Happy New Year of the Cat 2023 — wishing everyone a peaceful and lucky new year.

This year I’ve completed two full 12-year cycles — time flies, I’ll be old before I know it. Here’s my Tet holiday diary.

I only got off work on the 27th of Tet and went home to celebrate with family; on the 28th I finally had time for a haircut, buying peach and kumquat trees, and cleaning the house (┬┬﹏┬┬)

I grew my hair out for Tet this year (❁´◡`❁). After the cut I bleached it a bit to make the color pop. The bleaching process deserves to be called painful. First I bleached it blonde, then added a violet tint — but I had to rinse before the dye had fully set to take my family peach-tree shopping, so the color didn’t turn out as planned. Then I decided to bleach once more for a smoky gray. Three rounds of bleach in total, and my scalp hurt like never before U_U

Year-end dinners and New Year greetings with friends and family (❁´◡`❁)

Three silver-haired buddies snapping a souvenir photo (～￣▽￣)～ everyone looks cheerful except me, pulling a debt-collector face (╬▔皿▔)╯

The guys taking a group photo o( ＾皿＾)っ Hehehe…

On the 29th of Tet I had a year-end dinner with my gym buddies

On the 2nd day of Tet, relatives from my father’s side came over with New Year wishes. We ate and drank happily (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ). Only downside: I was too busy drinking and forgot to take photos — just one incomplete group shot for memory ⊙﹏⊙∥

On the 5th I met up with my middle-school classmates; everyone shared stories about their lives, and all seem to be doing well.

Know how to chop a chicken and you’re ready for marriage, right everyone (￣y▽￣)╭ Ohohoho…..

Visiting temples and pagodas, spring sightseeing in the new year

The statue of Buddha Emperor Tran Nhan Tong on Yen Tu mountain, sitting near the summit

Every year my family goes to Yen Tu mountain (these days it’s mostly the cable car, hiking second :D :D ). Even with the cable car, climbing to the top of Yen Tu still earns the name “leg day” (●’◡’●)

This is Dong Pagoda on the summit of Yen Tu, over 1000m above sea level

This is Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam province, with beautiful scenery

On the last day I stopped by Hoanh Mo border gate, connecting to China’s Dongzhong gate.

A short 3-day spring trip to kick off the new year — hoping it brings luck and that this year’s plans come through

This year I couldn’t spend Tet with my little girlfriend, which was quite sad.

Wishing everyone a healthy, peaceful, lucky new year — may all your wishes come true.