Bunny Hop

Even though we arrived in the Year of the Tiger, a fortuitous year that brought good news for both of us, and much sought after academic accomplishments for Z, it is well established that this is my year to explore: The Year of the Rabbit.

I have also deemed this year:

The Year(s) of Before We Have Kids

The Year of Before More Responsibilities

The Year of Before A&Z Truly Become Adults (will that happen in the next decade?) 

The Year of Making Decisions and Not Making Decisions 

The Year To Look Back On

The Year of Making A Fool of Myself, Not on Purpose, on Several Occasions

The Year of Trying Newer Foods

The Year of Perhaps Not Allowing Loud Neighborly Sounds and General Apartment Living-isms to Annoy Me

The Year of Updating My Resume

The Year of Learning More About Me and My New Hidden Talents

I have also decided that from this year forward, I will make any resolutions starting only during the Chinese New Year and no sooner, no matter my geographical position on this planet. The Eastern Standard Time New Year is all well and good, but making promises to myself on the eve of December 31 can easily be postponed a month or so. This way those promises won't be broken until later into the calendar year. Logic prevails!

bunny bunny

Now that the Chinese New Year preparations are in full effect all around the city, I too, of course, want to be prepared. That means for 2011, in the year of the rabbit, it's all things bunny for this girl. So, besides the red lanterns and paper decorations I have picked up from the grocery store, this little gem of a bag had to be mine. I saw a variety of them in the window of LeSportsac in Sanlitun Village the other day; how could I walk away without my own little Chun Jie (Spring Festival/New Year) souvenir? 

Have you ever seen happier bunnies preparing for Chun Jie in all your life? They have even invited a Chinese dragon to celebrate with them (see him, in the lower left hand corner?).  It sums up the Chinese New Year so nicely for 2011: bunnies watching and setting off fireworks; bunnies eating candies, cakes and yummy jiaozi; bunnies with red lanterns; bunnies wearing new red clothing, fashioned with red accessories; bunnies giving out gifts of red envelopes with even dollar amounts of money for good luck and to ward away evil spirits; bunnies carrying red and gold diamond shaped paper posters to welcome prosperity, wealth, health and happiness in the New Year! 

And you thought it was just a silly little purse with silly little bunnies.