New Year's eve 2006 (#296, Topic K)

By now, we have lived in our retirement community for more than a year and half. We begin to know other residents (in addition to those we knew before moving in). Today, at noon, 12 residents of Chinese ancestry got together and went to a Chinese restaurant for our year-end dinner, a tradition in China -- except that, being old, this group decided to change the time to lunch, thereby avoiding driving in the evening. The 12 consisted of 3 couples, 2 single men, and 4 single women -- among the 5 men, I was ranked fourth in seniority. Thus, I drove, taking three others and my wife to the restaurant. Traditional year-end dinners are invariably banquets, with each dish symbolizing (through the shape or name of food served) happiness, success, prosperity in the coming year, etc. Ours was no different. The set-menu we selected was intended for 10, but, with each dish being served on a large plate, the food was plentiful -- along with our reduced ability to consume food, about 1/3 of food was left. (Known for my frugality, the group wanted me to bring home the leftovers. Needless to say, I did not disappoint them.) This evening, the entertainment committee in our retirement community held a New Year's Eve party, offering wines, soft drinks, and a movie; attendees were encouraged to bring snacks and such. Since the party was held in the party room in our building's ground floor, we decided to attend, bringing some Asian-style food with us. About 50 were there -- 10 men and 40 women. My wife remarked that the committee chair, invariably fashionably dressed at the door to welcome attendees, was absent. Indeed, it was the vice chair who came to me, after my wife and I each had a plate and were comfortably seated, to suggest that I pour myself a glass of wine. I joked that I had a long way to drove, but accepted the gracious offer and had some pinot noir. Again, the food was plentiful. Before starting the movie, the vice chair announced that the chair's husband died this morning; thus, she could not be with us; still, she wante everyone to have a good time and stay after the movie. The movie, The Devil Wears Prada, an adaption of a best-seller, is on the tense life on New York's high-fashion industry. Though lively and quite educational (to a country cousin like me), it seems far-removed from a run-of-the-mill retiree's daily life. The movie ended at about 10:30. After eating a piece of cake decorated with Happy New Year and a clock at 2 minutes before midnight, we elected to leave. We could no longer last until midnight. After doing this entry, I retired for the day and Year 2006 -- a solid 15 minutes before Year 2007 is ushered in in the East coast of USA. Happy New Year.