Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve and we have been seeing lots to celebrate. We were wondering where to get fireworks and before today we didn’t see any but people would have ‘poppers’ that you can throw down on the concrete as you walk and they will set off a mild boom. That all changed when Chuck got up to get breakfast at KFC today. On his way back our favorite baked sweet potato seller wasn’t peddling the potatoes but fireworks. You name it and he had it, Chuck got strings of fire crackers, a large quantity of poppers and 4 fountain type fireworks. After eating our breakfast, Chuck and Nate went to the hair salon and I went to the bath house. We went yesterday but couldn’t get in because everyone gets clean for the New Year. Everyone also wears new clothes as part of the tradition too. Today we did get into the bath house but it was crowded with all the people who hadn’t come Thursday or Friday. I usually have a room to my self but with the large numbers of people today a private room was not in the cards. After we showered and got all clean and shiny we rode our bikes over to Wanda Plaza for a lunch at Pizza Hut. We tried a new pizza for us, Popcorn Chicken Pizza. As with most pizza in China things were added onto it that we wouldn’t see in the states like corn. I must say however, the corn tasted very good on this pizza, that may be my palette now more accustomed to eating my pizza with peas, carrots or corn on it but the pizza tasted good.
On our way home from Wanda Plaza, it wasn’t very late yet but it had gotten dark and people started to shoot their fireworks as soon as it got good and dark. We could hardly leave the bike parking area around Wanda Plaza without stopping to watch displays of fireworks. I knew that the fireworks would be awesome because we have been hearing people shooting fireworks off for close to a week now. The fireworks we saw were of private citizens shooting fireworks off either in their yard or in their local parks like we did tonight. We plan to turn on the TV to watch for national events and certainly hope to see much more in the way of celebration during the next 7-15 days. I have put pictures on my site under February 2013 for you to see. Please go to my husband’s blog and see video footage of some of the fireworks we saw tonight. Like I said we went to a park we were drawn to because we were seeing fireworks coming from it. Once at the park, Chuck went over to the other men and indicated that he also had some fireworks and would like to shoot them off. They were very helpful in loaning cigarettes and lighters to light the fireworks. They also shared their large supply of fireworks. This experience is very different from the states where if you do go to a park the fireworks you will see are the parks and you aren’t allowed to bring and share. In the neighborhoods in the states it is easy to just have fireworks for your family only and not share with those living near you. We don’t know many Chinese here but we were welcomed with open arms because we as foreigners wanted to share in the evening and learn a little about it. This turned out to be the most fun that Nate has had here thus far as he met and talked with several young people near or his age. They exchanged phone numbers and I’m thrilled. Chuck and I met a couple who came with their son to see the fireworks. Their son, younger than Nate, is learning English at school. On our way back to our apartment after the fireworks we were greeted by Hu Fay she is one of the children in our neighborhood and she often will stop and say hello to us. The other day I was able to stop for a few minutes and talk with her. I mentioned her before but she was the unnamed girl that I talked to because I didn’t know her name then. I wish I knew more Chinese, Hu Fay has tons of questions and I’d love to answer her and I have questions for her as well. That is all for right now, I’m sure we will not be sleeping tonight so I’ll have lots to tell you later on.
On our way home from Wanda Plaza, it wasn’t very late yet but it had gotten dark and people started to shoot their fireworks as soon as it got good and dark. We could hardly leave the bike parking area around Wanda Plaza without stopping to watch displays of fireworks. I knew that the fireworks would be awesome because we have been hearing people shooting fireworks off for close to a week now. The fireworks we saw were of private citizens shooting fireworks off either in their yard or in their local parks like we did tonight. We plan to turn on the TV to watch for national events and certainly hope to see much more in the way of celebration during the next 7-15 days. I have put pictures on my site under February 2013 for you to see. Please go to my husband’s blog and see video footage of some of the fireworks we saw tonight. Like I said we went to a park we were drawn to because we were seeing fireworks coming from it. Once at the park, Chuck went over to the other men and indicated that he also had some fireworks and would like to shoot them off. They were very helpful in loaning cigarettes and lighters to light the fireworks. They also shared their large supply of fireworks. This experience is very different from the states where if you do go to a park the fireworks you will see are the parks and you aren’t allowed to bring and share. In the neighborhoods in the states it is easy to just have fireworks for your family only and not share with those living near you. We don’t know many Chinese here but we were welcomed with open arms because we as foreigners wanted to share in the evening and learn a little about it. This turned out to be the most fun that Nate has had here thus far as he met and talked with several young people near or his age. They exchanged phone numbers and I’m thrilled. Chuck and I met a couple who came with their son to see the fireworks. Their son, younger than Nate, is learning English at school. On our way back to our apartment after the fireworks we were greeted by Hu Fay she is one of the children in our neighborhood and she often will stop and say hello to us. The other day I was able to stop for a few minutes and talk with her. I mentioned her before but she was the unnamed girl that I talked to because I didn’t know her name then. I wish I knew more Chinese, Hu Fay has tons of questions and I’d love to answer her and I have questions for her as well. That is all for right now, I’m sure we will not be sleeping tonight so I’ll have lots to tell you later on.