DURING the week-long May Day holiday I usually hold a party, or enjoy the good weather on outings with friends, but thanks to the SARS epidemic in Beijing this year, I stayed at home the entire May Day holiday. It was no problem finding something to do with my ample spare time, as I can surf the Internet for hours on end. My biggest headache was eating.Having dined in cafeterias and restaurants for the previous ten years or so, I had never learned to cook, but as SARS had begun to spread in Beijing in late April, the cafeteria in my work unit and most restaurants were closed for the holiday.