Dom, Tan, Leilei, and Xixi in China: New Year's Eve and monkey alcohol

Well today it was New Year's Eve (Chu Xi), and although I'd been invited out by a friend, Ling Ming had pinged me to eat with them and as it is traditional to eat with family I said I would. So they came to pick me up at 5ish as I was at Lin Hong's place. Of course it wasn't that simple and they said to meet by the large bins outside but I couldn't find them. Finally I just sent a picture of where I was and his wife Nong turned up in her car and we drove to her parents' place.

Most houses have these huge incense sticks outside to remember the dead

Family meal with Ling Ming and his wife Nong

I was a bit worried about drinking arrangements as Ling Ming had told me in December that his wife didn't let him drink alcohol, but there was a pack of six cans of 1998 luckily, and even better, he was allowed to drink a few glasses, together with some other bloke. But during the whole meal the three of us only had those six beers. Until an uncle brought out a large bottle and said it contained monkey-alcohol. I genuinely thought he was joking for a bit but no, they put the body of a monkey into a vat of booze for a couple of years or so and then drink it. Of course I tried a little...it wasn't dreadful but I wouldn't have said it tasted of monkey...not that I would have known.

Monkey alcohol of course

Li Kun had pinged me to go to drink with him and as I was pretty sober I made my excuses and got a lift home a bit later, from where I took the dian dong che the long 10 minute drive to his elder brother's place I'd visited a year or so ago. It was much more of a fun affair sinking the 2.8%ers and playing with the kids. I'd had the presence of mind to withdraw some cash and also bought some red envelopes, and even though there was no countdown to midnight when we went out to watch the fireworks I handed three red envelopes to each of Li Kun's kids, and got big kisses from his youngest son. Li Kun then berated me for putting 100 kuai in each envelope as apparently now it is only appropriate to put in 20 kuai, otherwise other people giving red envelopes might feel bad. Whatever, I told him I don't see his kids that often but in fact I've seen them more than Andrew's kids in the last couple of years.

Cooking bbq at Li Kun's elder brother's house as you do on New Year's Eve

Around 1am we went to his studio where the kids were still wide awake, and quaffed a few more beers until I noticed that Nong had pinged me to wish me a Happy New Year. She was out of course and presently at 2am I asked if she still was, and this being Pingguo, yes she was, at the youcha place by Xiao Bai de Tian's so of course I drove over as Li Kun was taking the kids home. It was a cool 90 minutes with her and a mate and the boss...not too much ganbeiing and eventually we called it a night at getting on for 3.30am. I think I went back to Lin Hong's place after that but can't be sure.