Hello
WOW..I didn't realize it had been so long since I last wrote on here. I guess I really was into my reading, watching TV and just hanging out last week.
I did capture THE MOMENT and got to see all the details and events of the Historical Inauguration day on January 20, 2009 when Barack H Obama was sworn in as the 44th and 1st ever African American President of the USofA. Thanks to CNNj here in Japan I was able to see it all LIVE and so I even pulled an all nighter and stayed up to watch every last bloody detail. Ok I do confess, I guess must have dozed off on the couch as I missed the whole parade. Oh well!
I of course was taking pics of the event off the flatscreen TV and I have only one of the Obama family coming into the reviewing stand and then the next thing I have is them dancing the 1st of their 10 Last Dances.. It was an exciting day.
I then got caught up in the New Years Grand Sumo Tournament and tried to watch as many days of that 15 day event as I could on TV from 4-6 pm each day. It was a very exciting ending this past Sunday when Asa beat Hakuho in a playoff match. Asa had been out for the last 3 tourneys with a shoulder injury and he was 14-0 at the final match against Hakuho who was 14-1. Hakuho won their match and so a playoff was then needed to break the 14-1 tie for the championship. In the end Asa came back to beat Hakuho and regain his crown. Asa has won 23 tournaments and Hakuho 8.
It struck me funny though, as they went into their seperate locker rooms to prepare for the sudden death playoff match....the network showed pics of Hakuho sitting with eyes closed and a pink towel over his shoulders getting his hair redone and in the other room Asa was beating his hands and body up against a wood pillar and body slamming with another wrestler. TOO funny! Perhaps Hakuho takes more of a ZEN-like approach to the sport :-)
So now that 15 day event is over and we are now onto the next one. THese folks like to celebrate lots of different things. Good for me too as it gives me things to do, explore and learn about. Plus I get to take pictures and you know how much I like to do that? :-)
Chinese New Years started yesterday 1/26 with lion dances throughout Chinatown. Four different groups of boys and girls made their way to different sections of the city and first lit very loud fire crackers and then played drums and cymbals in front of different stores, shops,and restaurants while a 2 person lion danced in front of and then entered into the establishments to greet and wink at audience members. At the end of the dance the lion would grap some kind of food or treat left out for them to eat and then more firecrackers were lit before they moved on to the next building. My "GUESS" from what I have read, is the lion comes to give a blessing of prosperity and hope for good sales and business for the New Year and then he is given a treat at the end of his perfomance as a thanks ?
There were masses of people following the lions up and down the different streets, eating steamed dumplings, roasted chestnuts, and stopping to pay their respects by lighting incense sticks, candles, and giving offerings of money and flowers at the 2 different temples and shrines.
The city was a glow with red paper lanterns and gold and red banners which lined the 2 main streets. Ladies in silk and fur capes with flowered and beaded head ornaments were busy passing out some kind of flyers about an upcoming theater production of sorts and many people were of course trying to get the best angle they could for a photo of the shrine with it's BIG lantern decorations hanging on the entrance gate.
I read on a China website that today the 2nd day is some special day about feeding their dogs and also here in Yokohama they are scheduled to have some kind of traditonal music event. I am not sure all the same things will be done here as they would be in China, but I am still interested to see how they celebrate here.
The 3rd and 4th day is about Son in Laws, 5th day Po Woo they stay home and don't visit, 6-10th days they visit with friends,family and go to temples. On the 7th day Feb 1 they supposedly have a big produce market and then some kind of special noodle soup with 7 veggies. The 9th day Feb 3rd is about Jade Emperor who brings good luck, health and riches. On days 11 and 12 they invite folks to dinner with them. On the 1 they then purify their bodies by eating "Chi som" rice congee with mustard and greens. Day 14 they prepare for the lantern festival on day 15, which is the last day Feb 9th. Then they have the Yuanxiao Dragon and Lantern Parade. Should be fun, exciting, noisy and colorful.
I have posted some photos on my Facebook profile page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1026932101
so go check them out there if you want to see more. Looks like I am at the photo limit :-(on this blog and as you can see I have had no time to delete some of the earlier ones so to make room for the latest and current events
More stories coming soon I hope
Guo Nian Hao
Karla
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