WeChat ID theBeijinger About Feature Expect Something Fresh Every Time! We quiz some long-term Beijingers on how they intend to spend this year's Chinese New Year and hopefully uncover some horror stories along the way. 过年How, y'all? Anete Elken is one of Beijing's improv scene all-rounders. Besides founding the all-female improv group Beijing Broads, she also takes part in Beijing Improv bilingual performances. We asked Elken to divulge some of her Spring Festival stories, and it seems that the fast thinking skills necessary for improvised performances have helped her to tackle real-life troubles.What's your full name and where are you from?My name is Anete Elken, and I'm from Estonia.What does your average CNY entail? Where are you headed this year?I have been in Beijing for almost five years. Half of the time I have left China to go home, or on a vacation to a nearby country (for example, last year I went to Thailand), but this year I have decided to stay in Beijing and just enjoy the quiet city and (hopefully) clear skies. Also, it's quite pricey to travel during this time, as everyone else is traveling.I'm quite excited to stay in town. I'll still be working, but it should be pretty laid-back, which will leave me time for working out, reading books, practicing improv with the other improvisers in town, and so on. We're also having a little CNY party with a bunch of colleagues and friends that will definitely include dumpling making and watching 15 minutes of the CNY Gala. Anete Elken (center) performs as part of the Beijing Broads all-female comedy troupe Tell us about a particular CNY nightmare that you've encountered.Honestly, all my previous years I have not encountered a CNY nightmare. I've never been to a nongcun and have never been forced to consume large amounts of baijiu during the festival. In 2015 most of my friends were out of town, so I didn't have much to do and binge-watched all of the Game of Thrones seasons that had come out by then. I managed to catch up with the series! Which dishes do you particularly look forward to gorging on every year? I do love a delicious freshly made jiaozi. The rest of the CNY dishes don't excite me that much.What are three tips for avoiding the excesses of eating and drinking that CNY is defined by? Just don't eat and drink when you don't want to. Easy. If people won't leave me alone and keep forcing me to eat and most importantly drink, I always tell them that I am preparing for a marathon (which is not a lie) and I am on a strict meal plan that bans all strong alcohol (that's a lie). And somehow they respect that. And even if you do eat and drink too much – that's ok too. Usually accepting this will help me just listen to my body and do what's good for it. How do you deflect awkward family questions?With humor, feminism, and wit.When are you getting married?Me: "OMG, look there, is that Godzilla?!"What are you going to spend your hongbao haul on?Oh, I am going to the Manila Improv Festival in March and taking as many improv workshops there as possible. Will need a lot of hongbao for that. When I come back, the Beijing Broads' shows will be even funnier than before! Do you think this year's New Year Gala will include: racism, sexism, ageism, or all of the above?Possibly all of the above.What do you predict the Year of the Pig holds for you?Hopefully some changes and surprises and lots of laughs! READ: “In Improv You Have to Accept the World That is Given to You” Images courtesy of Anete Elken, gfycat.com, thegirlfriend.com, radiichina.com Want to know what awesome events are happening in town? Scan/Extract the QR code above to get the list of our Editors' Picks. Got something to sell? Looking for a job? Or an apartment? Then scan/extract the QR code above to visit our Classified Ads. Do you have what it takes to be a True Runner? Scan/Extract the QR code above to check out our current job openings.   The Beijinger Always Something Fresh Scan/Extract the QR code below to follow us! Go to "Discover" > "Top Stories" > "Wow" Posted Sending Scan with WeChat tofollow the Official Account