I had been thinking of having a small gathering - a pre-New Year's Eve warm-up sort of affair - round at my place this afternoon for a select few friends.
But a sudden spell of foggy and snowy weather over north-east China for the last couple of days may have jeopardised the travel plans of people who were supposed to be returning from visits home in time for the New Year.
And now I discover that the Chinese government has decreed that today should be a working day.
Of course!
The technocrats think:
The Western New Year is of very little interest to our Chinese people, not one of our traditional festivals. But we must start making it a holiday for them, just to show how 'modern' (though not 'Westernized', of course - oh no!) we have become. What's that? It falls on a Sunday this year? Well, let's take a leaf out of the crazy British book of workers' welfare and give our hardworking populace the following day off in lieu. Splendid! Oh, what about lost productivity? Hm, better make the preceding Saturday an additional working day, then... Sorted!
Really. New Year's Day is of no significance in this country at all. Except that, because of it, this year everyone is being forced to take Monday off work, but to work this Saturday instead.
I'm beginning to think 'they' do it just to sabotage my housewarming parties...
2 comments:
So... did you beat The Curse this year?
Well, I decided not to call it a 'housewarming' party, and deliberately kept it very small. But a few people I had expected to be coming weren't able to because of the unexpected having to work on a Saturday thing.
Post a Comment