I gotta share with my readers this event which signalled the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations for me. In fact it took place a day after
Yes, being 'elastic' is absolutely ok in this case! That evening was a heady mix of culture and fun, laughter and fellowship. Everything gelled even with Rotarians among the guests ( host himself an inspiring Rotarian) belting out their District Rotarian song. The kids sang and added zest before the Rotarians took to the mike.
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| Rotarians ( with their kids) singing their District song |
Our host, Raymond pulled out all the stops to ensure everyone had a great time. The bang of 2 long strings of firecrackers started a crackling evening for all.Then the lions danced. Not one but 2 lion dance troupes danced to the beat of the Chinese drums, gongs and cymbals. One 'red' lion pranced in the air on a solid thick pole. The prize dangling at the top end of the pole was of course the lettuce which symbolizes prosperity and good luck. The other 'gold' lion pranced agilely on stilts.
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| Troupe members steadying the heavy pole and themselves for the lion to prance higher |
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| Dancing in mid- air |
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| The 2 lions and the clown having fun with the audience. |
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| Our host took over as a lion dancer! Spot his leg - the giveaway!! |
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| Symbols of prosperity - pineapple, pomelo, oranges, lettuce, bananas - offered to the host and hostess (partially hidden in yellow dress) |
More excitement and dancing reigned when the celestial dragon entertained the guests. Chasing the ball of fire is no mean task. The troupe displayed great skill in weaving, loping and twisting its body. At one point, it puffed 'fire' (really carbon dioxide) to bless 2 new cars. It was all very new to me but I soaked it all in. One was the new Honda hybrid and the other, a Proton.
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| Chasing the ball of fire |
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| Twisting, turning, loping, running - high energy |
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| The night when the celestial dragon danced on earth! |
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| Host posing beside his new car, Proton. |
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| May good fortune be upon all and the owner of the new Honda |
No one can say they didn't feel lucky at all that evening. The good vibes were all around us. To top it all, the God of Prosperity visited us earthlings! Suddenly attention was centred on this important figure. Just to be near him one would have some good luck rubbed off him! How the guests clambered round him ! Better still, to receive a 'lai see'.You bet I got one too! Our generous hostess, Esther later came round and wished us luck with an orange and and a 'lai see'. Wanna know what's inside? Money of course.If you are truly, truly lucky, you can win the lottery jackpot!! Inside was a lottery ticket for everyone. I wonder who the God of Prosperity picked to shower loads of money. Though I felt lucky, it wasn't me!!
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| Prosperity comes in a pair from Nigeria - helping hand to give out the 'ang pows' |
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| Happiness and good fortune all round |
We were served
yee sang before the meal proper. That was my last toss in joining others and wishing each other everything good - health, happiness and wealth. As the guests partook of the local menu , we were entertained by a sweet Japanese lady playing on the
koto.
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| Japanese music on the koto to add to the festivity |
Evidently we had a wonderful time with our gracious, generous host, Raymond and his wife Esther. In their great spirit of sharing, they brought the Chinese New Year celebrations for me and others to a thumping happy ending.
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| Truly an international gathering! |
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