Chinese/Vietnamese New Year

Chúc mừng năm mới!
(Happy New Year!)

When my flatmate Nga asked me if I'd like to go with her to the Vietnamese Society's Chinese New Year event, I was thrilled.  (Alright, I have to admit - the American in me who wants to make everything P.C. wants to call it the "Asian New Year" or "Vietnamese New Year", but it is still called the "Chinese New Year" - so that's how I'll refer to it here.)  I've never really celebrated the Chinese New Year before, despite living in SF - I never quite made it out to the parade they have every year.  When she first told me about it, she said they would have traditional food, and would have musical performances as well as a play, and that the play would probably be in English.  When I went I did feel a bit out of place as I was one of the few guests who didn't speak Vietnamese!  Still, everyone made me feel very welcomed and despite my language barrier, I had a really good time!  The food was very traditional - and very very good!  Thinking about it makes me want some more right now :)  And while the play and music were not in English, I could still tell what was going on with a few translations from my friend, and from how the performers expressed their emotions (kind of reminded me of watching Telenovelas back home...never being quite positive as to what was going on, but understanding the basic plot from the actions and emotions).  After the event we went to one of the clubs in town, and were able to get in free with the society, and had a great time dancing and celebrating.  All in all, I had a great night and a fun time celebrating the new year!

Our MC's...the girl is wearing a traditional Vietnamese dress.  Very pretty!

Cheers to the New Year!  Chúc mừng năm mới!

Lucky New Years Money!

Time to eat!  (Good thing I know how to use chopsticks!)

 

 

We had Chung Cake, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Pork Sausage, Sticky Rice, and (I think it was called) Pork Belly.

A kind of chicken noodle soup with mushrooms and corn.  It looks a little "slimy" compared to most Western soups I've had...but once you get over the texture, it tastes really good!

Part of the play.  The guy in the red played a Fortune Teller who read the future with an iPad...it was a comedy.

 

Our performers taking their bow.

There were various musical performances throughout the night, including this duet.  All of which was sung in Vietnamese :)

They played an interesting game where you place a balloon on a boy's lap...

...and the girls have to pop the balloons with their heels!

Very clever!  Requires some brave guys to participate though...

Afterwords we went to a club and got to sit in the VIP lounge.

Me, my flatmate, and one of her really good friends :)

Looks like everyone had a good time!

Especially my flatmate & me! :D

Literary Europe IV - Jane Austen (Winchester, UK)

While visiting one of my flatmate's family's home in Southampton, we saw the house Jane Austen passed away in.  So while this isn't a house she wrote in (need to plan a trip for that) she still lived out the remainder of her days here.

Okay, not Jane Austen related, but the inside of a very cute bookshop on the same street as her house (College Street).

Southampton, UK

Just before the Spring Term started, a friend and I went to stay with one my of flatmate's at his family's home in Ramsey, near Southampton.  While there we saw Southampton, Winchester, Salisbury, and Ramsey.  He showed us around his home town, and we also made a side trip out to Stonehenge as it was relatively close, and is much easier to get to by car than by public transportation.

Book sale.

Winchester Cathedral.  Didn't go inside as it cost money, but I think this might be where Jane Austen is buried.

They have a lot more WWI & II memorials in England.  When I asked my friend about this, he said it's because they are mostly funded by each town or city for the specific regiment that came from there.

 

 

Walking up to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall

Arthur & his knights of the Round Table.

 

Where we had lunch - I definitely appreciated the name.

 

 

Salisbury Cathedral.

 

 

Sorry for the blur.

 

Again, more dedications to WWI & II (though this one might just be WWII).

Old buildings!

A different cathedral...sadly I can't remember it's name.

 

 

Stonehenge.  I honestly didn't plan on seeing it as I heard that trying to find a decent way to get there by train and bus was ridiculous.  But now that I've gone, I'm glad I went.

Though going at Sunset definitely helped the experience!

Literary Europe III - Maison de Victor Hugo (Paris)

While I couldn't go inside as it is closed on Mondays, I was able to go to Victor Hugo's house when I went to Paris.  I would have liked to go inside to see his desk, but now I have one more (of many) reasons to go back to Paris someday.

Courtyard Hugo's house looked onto...not too bad of a view to write by :)

Proof I was actually there...though, sadly, I couldn't go inside.