Kung Hei Fat Choi! 恭喜發財!

... which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous” rather than "Happy New Year", but I’ll go for that. You see those characters at the top? I’ve got to learn that. Now you know I struggled with Spanish wherein, for example, “todos los ingredientes son naturales’ really does mean ‘all the ingredients are natural.” So what do you think my chances are with 恭喜發財? I will be calling on your Chinese translation services, Kate!

Justine’s mum, Patty, took me to the San Francisco ballet: a beautiful building and a very good dance company. We’re planning to have a Patty/House trip to the Annie Liebowitz exhibition coming at the end of this month. Patty’s a member of the museums so we’re going to see them all on Wednesday afternoon outings while I still have a light school schedule (pronounced ‘shed – yule’ obviously).

Susan and Bernie just sent me a great parcel full of monkey things (pyjamas, slippers, pants), hilarious London postcards, chocolate (my favourite dark chocolate gingers...mmm) and a 70’s music CD. You have no idea how happy that Jackie CD has made two 43-year old women! I was dancing to ‘Love is the Drug’ in my monkey pants!


I was going to put this picture of the dogs, Emma and Lucky, on the blog last week. I took it just after New Year when we went for a walk on Alamo Square overlooking the painted ladies (the old Victorian houses – it’s a San Franciscan landmark which people come to photograph because you can see old and new SF). On Sunday little Lucky Dawg was run over by a car so you can imagine we are a very sad household indeed. He was a real little character and if there is a doggy heaven we hope it’s full of the pigs ears and broccoli which he loved.