Happy Chinese Lunar New Year! “Kung Hei Fat Choi” is a phrase that we use to say to each other most frequently in the new year, it means “Hope you can be rich in all aspects”, now I give this phrase to you with my best wishes =)
So there you have it, “Kung Hei Fat Choi.” If you fold your hands together in front of you and raise them slightly up and down while saying the phrase, you can pull it off. Traditionally, little children are given small red packets with a newly minted coin inside. I was given two!! Although, my coins were chocolate=)
Last night I went to the Chinese New Year parade. I read online that a front row viewing requires a 2-hour early arrival! My group got there about 1.5 hours before the parade, and I was in about the fourth row, give or take some elbows. By the time the parade started, there was a sea of people and I had been standing on the same little square of concrete for what seemed like a very long time. My last memory like this was when our 43rd President stopped in the Troy square and said hello during his “four more years” campaign. After an hour and a half of parade viewing (we are at 3 hours here folks) Whitney was ready to call it a day AND talking about herself in third person. Crowds have never been her favorite way to pass the time.
The parade started from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and ended up at the New World Centre, which she was directly across from. Ok, ok, I’ll stop that. There were some cool drummers that marched by, and quite a few interesting floats and such.
Tonight continued the festivities with fireworks near the harbor. Again, there was quite a crowd, but not as crazy as the night before, since people weren’t pushing to see. I am still not used to the aggressive ways of the city. People walk straight towards me and I feel like I am always getting out of their way. Some has to yield or there will be a collision!
The rows behind me at the beginning of the parade.
Herding into the MTR station after the fireworks.
5 comments:
Haha! Very enjoyable post.
"Kung Hei Fat Choi" to you too!
Whitney,
I've tried to leave a comment three times now- I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Anyway, we wanted you to know that we are really enjoying your blog. I usually read it to the kids at lunch which provides us with conversation and questions, the first of which was...."Where in the world is Hong Kong, anyway?" Good geography lesson. Keep it up!
whit, i love the change you made to the layout.... sweet pic for the header
Really enjoy blog. Good picture taking, Whitney must have pay attention when older brother show how to take photo with good camera. Blog make you seem like not so far away, though you cross big water to Hong Kong. Keep picture and story coming. Ah, I know I find you Whitney! (like my Chinese accent?)
Thanks Luke, Erin, and Jordan =)
Brother Tim, you crack me up!
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