The Beginning of a Celebration

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So I met up with my host family at 2pm on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. First we took the MTR to a temple, followed by a stroll through the Chi Lin Nunnery and Garden. It was so beautiful and peaceful there. Then around five o'clock we went to the tea house for the beginning of the New Year celebration or so I thought. I didn't realize that they knew when my birthday was and they surprised me with a delicious cake and gifts. I met all of Ming's extended family. He had three sisters and one brother and their husbands, wives, and children. They all were so nice to me and were able to speak a little english. They had rented the VIP room which started with a couple games of Mahjong, followed by a few karaoked songs. Next came the ten course meal. It started with roasted pig( And I mean the whole pig), followed by a roasted duck, shark fin soup, clams and garlic, scallops and broccoli, rice and noodles, shrimp ( still with their eyes), some seafood dish with coconut,red bean soup, and mandarin oranges. It was quite a celebration. I'm looking forward to the Chinese New Year. It starts in a week and I intend on spending most of it with my host family.

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