chinese new year of rat

london 9.13pm 6C night saturday 2020

in london the chinese new year is not celebrated that is why today is like any other day.

last night all those chinese in s.e.asia will be firing crackers and making a lot of noise, to frighten the bad spirits away and to welcome the new year  and having big dinners and feasting. at least the rich ones amongst them.

perhaps in china too they are gathering in their houses eating the reunion dinner… but what about those in wuhan, where there is lock down because of the virus? maybe there everything is quiet and gloomy. the annual exodus of workers back to their hometown will not be happening in wuhan. i wonder what it is like for those who are caught up in it. 

but in london everything is like usual. yesterday i went to sleep at about 9.30pm, so if there are celebrations going on i would have missed them. a friend called me at midnight or so, but it was a missed call, and i am glad i was not woken up by it.

nothing here is mentioning it even, the tv has nothing chinese new year about it. no chinese films or anything. no banners or signs anywhere about town  wishing people happy chinese new year, it is as if no one wants to know. 

even the supermarkets are not doing any promotions on a chinese theme , i mean not even selling rice on special sale, or special price noodles for that matter. one supermarket got criticised for promoting the chinese new year with a special on their indian packaged meals. as well as their chinese dishes.

i wonder whether it must be rather galling for the chinese who live here  that no one here is making a fuss about it. i am not fussed, but then i dont celebrate any festival at all, so i must be the exception. but to be fair to them,(whoever they are haha) they are making celebration tomorrow, when trafalgar square and chinatown is the centre of the parade and shows.