Today things are really gearing up for Chinese New Year. Alot of people get half days at work, and all the stores and streets are crowded. The whole city is decorated for CNY, with red hanging lanterns and orange trees and trees that have no leaves but are decorated with lai see packets. They are selling sweets everywhere, and red melon seeds and all types of "puddings". I tried a mini pudding yesterday, and it was sweet and very sticky and gooey. It didn't have anything suspended in it, but lots of the puddings do. Some of theme appear to have meat and other savory things suspended in them! I haven't tried those ones...The picture of the orange tree below was taken in the lobby of out apartment building. Our doormen decorate our building for every holiday, and they went crazy for CNY. I wanted to take a picture of the flower stand outside our house, they are overflowing with orange trees and willows and 5 pointed gourds, which are supposed to be lucky for the New Year. The word orange in Chinese sounds like the Chinese word for luck, so the trees are lucky for the New Year. The 5 pointed gourds are supposed to bring 5 generations of happiness. I am not sure what the willows are for. Anyway, all of these plants look glorious together at the flower stand, so I wanted to take a picture, but I am afraid of the toothless old woman that runs the stand! She is tough, and will follow you down the street and yell at you about the flowers. Plus, she overcharges me so much! I feel like she eyes me the whole time when I get in or out of a cab in front of our building. Like she is thinking, "Look, that spoiled gwei lo takes taxis...she is so rich, she must pay 30 US dollars for 10 willow branches."
Today I went down to the bank to get brand new bills to put in the lai see packets Matt and I are giving out. Apparently, for CNY everyone gives red envelopes (lai see packets) filled with money (the bills must be brand new) to younger relatives or to their employees. You are supposed to give them to your doormen and maids. The thing is, we have like 10 door men! I can't keep track of them all! I have a few favorites, of course, but I can't leave some out. Anyway, the bank was full of people trying to exchange their bills for brand new ones, and they were out of 20s. I went to three banks before I found one that still had new bills! I am excited to give my lai see packets out, I bought pretty red ones with gold writing on them.
Tomorrow Matt and I are leaving for Phuket! I am so excited...it is going to be wonderful. We will just stay at the beach and eat Thai food and get massages. Yay! The weather has been so gray and cold here, it will be nice to be somewhere sunny and warm. I think I am getting claustrophobic being surrounded by tall buildings all the time, so I am really looking forward to being in some open space. I just told Matt yesterday that Phuket was hit by the tsunami. For some reason he didn't put that together when we planned the trip, but I guess you do hear more about Indonesia and Sri Lanka in the news. They are really trying to get the tourists back into the region, since that is their main source of income. I guess we will see what it is like...
Chinese New Year Decorations in Hong Kong Park
1 comment:
How long are you staying in HK? Have you guys planned that far ahead? Just was wondering about that. :)
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