the government will just do the same as last year. Mistake! In China, don't just assume! (I try to tell myself that everyday :) ) At the last moment, exactly the 11th of December, the Chinese government announced in the newspapers the holidays plans for 2009! The 2nd is also a day off!! Couldn't they let me know early? No actually they can't. In China things are decided at that moment, very rapidly and without any warning. Always expect the unexpected, even till the last moment. So this time again, China keeps me on my toes!

p.s Chinese New Year start on the 26th of January