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Published: January 2nd 2008
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Wishing everyone the happiest of New Years in 2008.
This modest but pretty Christmas display in the Bank of China in Taizhou offers some of the memories of home. One of the most anticipated years in China's history has emerged and in a few weeks, the "Year of the Rat" will be announced in the Chinese Lunar Calendar as the Peoples Republic of China will celebrate its "Coming-Out" party to the world, hosting the 2008 Olympics with opening ceremonies scheduled for August, 8th. (08-08-08)
The number 8 is a very auspicious number in Chinese culture indicating a year of prosperity, and on that special date the world is about to experience the pride and joy of the new and modern China in spectacular fashion.
I have been to Beijing several times, and it is obvious, that the city is ready to present and represent China to the family of world-nations hosting the 29th Olympic Games. Beijing's ancient palaces and buildings and now, its newest, modern structures will dazzle the visitors, who will be astonished by the beauty of China's capitol, with its landscaped avenues and roads and canals and national monuments. The main concern still remains the sources of pollution which is in man's hands, and the weather which of course is in God's hands.
The greatest surprise will be the unvailing of Beijing's Olympic Sports Park
"Trees of Light"
Typical Christmas trees as seen in most of the major malls around the cities of China. The Chinese call their Christmas trees: "Trees of Light" with its unique Stadiums, crowned by the spectacular National Stadium called the "Bird's Nest", which will leave the impression of a life-time for anyone strolling among some of the newest and unique architectual creations in the world. I will leave further commentary and photo journeys leading up to the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing on 08/ 08/ 2008 to future Blogs and post them during the "Year of the Rat".
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"""In the mean time permit me to wish my dearest family, my loving friends, my supportive collegues, and my present and past students, all of whom have given my life so much meaning and support, a very joyful, healthy and prosperous New Year 2008. My second year teaching at Taizhou Teachers College promises to be as gratifying and as exciting as my first eventful year. I look forward to sharing with you my continuous adventures, experiencing and exploring this amazing country called China."""
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Years of the Rat:
1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, "2008", 2020, 2032
"The crafty Rat sees chance dancing in every corner. She carefully hoards her finds, keeping bits of treasure and trash for a rainy
The Year of the Rat in 2008
On February 7th, in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the Year of the Rat will be celebrated. Rats in all shapes and sizes are offered in stores to the affluent Chinese as they search for gifts for their loved-ones. These little critters are beautifully crafted and gold-plated. day. In spite of her careful, thrifty ways, the Rat has many friends. Her clever charm and dazzling ambition are hard to resist."
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The Spring Festival, or what is known as the Chinese New Year, is considered one of the most important events in China. The celebration is based on the lunar calendar, so that the first day of the lunar year marks the Chinese New Year. The event falls between late January and early February, and this year will be celebrated on February 7th. The celebration begins on the evening of the lunar new year and continues on until the fifth day of the lunar calendar's 1st month, followed by the "Lantern Festival".
The Chinese people prepare for this holiday by making sure everything in their life is in order, or at least under control. The house should be clean, rifts or problems should be resolved, debts should be paid, and clothing should be clean or new.
At midnight there are fire-works and fire-crackers to greet the coming of the new year. The belief behind this is that the noise created by the fire-crackers will drive away the evil spirits.
After the festifities, the
The New Year sausages are drying in the winter sun.
Around the city of Taizhou, traditional foods, like these sausages, are almost ready for the dinner table. family will sit down to a feast. A sticky rice pudding called "nian gao" as well as dumplings are usually present in these feasts. "Nian gao" is also given to family and friends as the belief behind this is that the stickiness of the "nian gao" will hold the family together. Also, because of its round shape and sweet taste, it is said to bring good fortune and sweetness to ones life.
Houses are decorated with lights and lanterns. Red is a popular color to wear when ushering in the Chinese New Year. "Hang bao", or red envelopes that contain money, are given to family and friends, especially the youngsters, as a symbol of luck and wealth.
There are lots of musical performances and parades, the most famous of which are the "dragon and lion dance". In the Chinese culture, the dragon is the deity of water, ensuring that no drought will come. The lion, on the other hand, helps ward off evil spirits since it symbolizes power and courage.
The "Spring Festival" is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious meals, receive new toys, and enjoy the fire-works displays.
An important aspect of
The hallways of our apartments at the college were filled with the smells of holiday baking.
Sue, TTC's foreign English teacher from Australia and my dear friend, shows off her Christmas-baking creation, a delicious fruitcake. the New Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors ar brought out and hung in the main room of the home.
During the past three weeks our wonderful, small teachers college has had numerous evening presentations of drama, music, dance, and various other competitions among the departments of the college. Some of the performances have been dazzling, with a spectacular display of talent among our students. They are delighted when they see Sue and me enjoying the evening's offerings at our auditorium, which is usually filled to capacity with a demure audience of thousands.
For the amount of efforts put into the shows by the performing students, the reaction and applause from the spectators tends to be severely understated, but it seems so in Chinese tradition during any public performance.
Concluding a show with such minimalistic applause, any play or presentation in the West would be marked as having "bombed", but here, public enthusiam is limited to a small noise of appreciation, and there is little reaction to what might be good or what has been seen as better. At times I almost feel a little sorry for the performers and their
Rudolph and the Raindeers
In the following series of photos, some of my students and friends are sending you the greetings for the holiday, as they become more aware of the traditions of the West, introduced by their foreign teacher. sparkling efforts.
It will be interesting to see how the demure Chinese spectators react during the venues and events of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, if the greater enthusiam of the public will be encouraged, and if their under-stated behavior will be elevated to a more excited and exhilirated levels as hosts to the world's premier sports event.
These artistic presentation and cultural extravaganzas at our college continued until to the end of December 2007, when the "grand-finale" and New Years Eve celebration was offered to our studens, staff, and the public to mark the end of our school semester, and as the New Year 2008, the year of the Rat, was ushered in. The final spectacle was once again one of the year's great events at Taizhou Teachers College.
I am so happy to share with you some of the excitement associated with my second holiday season in China, and offer you these photos as samples of the colorful artistry and celebrations of our small teachers college here in Taizhou, Jiangsu. I hope you enjoy this photo offering, and again encourage you to enlarge the pictures for greater details. There are 5 pages of 86 photos.
I hope you take the time to get to know some of my friends here in Taizhou, and look forward to any comments, questions, and thoughts you might have about the photo-presentation. I miss you.
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Sandra Cordova
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HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm glad to see you're doing so well over there :D