It is now past Chinese New Year, but somehow I still feel extremely full. I think it is due to the feast after feast we had during the festive season.
As usual, CNY in London is a big event, lots of people and lots of activities. Our feast celebration started on the CNY eve. As we arrived at China town for dinner, there is already a big crowd of people there, most of them finding restaurants for the auspicious "reunion dinner", a must-do in traditional CNY.
Nine of us booked a table in Yong Cheng, a nice restaurant which offers great food. Hihgly recommended. We ordered nine dishes. With the 9 (九) people, and 9 (九)dishes, and the start of dog (狗) year, (note that 九 and 狗 are pronounced as "gao" in Cantonese, meaning longetiviy and forever), we wish for a good long-lasting friendship and happiness. ^_^
The best thing about Chinese New Year is the abundance of RED in everywhere! I love red(although my favourite colour is still blue). Well, I suppose A LOT of chineses adore red, as it is considered one of the most auspicious colour in chinese culture. I feel lucky to be able to be in Chinatown to see all the 'reds' all over the place. Somehow, it made me feel more at home, and somehow, I felt the air of a whole new year!
The landmark of China Town in London - the gates. There are three of them, at the tree ends of a T-shaped streets that form the core of China Town. During the CNY, the striking red of the lanterns just shouted out so loudly "HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!"
Hanging on a high pole at the side of a street is a giant-sized traditional chinese knot, and a string of lanterns which looked tiny compared to the massive knot. Such knots, with lots of other variations, have been one of the most intriguing chinese art that demand creativity. People have them as good luck charm, and they are always a great gift to give to friends from other backgrounds. This particular knot has a specific name for it, have fun recognizing the various knots HERE.
Mandarins! The golden colour of their skins resembles the shining gold, the symbol of prosperity and wealth. For me, it is the juicy taste that made me love them! The lady in the picture is the stall owner, she was watching the lion dance nearby(not in photo). In London Chinatown, there is a tradition of having most of the shops welcoming the lion dance performers to each of the doorsteps of the shops. It is believed that the lion brings good luck to the business, so almost every shop pays generously for the visit of the lion.
Our appetites grew enourmously during CNY. Even after a few big meals in Chinatown, we still had big dishes at home. (well... chineses adore food, don't we?) Here's our CNY dinner at home, including the steamed fish, sweet and sour fish, soya sauce chicken, pak choy, and a big smiley face ommelette (the ommellette is just a bonus, made from left over egg yolks that we felt too pity to waste, hehehe...)
Well, what is Chinese New Year without a CNY movie? After choosing from many choices, we finally settled for an old movie, "Joy Luck Club". A fantastic choice! With its beautifully potrayed family love and friendships, it is just the right movie to enjoy (with some tears though) with our loved ones.
A very belated Happy Chinese New Year to my friends. Better late than never, rite?
