It’s a pretty cool thought that on such an ordinary day in London — when a grey sky casts a similar, washed-out effect on the buildings below it, when passersby on Oxford Street huddle into the collars of their identical brown and black coats — so many other parts of the world are erupting in celebrations, the air heavy with incense and ringing with cheers.
It’s cool that what for me is just another Monday, is for a vast number of people — reaching from Hong Kong and Beijing to the Philippines and Indonesia — an extraordinary day: Chinese New Year.
This past weekend, my Taiwanese friend Grace — whom I studied with at Kingston — sent me a picture of her holding up a red and yellow banner in her home in Taipei, along with a message:
“Happy Chinese New Year to my lovely friend Candace…This year is Dragon year, a good year. My father just came home from Bali island one hour ago. We all gather together for Dragon year. Showing this photo to let you feel the atmosphere of Chinese New Year. A good start for you, for us.”
Not only did it make me miss lunches at Grace’s apartment last year, eating her delicious Korean curry and drinking too many cups of green tea, but it also took me back to a weekend I spent in Macau in 2009. So while I can’t wish Grace (and many others!) a very happy new year in person, what I can do is share a few photos from that long-ago trip to the former Portuguese colony.
Those three days were my first time on Chinese soil, and as short as they were, I can still remember the island’s glowing red lanterns, yellow coils of incense, sweet-smelling almond cakes, and the twisting tiled streets that led up to the ruins of St. Paul’s…
Hope you enjoy the shots — and happy year of the dragon!
I love, love, love all the shades of red in that first big shot….and those almond cookies, yum!! I briefly considered doing something for the New Year, but there aren’t such large celebrations here in Seoul….and it was too damn cold to go outside!! 😉
Thanks so much, Naomi! Yes…I also really love how red weaves through these pictures. Funnily enough, I was looking out the window of a cafe in London yesterday, and I jotted down how much is cast in that ubiquitous, British shade of red–buses, post boxes, etc. Kind of a cool link to the new year celebrations when I think about it now! I was actually wondering if you’d be up to anything in Seoul…maybe next year, wherever you happen to be? 🙂
Dear Candace:I love your cool link.In London,the red things stand on the street everywhere.It’s like the Lunar New Year in Taiwan.Red clothes,red banners,red envelopes to parents,red decorations……….Everything in red.Such a strong festival mood.
I gave my parents and grandma red envelopes on Lunar New Year’s Eve.This is a very important tradition for Taiwanese.When I was a little girl,I got red envelopes from them.Now,I start working.So it’s kind of giving them back to say big thank.
Someday you come to Taiwan,and I will host you as much warm as lunches at my flat in London.
Hello, my dear friend! So glad you had a wonderful Lunar New Year–it’s fascinating to hear about your traditions, especially about how some of them are reversed as you grow older. I can’t wait to experience the new year with you one day in Taiwan.
Oh,I saw Ruins of St. Paul.It’s absolutely beautiful.I missd there.Can we re-meet at Macau Tower.You jump,I jump.Remember?
You jump, I jump…it’s a deal! I loved making that deal with you, Grace, and can’t wait to do it with you one day 🙂