Many shop owners and workers take the opportunity to go back to their home towns which can be hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away. It is practically impossible to eat outside. The few dim sum restaurants that remain open would charge a 10, 20 even 30% premium over the regular prices.
Nowadays it seems to be very different. Many shops are indeed closed. Yet there are also many businesses of all types that remain open. Some say it is at least partly because retail businesses and restaurants have lost a lot of money during the pandemic. Some stay open during the Lunar New Year Festival to compensate for, at least a little, the money they have lost. In order to service a little longer, and hopefully for the social distancing to ease.
During a quick tour of our neighbourhood, my wife and I found that you can buy snacks such as fish balls. egg waffles, …
Newspapers and magazines.
Fruits as gifts for visiting relatives and friends.
Vegetables for dinner
Even fancy seafood such as garoupers, lobsters, crabs, scallops, …
Ready to eat roasted pork, Cha Siu, roasted duck, soy sauce chicken, white chopped chicken, …
A new apartment.
Street vendors selling clothing and other household needs are doing a brisk business.
Of course you can worship at the local shrine of the gods who are supposed to look after the neighbourhood.
There are, however, also many lonely people even on the street. How many more are there inside?
Such is the way we spend the first day of the new year. What is the rest of the year going to look like?
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