The Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver's Chinatown is my favorite festivity of the year. It is a tradition for Neil and I to join my brother and his family for the day to watch the parade and eat way too much yummy Chinese food at Hon's House of Noodles, of course. My niece, who is 5 years old, absolutely loves the fried jellyfish at Hon's. This year was a particularly wet and cold day, so many of the dragons (or lions or dogs, oh my!) had clear plastic bags on their heads to keep them dry. I wonder how they could breathe under there.
Why do I love participating in Chinese New Year activities? It's the community and intercultural sharing that fulfills my need to celebrate diversity. It's the amazing dragon dancers and fan dancers and the incredible living art that appeals to my desire to be surrounded by beauty. It's the acknowledgment of the powerful lunar cycles that speaks to my intuitive side. It's the opportunity to see things for the first time, with a fun new theme. Forget setting resolutions that can easily be broken. I am all for bringing in the new year with a focus on ideals and virtues. In 2009, our guide is the Ox. Qualities commonly associated with the Ox are honesty and candidness. When I think "Ox", the words that come to mind are hard-working (my mom grew up on a farm where they used a pair of oxen to help plow the fields), boldness and being steadfast. I look forward to a year of practicing perseverance, commitment to truth and yoking my strengths to benefit the greatest good.
The Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver's Chinatown is my favorite festivity of the year. It is a tradition for Neil and I to join my brother and his family for the day to watch the parade and eat way too much yummy Chinese food at Hon's House of Noodles, of course. My niece, who is 5 years old, absolutely loves the fried jellyfish at Hon's. This year was a particularly wet and cold day, so many of the dragons (or lions or dogs, oh my!) had clear plastic bags on their heads to keep them dry. I wonder how they could breathe under there.
Why do I love participating in Chinese New Year activities? It's the community and intercultural sharing that fulfills my need to celebrate diversity. It's the amazing dragon dancers and fan dancers and the incredible living art that appeals to my desire to be surrounded by beauty. It's the acknowledgment of the powerful lunar cycles that speaks to my intuitive side. It's the opportunity to see things for the first time, with a fun new theme. Forget setting resolutions that can easily be broken. I am all for bringing in the new year with a focus on ideals and virtues. In 2009, our guide is the Ox. Qualities commonly associated with the Ox are honesty and candidness. When I think "Ox", the words that come to mind are hard-working (my mom grew up on a farm where they used a pair of oxen to help plow the fields), boldness and being steadfast. I look forward to a year of practicing perseverance, commitment to truth and yoking my strengths to benefit the greatest good.