January 2006


We took care of the first “official” task for the Chinese New Year preparations tonight: taking down the decorative banners hung around the entryway and gates and putting up new ones for the coming year.

Whenever I’m here for Chinese New Year, this is for some reason a task my Mother-In-Law specifically wants me to do.

We also had a visitor tonight; one of my Wife’s best friends from grade school stopped by. She brought with her what was meant to be an appetizer, but ended up–at least until lunch tomorrow–being a sort of small aquatic petting zoo for the kids. I don’t know what those critters are. They strike me as being sort of mud puppy-type amphibians crossed with an eel, a tadpole, and a muppet.

My Wife’s Younger Brother Takes Down Last Year’s Banners:

My Finished Work:

My Wife’s Friend (Left) and My Wife (Right):

My Nephew and My Two Daughters Examine the Creatures:

A Close-Up of, Mmm, Whatever Those Things Are:

We dropped in on a small local temple today, just over the fence from where my Wife attended middle school. The temple has–again reflecting the local “stoneworks” influence–some exquisite carved stone columns and bas relief.

I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.

A weird twist on co-branding.

My five-year-old niece has been playing with a “Hello Kitty” stuffed toy during our visit here, but I just noticed tonight that the pattern on its silk jacket is eerily Western.

Hello Kitty, meet the Golden Arches.

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