Ash Wednesday to Chinese New Year

It was in Manila on our way home that we noticed the ashed foreheads of the devoted filipinos and realized that is was Ash Wednesday and that we had missed Mardis Gras. Which was sad, but we had been living it up anyway in paradise, so even though we weren't celebrating proper, we were celebrating. And when we flew into Shanghai right at midnight, there were little red poofs of fireworks all over the city signifying the coming of the Rat. Dirty snow and red firecracker paper literally covered the roads on our cabride home. It was late and the whole experience was surreal; four hours took us from a steamy Catholic jungle to an icy cold metropolis, foggy and hazy with the smell of gunpowder. We bolted out of bed at least once an hour, hearts pounding at the sound of explosions. Trying to process it all, but not sure we're glad to be "home" yet. We'll celebrate the holiday with Grant and family tonight and head into what feels like a somber Lenten season. I'm thinking of giving up snorkeling for Lent.