Chinese new year

The Chingay parade (pictures below) was probably the closest we got to celebrating the Chinese new year although it is huge here and very much present everywhere you go. The parade was great - fantastic costumes, floats, special effects with smoke and fire. All very colorful just like Singapore itself with its many different cultures, most of which were in the parade with their costumes, music and dances. The dragon on one of the photos was spectacular - dotted with smoking incense sticks and fire spitting men walking around it. Very fierce. Our highlight was the Korean display as our taekwondo school took part. The boys were so excited to see their coaches and Karl said he wants to join next time so that he can wear this cool headband. He was very good at collecting all the stuff the paraders were giving out - leaflets, fans and sweets of course. Obviously as I explained with the photos the parade is a celebration on the Chinese new year and Chingay means masquerade in Hokkien. There is no connection to a gay parade whatsoever as homosexuality is forbidden here (although existing of course undercover) and carries prison sentence.

Apart from that the kids have had cny concerts at school and have been practicing some of the songs we hear in every shop these days. Beatrice was the lion's head in their performance, unfortunately the boys school didn't invite parents but we have seen some of the dance moves and heard the songs here. Also some neighbors have been kind and invited us to try their new year goodies like pineapple tarts and barbequed pork etc. And the kids have received quite a few of the famous red packets - hong bao's - with a few dollar notes. There are no presents at chinese new year, just money. Locals spend a lot of time with families eating and gambling and it all takes about 4 weeks - 2 before and 2 after the new years day. All the auspicious foods like raw fish and seafood go up in price before the holidays and restaurants cash in properly as well. On the new years eve it is apparently good to keep the children up late - the later they stay up the longer their parents live. We did not quite manage to follow that idea, should have gone to Chinatown for some excitement together with 200 000 Singaporeans. But as Robert has to get up 5.30 every morning late nights mingling with crowds are not really high on the priority list.

Now I am rushing off to my second class of Bikram yoga - 90 minutes in 40 degrees C. The first class last week was very good although I was quite nervous and didn't know what was going to happen. See how it goes today.