Woaahhhh. Today is the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, and is China is having her share of a blast or what!
The mister and I came home today to two freaked-out cats with eyes large like walnuts, peering out of the window thinking giant fireballs are shooting before their eyes. Poor munchkins!
Anyway, so we decided to join the red party tonight. We figured the best spot was a good ol’ residential estate where lots of merry-making locals would go nuts. In true traditional Chinese style, the Tianjin folks certainly did not disappoint. Despite howling winds today and absolute freeeeezing termperatures (-11deg in TJ today), everyone wanted a piece of the star-sprangled action.
So we had a romantik (ie. cheap, good and romantic) dinner at a yummy soupy place in a great neighbourhood called 万德庄大街.
It was aptly a Yunnan ‘Cross-the-Bridge’ Noodle restaurant, good to remind of of our days of folly when we first met. 🙂
And after heating up our bellies, we wrapped on our shawl+beanie+jackets+gloves, and darted out of the restaurant to seize the action! Around us – empty streets blanketed in a sea of red cartons (from the crackers).
Car sirens were off the hook, people dodging these large carton boxes as they start to fill the air with a spectacle of colours and crackle! Smoke was everywhere – all four directions of the junctions. AMAZING!!
Coming from clinically law-abiding Singapore where fire-crackers had been banned even before I was born, I had never witnessed a scene as chaotic and and dangerously exciting (for the entire family) as this.
What a real spectacle it was!
I gotta say though, I’m glad this eye-popping, thunderous experience (which ironically left me more eyes-wide-shut) happens only during 1 period in the year. Not sure when this din is going to quiet down, but by the looks of the firecracker sellers in every street corner here, we’re in for sleep battlezone tonight.
And uh-oh… it’s full moon tonight = Cats gonna be flying again…
Little Roots in China 