My Trip to my hometown for the winter vacation & our traditional Spring Festival
By williamjisir
@williamjisir (22819)
China
January 25, 2008 7:20am CST
We finally finished this semester's teaching job today (January 25th, 2008) and had our last school meeting in the big auditorium room for an hour at three p.m. to four p.m. Later we had our school-leaving procedure processed at different departments with their signatures signed or stamped and then we had a wonderful dinner from 4:30 p.m. till 6:30p.m. All of us faculties sat around each table for the new-year-dinner that we call. Each of us had a good time at the dinner today.
Now it is snowing with the temperature below zero outside. I am in my school office now and will soon leave for my apartment to do my luggage-packing job so that I can leave for Hangzhou early tomorrow morning to catch my 10:50 flight (CZ 3522 on 26th, Jan) to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport and will later catch another flight at Baiyun Airport (CZ 3637 on the same day) leaving for my destination---Ganzhou City at 14:45) my hometown for the winter vacation with my family.
I am getting very excited for this and I think that it will take me about two hours for the packing job. The long-expecting winter vacation has finally come to us so that we will all have a relaxing holiday. I will spend my winter vacation with my family and I will get my parents a new refrigerator to replace the old one as I have promised them as a new-year gift to them.
So how many of you friends are having or going to have your holiday? Are you getting excited very much when you are going to have your holiday? To be honest, I am excited and happy as always.
By the way, we will have our traditional Spring Festival soon in more than ten days. Williamjisir is here to wish all of you, my dear friends a very prospective, healthy and happy Spring Festival and New Year as well.
Thanks very much for your response to this discussion of mine with much gratitude in advance. All the best to you, my dear and loved friends.
6 people like this
16 responses
@zigzagbuddha (4601)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I'm not really fond of packing Sir William, so I don't envy you that job! I always end up taking stuff I don't need and needing stuff I didn't take. Plus it always takes 3 times longer than I anticipated, so I'd rather just have plenty of money, that way I could just buy what ever I needed while I was there. And then my bags can just contain gifts for everyone.
I have no doubt you will enjoy your vacation fully! Have fun laughing and relaxing on your visit with your family, I am visualizing a very picturesque town where you will be. Celebrate! Cheers to you my friend!
2 people like this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello my dear zigzag buddha friend. Yeah, I spent about two hours doing the packing job in my apartment, but I just picked some necessary winter clothes and some other stuff that I need to take home to my family. Yeah, I am enjoying my being together with my famliy and this afternoon my wife and I went to visit my parents-in-law and we bought them some gifts, one of which is a heater that is very practical for them to use. We went to the shop and got two heaters, one for my wife and the other for my parents-in-law. I am very glad that they love it very much. Thanks so much for your response, my dear friend. Happy New Year.
@lkbooi (16070)
• Malaysia
27 Jan 08
Hi dear jisir, I could imagine what a wonderful dinner you had got at the departure dinner where all your colleagues gathered warmly together though it was snowing outside with freezing temperature. I did experience the feeling when I was packing the luggage. It must be a mixture of pleasure, excitement and a little bit sadness.
I am sure now you are back at home and enjoying happy family life with your loved ones, especially your beloved wife and lovely son. Your parents must be very happy with the new year gift, a brand new fridge. Coincidently, my hubby had bought a new fridge a week ago. Unlucky, after a couple days I found that the cooling system didn’t work properly. Later the technician found out that the fan inside was not working as a wire in the coil was not soldered properly. I was rather disappointed as I never expected such problem could happen to a refrigerator which was supposed to be one of the famous and established brands imported products.
Here in my place, the school term starts at early January and the students will enjoy few days of relaxing holiday in the coming Chinese New Year.
I did enjoy my vacation last November in Bali with a group of old friends as I had mentioned in one of my discussions earlier. Early this month my hubby and I did spend five days in a hill resort at the main range of my country.
Hi dear friend, everyone is happy to be back in his home town again, as the moon is rounder there. Here I earnestly wish you and your family a very prosperous and happy spring festival.
Gongxifacai(prosperous) and Bubugaosheng (great improvement) to you, my dear friend.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
28 Jan 08
Hello my dear lkbooi. I got back home later in the afternoon on the same day. I was so happy to be home again with my loved ones and last night my wife and I went to have dinner at my parents-in-law's house and after dinner, my wife and I invited them to go shopping and bought them a nice and practical heater and also one for us. They were so happy for the small gift. And today my wife and I went to a large electrical shop and bought the refrigerator that we four had chosen last night for my parents. My parents were so happy and excited to see us back home and the new refrigerator as well. My eighty-two year old father was over-excited and kept saying that his dream to have a new fridge has come true. My wife and I were smiling when we saw him saying so again and again. He was so happy like a kid. I had a nice chat with my mom and dad. I always feel so good to see them happy and healthy.
I am so sorry that the fridge you got had something wrong, but there is no worry, my dear friend. You could return it to the shop where you bought it. Usually we do not have this kind of problem at all as our siblings' fridges are all nice and good. I guess that you have got it renewed already for a different one.
We will have our new-year eve on the sixth of February. I guess that you will also celebrate on this day like we do here in China. The same good wishes to you and your family, my dear lkbooi.
1 person likes this
@lkbooi (16070)
• Malaysia
28 Jan 08
Hi dear jisir, I am really glad to read what you had done after you had got back home earlier. It is true that a small gift could be very meaningful and much appreciated as it symbolizes love and respect. I am impressed indeed to see your 82-yrs old dad to behave like a kid. I could imagine how lovely and touching the scene was? Perhaps it is the happiest moment for us to see our parents happy and healthy. I believe you must really feel relieved as you have finally materialized his dream. Convey my kind regard and concern to him, your mom as well and pass few words to them that a friend far from here wishing them a very happy Chinese new year with good luck and robust health.
In Chinese tradition it is very meaningful to have reunion dinner in the new year eve. It is time when the long separated members of the close family could meet together, normally at the parents’ house. My son and my nephew and his wife who work in another state will be back home right on the eve to join us in the reunion dinner. Yeah, my dear friend, we here do celebrate the Chinese New Year at the same days and the festive atmosphere is as hot too.
Thanks for your kind concern, dear jisir. On the very day when the technician had soldered the loose wire it then started to work pretty well again. It was just a small fault that caused much inconvenience.
By the way, my dear friend, I wonder whether you had bought your new fridge at the right time. Why not on summer? Lol.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
18 Feb 08
Hello dear lkbooi. Thanks again for the response and also I wish you and your family a very happy Spring Festival. My parents are used to using the fridge for more than sixteen years. The fridge is used all the time of the year, non-stop. So it is with my own family. My father wanted to get a new one as he knows that new fridges save much more electricity than the old one. If I had not bought one for him, he would have bought one for themselves as well without waiting for me. I also wanted to get them a new one as a new-year gift to please my parents. I will never forget the happy moment and the words my father said when he was touching the new fridge, murmuring to himself that he had finally got a new one that he had been expecting, so cute an old father. Thanks, my dear friend.
@cheongyc (5072)
• Malaysia
21 Feb 08
It's really great to have a 10 day vacation for spring festival. Here in my country, we only have 2 days for the 1st & 2nd day of the lunar new year. We need to apply leave so that we could have extended holidays until the 5th day or 6th day. There was only once I have my holiday until the 15th day of new lunar year. It was back in 1996, after my secondary school final examination. We got 3 months rest before we could resume our further study either in college or university. At first I opt for pre-u study in my own school, while applying for local university & college. After 1 month of study in my pre-u class, I got an offer from one of the local university. I feel so glad because studying in local university is much more cost effective compared to studying in university abroad. This will lighten my parent burden a lot.
1 person likes this
@cheongyc (5072)
• Malaysia
21 Feb 08
It's really not enough. I personally feel that we chinese should have at least 5~6 days rest. What you said is right, it's because chinese are minority in our country (only ~20% of the total population) and only 2 days are declared as public hoiday. But most of us will take additional off days and will be back to work after the 5th or the 6th. I recall the university of my cousin was having final exam on the 2nd day of the lunar new year. They really don't know how to respect other people's culture and tradition. Imagine bearing the stress and worry of final exam on the 1st day of the lunar new year!
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
21 Feb 08
Hello dear cheongyc. It is really too short for the spring festival for you to have only two days' rest. I think that it could be the reason that this festival in your country is not treated the way our government does? Usually government staff can have an-8-day holiday in our country. Now I am back to school to work after 21 days' vacation at home. I feel refreshed from the vacation. Thank you very much for your response, dear friend.
@Madona1 (2096)
• Gibraltar
26 Jan 08
Hello William, I will be excited if we are going to have a vacation as I am a full time working mother and only have 25 days annual leaves in total a year. Therefore, I have to well arrange our family vacations so that we can make the most of it. Normally I will spend the time during July and August when there is no school for my child. And I have to save some leaves during Christmas and New Year’s period so that I can be with the family. The rest of the leaves will be spent if my child is sick or for other reasons. Anyway, wish you have a happy Chinese New Year and wonderful spring festival.
@Madona1 (2096)
• Gibraltar
28 Jan 08
Hello William, it is nice to hear from you again as I thought you won't be onine after the New Year. Please don't feel sorry me for not having many annual leaves, since I may consider changing my job to be teacher in future...frankly, my eyes start rolling after knowing you have so many holidays...Anyway, have a good holiday!
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello dear Madonal. I am so sorry that you do not have that many holidays as we teachers have. We have our long summer vacation and more than twenty-day winter vacation. Besides we have our National Day holiday as many as five days and some other traditional holidays. The holidays are always very exciting to me and most of the other people as it is a very good time for us to meet our family and friends. I also wish you a very happy new year, my dear friend.
@youless (112123)
• Guangzhou, China
28 Jan 08
I think right now you are already in your hometown. It is nice to spend the Chinese New Year with your family. Fortunately you took by airplane. Perhaps you don't know, the trains stop because of the heavy snow in northern provinces. There are quite a lot of people stay in Guangzhou railway station and everywhere it's just so crowded. I am afraid that they are unable to go home to have Chinese New Year with their families. What a pity! I also heard that the tickets won't be sold at least until Chinese New Year Eve. It is cold and sometimes there will be light rain. It is very suffering to wait there in vain. It is so disappointed that people have to stay there and nobody knows when the transportation will be back to normal.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
28 Jan 08
Hello dear youless. I got back home on the same day and I enjoy the fast speed back home on the two flights. Yeah, when I was watching TV this afternoon, I saw that many people are still delayed from going back home because of the heavy snow and icy roads. It is so awful. Compared with them, I have to say that I am very lucky to be at home now with my family. I hope that this snow will stop soon and the weather will get warmer for the snow to melt soon so that people can get back home without having to suffering from the bad weather. Thank you so much for the response. Please enjoy yourself with your family.
@leeesa (884)
• United States
28 Jan 08
Have a safe trip back home and a wonderful time with your family! Unfortunately, no holiday or vacation for me until at least May. It's all work, work, work until then. I do have a business trip next week though. I'll be attending a 3 day training session in another state, so it will sort be like a vacation since I'll be away from home.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
28 Jan 08
Hello dear leeesa. Thank you so much. I am now back home with my family. But I am so sorry that you do not have as many holidays as I can have. Many of my friends and neighbours admire me for having more than three months vacation a year. I hope that you will have a very nice business trip next week. Thanks again, my dear friend.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
27 Jan 08
Have a safe trip my friend williamjisir! And have a great time! I have my little holiday soon too, I go to my retreat by the sea about four times a year, I don't like this time of the year as I suffer from the Winter blues so I always book a break in February, something to look forward too, it's just for a long weekend Thursday to Monday and I am travelling with friends by train, I can't wait, I have so much fun and relaxation. It's great to be excited about something, makes life well and truly worth living my friend!
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
28 Jan 08
Hello my dear friend, wolfie. I got back home on the same day. I am so happy that you will also have your little holiday soon with your friends. I wish you would have as much fun and relaxation with your friends. Have fun, wolfie.
@SViswan (12051)
• India
26 Jan 08
Oh wow! Happy New Year and you must be looking forward to meeting the family and spending time with them.
How long do you have this winter break? We had our winter break last month for 2 weeks. The next long vacation will be the summer break for 2 months in April and May.
Wish you a happy Spring Festival (hope you can elaborate more about it).
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello dear SViswan. I will only have 22 or 23 days for the holiday from 26th of January to Feb 18th. Then we will have our class on the 20th. So your holidays are different from ours. We have our summer vacation on July the 5th till August the 25th and we have a few more days for the welcoming of the new students before we have our Autumn semester on September 1st.
Usually it is a very busy time for us to make some preparations for the Spring Festival, which is almost the same as your Christma festival, I think. Thank you so much for your response. Happy New Year.
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
25 Jan 08
when that time of vacation, i really feel enjoy & flying in my happeness specially for my parent, i remember my first vacation for how many years working abroad when i step my foot in the aircraft i feel that im near home & my tears just suddenly come, with no reason im so excited to see them, wish you a happy vacation my friend.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello my dear Ohara. Yeah, it is always so pleasant for us to be with our family and so sad to have to leave them. I still remember the first time when I had to leave them for my working place, I was so upset and was not used to the working place, but after years I got much better. My parents are always upset when I leave for my school and happy when they hear that I will come back. I visited my parents-in-law today and will visit my parents tomorrow morning. Thanks very much for your response, my dear friend.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello dear vanities. It is so good to be near with your family, which I am dreaming of. But anyway I am still very happy to be working in the place, where it is in the Yangtze Delta for its advanced economy and more convenient traffic. By the way, I got home safely yesterday afternoon. Thank you very much for your nice wish.
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
26 Jan 08
hi william! ^__^
looks like you are really excited for your holiday vacation. since we don't get a holiday for the Chinese New Year, work still continues and that's what i will be doing during the Chinese New Year. but it sure sounds fun to join in your Spring Festival. ^__^ what exactly do you do during that festival? how do you celebrate it?
don't forget the refrigerator you promised to your parents. ^__^ have fun during your holiday vacation william! take care!
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello dear secret friend. I am now very excited with my family and my wife and I booked a nice refrigerator this evening and tomorrow morning we will go to my parents home together in the truck that will send the refrigerator to my parents' home. I am sure that they will be very happy to see us back home to see them with the nice and new refrigerator. Tomorrow we will spend with my parents and will come back to our own home in the evening. Getting excited to see them. Thanks so much for your response, my dear friend. Take care.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
25 Jan 08
Hello my dear friend williamjisir. It sounds like you had a wonderful last day of the semester. The dinner must have been enjoyable for you and your colleagues. I know that you have been really looking forward to meeting up with your family in your home town. So you have to take two flights to get there. I hope that your journey will go well and that you will have a fantastic time. The weather sounds very cold. Happy New Year and Traditional Spring Festival.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello my dear friend. Thanks so much for your nice wish to me. By the way, I got back home yesterday after and I enjoyed my flight journey very much, so fast and comfortable to travel on a plane though it is much more expensive than to travel on a train. It is worth the flight. Happy New Year to you and your family as well.
@marketing07 (6266)
• South Korea
25 Jan 08
ni hao my friend william i wish you all the joy for this comming festival "oh i love the moon cake in china"i know the feeling of being far away from home it was a mixed emotion,,,again...happy spring festival and cong xi fa cai
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Thanks so much for your nice wish. I am glad to tell you that I am home with my family now. I got back home at four thirty yesterday afternoon. By the way, I guess that you also have the traditional Spring Festival in your family as you have a Chinese grandma. I also wish you a very Happy Spring Festival and GongXiFaCai.
@cuixiao0601 (89)
• China
26 Jan 08
hello my dear friend,haven't see u for a long time for i am always busy with my job ,i can only begin with my 7-days holiday a week later.thank you for your topics ,wish you and me a happy spring festival.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
27 Jan 08
Hello dear cuixiao. I am so sorry that you will have only seven days' holiday during the Spring Festival. I think that it is too short as this is our most important holiday of the year. I wish you and your famliy a very healthy and happy Spring Festival.
@ssh123 (31073)
• India
25 Jan 08
It was indeed a great pleasure going through the happenings at your place. It is nice to go back once a while to hometown. It refreshes you best and brings in memories of the past, meeting people with whom you have grown to be a man.
Our vacation (holiday) starts during last week of March, when schools close for almost 2 months. That is the time, it is difficult to get train bookings, bus owners hike 100% on bus fare (except for Government bus).
However, by doing all that, the happiness one gets when one reaches hometown cannot be explained and it is to be experienced.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
25 Jan 08
Hello my dear friend ssh. I am so happy to have got your response as the first responder and I am glad to know that you are at mylot with your friends for interactions with each other. So schools in your area have already started the vacation already. Yeah, here in our school, some students left for thier home as early as eight days ago, and very few are still here for the final-term exam. I am happy that my job is done and will start to enjoy my vacation till Feb 16th and will have to go back to school on the 17th. We will start our new school term on the 20th of February. Thanks so much for your response, my dear ssh. Good luck and stay happy as always.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
25 Jan 08
Hello dear carol bee friend. I thank you very much for your nice wish. Yeah, I will have a wonderful holiday in my hometown. I miss my family and my old parents very much. Have a good day, dear friend.
