 |
| Yes, it does say 'Sun Moon Lake' in Chinese, but this was taken during our stay in Taichung |
Last year we left on Chinese New Year’s Eve to go to Cambodia, hence we missed out on all of the festivities. While we had a great time, Terry and I both wondered what a real Chinese New Year would be like…not like our quasi-celebrations back in the USA (which primarily consists of the girls getting red envelopes and us usually eating out at a Chinese restaurant!). So, while we did take a short trip to Taichung, in central Taiwan, for 3 days, we made certain to get back on New Year’s Eve!
The best way for me to equate Chinese New Year is to compare it to Christmas in the USA. It is very similar. The shops are all decorated and very lively…the aisles are crammed more than usual with candy, sausage and other dried meats, and an assortment of other things I couldn’t name and would probably not want to (they don’t look exactly appetizing to my western palate, as adventurous as it is!). People seem to have a bit more spring to their step, and there is a general buzz in the air that I can’t quite put my finger on.
While many here in Taiwan believe that people in the USA are provided with more paid vacation days, I have done the math and, depending on your industry, the paid days off are around the same! The primary difference is this one week at Chinese New Year. Unlike the USA, all of China and Taiwan are typically provided a full week of paid vacation (vs. 1-2 days at Christmas and 1 day at New Year for USA). The misunderstanding is that most people choose to take personal vacation days to round out the week!
I will concede that the schools in the USA definitely have more holidays during the school year vs. Taiwan, although I am uncertain if the actual days of instruction (180 in the USA for those who are counting) are the same. During Chinese New Year, the local schools are on winter break, the length of which varies from year-to-year. This year, the kids at local schools get 2 ½ weeks off. Last year, the local schools received almost 4 weeks off…much to their delight and their parents’ chagrin! So, the week before Chinese New Year, all the kids are out very late, celebrating with their friends and having a general good time. The vibe in the air is excited…much like it is at Christmas time at home. One can feel that something special is coming, but words simply don’t do it justice!
Many of our local friends lament that Taipei is quite boring during New Year as most people leave Taipei…either going travelling out of the country or visiting family who mostly live outside of Taipei. Terry and I awoke on New Year’s Eve really excited to go to the traditional market to get a few last-minute things…looking forward to no crowds…quiet streets…ahhhhhhh. Much to our surprise, we found the morning of New Year’s Eve much like any other day. In fact, at the traditional market, one could equate it to your local grocery store on Christmas Eve! Everyone scrambling for those last-minute items forgotten, or scrambling to buy the fresh produce to serve for New Year’s dinner…the market was FAR from quiet and empty!!
In Chinese New Year tradition, Elaine and I cleaned most of the apartment. While I wouldn’t call it ‘spring cleaning’, we certainly dusted and vacuumed and made the apartment more pleasant to live in J. Terry and I had purchased a few decorations, so the house seemed a bit more ‘festive’. Our landlord had kindly dropped off a sweet and a savory New Year’s cake, the latter which I cooked up for lunch (I was the only one who ate it…delicious!). We all rested a bit and generally prepared to go to our adopted Taiwan family’s home for dinner. Inspired by the most amazing honey we purchased in Taichung, I made biscuits to bring with us to dinner. Brianna, tired from homework but excited for New Year’s, opted to make a batch of chocolate-chip cookies on her own (the only help from me was just telling her the amount of each ingredient to add). At 6pm, with eager anticipation, we headed off for Adone’s home!
 |
| Clockwise, I-Ru, Adone, 2nd brother, youngest brother |
A side-note about our adopted family in Taiwan. Adone is an old friend of Terry’s mother’s. She has 5 children, and 4 grandchildren. Terry has a special fondness for Adone and the entire family as he lived with them for 9 months as a child when his mom first moved to the USA with his dad (step-dad Howard) and was unable to take Terry due to visa issues. I have a special fondness for them as Adone and her two daughters, I-ru and I-ring, were the only ‘family’ from Taiwan which flew to the USA for our wedding. I was quite honored to have them and hold them all dear to my heart. As there are always a lot of people in their home during the holidays, it reminds me of being with my father, whose home is typically equally as busy! It really helps the home-sickness and makes for a really fun, local experience!
 |
| I-Ru and myself |
Now, I also need to set the scene…with the exception of I-Ru (oldest daughter), NO ONE speaks English!! While I-Ru can speak a bit, her English is truly not that wonderful; however, she certainly tries. The best part of this is that, while we may not always understand one another, the conversation is always lively, and my Chinese always improves J. For the first time, Brianna opted NOT to bring any electronics and deliberately chose to engage with the other kids, even though her Chinese is the worst of all of us. I was quite proud of her. She discovered that the twins (who are only one year younger than her) like the same crazy Korean show which she does, and they know the same songs. They were quick to go into Adone’s bedroom and practice their dance moves and practice their singing (even though none of them knew what they were singing about!!!).Everyone gathered round the coffee table for the feast which Adone prepared. The only family member missing was I-Ring, youngest sister. I have been informed that at Chinese New Year, it is a firm tradition that a woman must accompany her husband to his family’s home. Tradition states that married women go back home on the day after Chinese New Year’s day to visit their own families. While I was surprised at this firm tradition, I then realized that it must ease some tension. In the West, many couples and families struggle over offending family members, or arguing over whose family will receive the ‘honor’ of a visit during Christmas. Can you imagine if, in the West, tradition dictated that Christmas would always be spent with the man’s family? Hmmm….I’ll have to ponder that a bit more J.
The meal was laid out…holy cow, what a spread. Adone must have laid about 10 different dishes in front of us…most of which my kids would NOT eat (no fish, no stinky fish, no fish-like soup, and no weird sea-weed looking veggies). Thankfully, everyone loves white rice, and the cold chicken was quite good. Also, I had the foresight to feed them a bit before we left in the event that they didn’t like any of the food, hee hee. Terry and I basked in the company of lots of food and even better fellowship as we all dug in to the spread.
 |
| Brianna trying to work a lighter! |
After all compliments were paid, it was time for fireworks! I tell you, I will never view a fireworks display in the same regard after being here at Chinese New Year. What a great time! The kids all had a stick of incense which they could use to light fireworks. Brianna kept getting more and more brave, and before we knew it, she was lighting the ‘butterfly’ fireworks and throwing them in the street. These were the kind which flew in the air and ended in a ‘POP’, spewing colorful sparks in the air. So brave! 
Finally, when all the fireworks were burnt, at 10:30pm, we bid adieu to our dear friends. However, the kids were all in for a great treat, for what Chinese New Year is complete without RED ENVELOPES??!! Terry and I were quite humbled at our friends’ generosity. Brianna and Elaine are quite excited about their new-found riches and are eagerly planning on what to do next! All in all, a New Year worth remembering. I’m so glad we decided to stay J.
