The image above and the title of this blog suggest the sometimes playful nature of the Chinese language. Like true punsters they flip the character for spring spring(Chūn) upside down (see picture above) and announce: Chūn Tiān Dào Le! Dào is where the joke gets played out, dào can mean to turn over, but it also can mean to arrive. They have taken the obvious homonym and had some fun with it announcing that Spring(Chūn) has been turned over, thus Spring has arrived. This character is one of many that you will find posted around the businesses and houses of Taipei to bring in the new year.
The lunar New Year is actually pretty quiet around here, except the random fireworks that go off every now and again. The ones last night were actually really load and pretty great. The day before the actually New Year is very important. A huge clean-up gets underway days before the New Year, when Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck or misfortune. The Eve of New Years is perhaps the most important part of the whole event. It is when all the families that have gathered from all over return home for a huge dinner. After the dinner the children stay up past midnight to honor their elders, helping to give them a long and prosperous life. The other main new year celebration is the giving of Hongbao (red envelopes) that are filled with money. Many people get and receive red envelopes, I even got one from my teacher this year, but it had a good luck charm in it rather than money.
So that sums up what most of my Taiwanese friends have been up to, but if you are a foreigner in Taipei that you are reduced to eating a hug meal at one of the many American chains McDonalds, KFC etc. or checking out the good old 7-11's and scraping a meal together from the things they have to offer. It has been pretty dead here in Taipei, which has given me a change to get some homework done, and reading... because of the whole sick thing, i didn't do much of that early on in the week. Tomorrow I am heading down south for the weekend. I will be hanging out in Douliu where on of my Taiwanese friends lives. I am taking the train down and should get to see some great scenery on the way. Not really sure what to expect when I get there, but anything will be better than sitting in a quiet, rainy city.
2 comments:
Bring It! (the Spring!)
Good explanations and perspective shared about the celebration that you are in the midst of. As a foreigner, you are perhaps more of an observer of the festivities but all the same, you are witnessing something real and meaningful and you have a good grasp of the importance that is has for people that live there. Good inspiration for all of us who long to "clean house" in any real or metaphorical sense.
Great that the timing of your snaflu (hey, there's a word that sums up a lot!) has come BEFORE your travels and also you didn't miss any school either (save those "hooky days" for us!). Timing is everything, and even when it seems off, one need not look too far for a perspective that makes one happy or humble, depending on which way the pendulum is swinging.
Storms, wild weather,stranded people, ravaged towns, dashed hopes, big inconveniences, injuries and even deaths have been occurring in China and yesterday too in the Southern middle of US where tornadoes wreaked havoc.
Hope springs eternal and hopefully spring brings hope. People will persevere, help out, band together, move on and likely look back at the challenges that befell them as a chapter in life and not the whole book.
Keep your chapters coming, your blog is a great connection to you across the distance and time, until we are together again.
- Dad
Jake,
I loved this blog, and I liked how you noticed the word play. I find traditions like that fascinating. Glad that you're feeling better.
Enjoy your weekend!
Take Care and Stay Safe,
Carrie
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