Happy Chinese New Year!!

Unfortunately I forgot my camera for the Chinese New Year festival that I attended with my China: A cross-cultural exploration class ... but I wanted to put up a few pictures representing the day anyways.

On Wednesdays we have the day off from class in order to spend the day with various "field study" days. This week I spent the day with my class at the Frederiksborg City Hall celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Rat. It was a great chance for us to chat with the Chinese students who were really missing home, good food and family traditions. The afternoon was spent listening to ambassadors chatting about good relations between Denmark and China ... most speeches were either in Danish or Chinese ... but we also had a dozen great performances. Most of which were instrumental. They had flown in a professional group from Beijing and they were really great performers. They also had some local dancers and young children perform as part of the ceremony.

It was interesting to hear from the Chinese students what celebrating the new year typically entails for them. All the students agreed that they wouldn't see something like the performances put on by the festival at home. Most families spend it at home and celebrate the holiday with lots of delicious food! In China, the lunar new year is one of the few holidays which bring family members from across the country together to celebrate. China has actually celebrated the lunar new year for more than 4000 years and it was in 1911 that they switched to the Roman calender.

yummm. delicious dumplings! A Chinese New Year staple : )

The lion dance! At the city hall this was followed by fireworks!

In class last week we learned to write our very first Chinese character. It means happiness or well being (fu). It was also interesting to learn the technique ... you have to write all characters top to bottom, right to left, and inside out ... if that makes any sense! Of course there are 6,000 characters in the Chinese language ... so one a week is maybe a slow start : )





Also, just a little tangent but I found this picture a friend had taken and I thought it was worth posting ...

Maybe the sign is a little small to make out but it is of a tank. I'm not sure if there is some sort of problem with tanks taking to the streets or what but ... how funny.



Oh yes, and my new friend ... as if I hadn't had enough sweets in Chile ... the Danish vienebrød:


Well the kind I prefer has a bit of this delicious almond paste and chocolate. I decided today that I will treat myself on Fridays to one vienebrød and a latte : ) maybe every other friday!