Feb
12
2013

Chinese New Year in London…

 

No Chinese celebration without the dragon.

No Chinese celebration without the dragon.

… Felt strange. Not what I expected. Small. Crowded. Too crowded. And plain boring. On the other hand the weather didn’t help (cold, non-stop rain) and the fact that most celebrations took place during daylight killed the magic. Yes, there were lights and colors but they were not enhanced by darkness, yes, there was a parade with a white dragon and yes, I have seen other dragons dancing in front of every restaurant in China Town.

Dancing for good luck.

Dancing for good luck.

No chance of having lunch in any of the restaurants in China Town – simply there wasn’t any spot available. Strange – very few Chinese celebrating in the streets, except for the ones involved in the show. Streets crowded mostly by westerners wanting to see live the celebrations they usually see on TV. The problem is those are beamed via satellite from Hong Kong and Shanghai and have nothing to do with what we all witnessed on Sunday in London. Anyway, it was a first, so I made a wish. Afterwards I had a pretty decent Chinese meal in an (un-crowded) restaurant on Queensway. Happy New Year! Next time I will be in Hong Kong – if only for the fireworks.

Crowds trying to celebrate.

Crowds trying to celebrate.

Crowds enjoyed the show in Trafalgar Square from under their umbrellas.

Crowds enjoyed the show in Trafalgar Square from under their umbrellas.

 

Say it loud. Say it right!

Say it loud. Say it right!

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