Shanghai Noon!

I just bought a $100 return flight from Beijing to Shanghai for Chinese New Year. When I ring in the year of the ox at midnight the night of the 25th (noon in North America) I will be in Shanghai trying not to be burnt by roman candles and ridiculously unsafe fireworks. I cannot wait to see children lighting fireworks with cigarettes in the middle of the streets and the Bund (the popular area in Shanghai) all aglow. I am meeting a girl who works at another campus at my school and her boyfriend at the hostel in Shanghai which means that I have to drag my ass there by myself. It's funny because I've flown internationally quite a few times for 13-14 hr flights and I am equally as nervous for a little two-hour journey. I also have my ticket in hand for Harbin on Valentine's weekend which I am totally excited about. It's in northern China by the border to Russia and is apparently ridiculously cold this time of year. I will be layering up and looking for the nearest ice bar once I get off of the plane! Happy year of the ox everyone! One more day of work and if I'm lucky and all my kids go home it will only be a half day!!!