China's national holiday

One of the things I do every year at this time is to send a note to my Chinese colleagues, wishing them a happy "national day" holiday. This holiday occurs during the first week of October, and officially commemorates the founding of the People's Republic of China, but it's probably more important to most people as a break from work that provides time to visit their family. I always take the opportunity to write to my Chinese colleagues and wish them a pleasant holiday and a hassle-free visit to their family if they're fortunate enough to be able to travel. It's a nice way to stay in touch about something other than "business" and helps maintain a more personal relationship than might otherwise be the case.

Speaking of travel, this is a major time of year for visiting family and friends, so a huge proportion of the population travels home during the first week of October. That can make travel arrangements... challenging, shall we say. October is a lovely time of year to visit China, but my advice would be to avoid going during the first week of October. The rest of the month is a great time to visit, before it gets too cold.

On a related note, this is the time of year when the Montreal Botanical Gardens have their annual festival of the Chinese lanterns. On a clear night with a full moon, it's a magical experience. We like to go during the week, when it's less crowded -- not to say uncrowded, since it's a hugely popular event -- just after sunset, when it's dark enough to fully appreciate the lanterns. There's usually a tea cart that sells jasmine or lotus tea (very soothing on a cold night) and moon cakes (a special treat at this time of year), and we usually munch and sip while watching the reflection of the lanterns on the water. Highly recommended if you're in Montreal at this time of year.