Chinese New Year Manila

Thank goodness for various interpretations of important events and the impact of cultural forces effecting daily life. Due to the Chinese recognition of the New Year on Jan 31, we have a day off from school - very much appreciated. Alicia is off - island this weekend - visiting Cebu/Mactitlan with Heidi, so I am home with girls. Watching Tottenham United play some super cold climate team in the background on mute - snow piles surrounding the field. One aspect of the Chinese New Year Celebration is the dragon dance. I received this morning a message slid under the door - this is how we receive messages relating to our apt/apt complex, stating that the dragon parade would be meandering around Rockwell, our complex, from 8 - 12 noon, and would most likely be in our apt around 9:30. I didn't get the not until I checked our entry way around 10 and was a bit disappointed in missing the dragon parade. Fortunately, the dragon parade was operating on Philippine time (please, no reactions to this, I am aware of cultural differences relating to time and appreciative of this). I was looking out our window to try and see the procession as it worked its way around the neighborhood and spotted it when it cam into our apt complex. They set off a cartridge of firecrackers as they move from one venue to another so it was somewhat easy to track the movement form above. We hustled down to the lobby to see the dragon and associated festivities. Will go for a walk this afternoon with the girls in the barangay near our apt and see what there is to see.

Dragon arriving from above.

Dragon making its way to our apt.

Girls wearing red for Chinese New Year - not sure if this is an associated color but the girls decided it was so I went with it. 

Dragon outside our lobby.

Girls with the dragon. We are now going to venture out into the neighborhood next to our complex(when I say complex - it is more like a neighborhood of Rockwell related apts and such - gaited off from other neighborhoods). I have run in this neighborhood several times and want the girls to get out into it.