Elisa asks to listen to the Coldplay song Yellow and I oblige. Soon she is trying to sing a long in a low concentrated voice. She stumbles over most of the words but finds her footing on the words “beautiful” and “yellow”. Driving along with fireworks exploding in the sky and listening to the innocence in her voice it is difficult to keep a steady heart. For a fleeting moment, it is pure.

I was driving Elisa back from a family dinner with Yang’s dad. It is Chinese New Year hear so there is an increase in family visits and fireworks exploding in the sky. Nothing like combining family and pyrotechnics. Our fireworks haul this year is, so far, the lowest of the three years. In years past we went out almost every night and alternated between freezing and burning our fingers. This year, just one night. Yang and I were lucky enough to win a drawing for 1000 RMB worth of fireworks, actual street value maybe 300. It was one of those that shoot high into the sky and explode not dissimilar from small professional shows in the US. We also bought some, to be honest, lame firework tanks that burn and then fizzle out. When we got to lighting the fireworks this year Lydia was a bit scared and ran off. I guess that is a good survival instinct.

The rest of the new year has been pretty low key. The night of the eve is the main family gathering party and we stayed home to have the traditional dumplings and watch the gala TV show. Days before and after the new year were filled with dinner parties and/or mahjong gatherings. In this way it feels more like the Christmas season in the US.  Beijing itself becomes quite livable as the pace slows down to a normal city pace as the population empties out. Traditional people must go visit their family in their hometown and with so many people in Beijing not from Beijing the city empties out. I am super lucky Yang’s family is not that traditional and that she is from Beijing.

Today is day four of the new year and each day has some meaning. I have no idea what today’s meaning is but at least it isn’t marked by eating some delicacy that you only eat on that day. For me it was marked by Elisa singing in the car.