Tuesday, January 31, 2017

A wet and quiet beginning to the new lunar year of the fire rooster (or chicken) over here in Hong Kong

Very "business-y" looking chicken (or are they roosters?)
 
These floral chicks were among the cutest of the
fowl-themed items on sale there 
 
...while these chicken costumed sales people get my vote 
for having been the most game (pun intended!) ;b 
 
As I write this blog post, the dehumidifier in my flat is on at full blast.  All in all, it's been a wetter -- and warmer -- beginning to the new lunar year of the fire rooster (or chicken) than I had thought would be the case; with rain falling on the first day (fortunately only after my beach clean-up crew were safely at a cafe having lunch), second day (for the first half an hour of the hike that a friend and I went on in Lantau that afternoon), yesterday and also today (both of which I spent indoors for the most part).
 
In contrast, the week before had some really nice sunny days, including Chinese New Year's eve -- which (Puppet Ponyo and) I took advantage of by going on a lovely hike -- and the day that I went and checked out the Lunar New Year Flower Market over in Causeway Bay's Victoria Park.  And the next couple of days or so are supposed to be dry too -- but that's what the Hong Kong Observatory also had forecasted for the first couple of days or so of Chinese New Year! 
 
The next couple of days also will see Hong Kong returning to normal in terms of shops and businesses that closed for the holidays re-opening their doors.  More than incidentally, potential leisure visitors to the Big Lychee are hereby served notice that Chinese New Year is probably the worst time of the year to be here as much of this usually loud and lively city shuts down so that the locals can partake of the most important festival in the Chinese calendar.   
 
As an example: a friend of mine wanted to buy some bread yesterday evening and got to belatedly realizing that every single bakery in her neighborhood and the neighboring one was closed!  And while it's expected that many non-chain Chinese businesses will close for the first few days of Chinese New Year, it's worth bearing in mind that the Koreans, Thais and Vietnamese also celebrate the lunar new year -- and even such as my favorite sake bar closed for Chinese New Year's Eve and the first four days of Chinese New Year so that its Japanese proprietor and her staff (a couple of whom are local Hong Kongers) could enjoy a long -- by their standards -- holiday break!  

9 comments:

peppylady (Dora) said...

There a some here in United States is making wise crack about our President Trump and the year of the rooster.
Coffee is on

Anonymous said...

Hi There,

I'd rather like this one and The Donald couldn't do much about it.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/nation-world/china-gives-trump-the-bird/year-of-the-rooster/slideshow/56314605.cms

T

YTSL said...

Hi peppylady --

Well, I'd say that the new US president does indeed seem to feel all cock a hoop that he's currently ruling the roost. Also, that his actions come across to the likes of me like that of a fox in the hen house. And, frankly, I'd be very happy -- and relieved -- should there come a time in the near future when he ends up having to fly the coop that is the White House!

H T --

I, on the other hand, don't want to see anything resembling Donald Trump that's so large sized! ;(

Anonymous said...

Hi there,

I don't want to see it either, except, maybe on the White House lawn?

T

YTSL said...

Hi again T --

The idea of that thing on the White House lawn actually is pretty funny. That I may actually want to see! :D

Anonymous said...

Hi There,

Ha..... now we need a White House Petition to adopt that thing as the official mascot of The Donald.... They have many other ridiculous petitions there so it doesn't hurt to have this one.

It's worth the trolling and see how many actually sign it up..... If I was an American Citizen I might have started it myself. :-P

T

YTSL said...

Hi once more T --

I think other matters are far more pressing to petition and protest about at this point with regards to the White House. In all honesty, that man is really horrifying and scaring me! :(

Anonymous said...

Hi There,

The Donald is a muck stirrer alright. Now that he is in the White House, that made him official......

T

YTSL said...

Hi once again T --

He may be in the White House but if he goes beyond the pale, he *can* be impeached, etc.!