CNY 2015

Last weekend I went to Chinatown to see the sites in the buildup to the Chinese New Year. Just as last year, they decked it out with lots of lanterns.

It was really crowded, though. I had more than a few intimate moments with hundreds of strangers. Elderly ladies are not shy about where they touch you to get through crowds.

Vendors were selling Taiwanese jellies, nuts, and all sorts of fruit.

They were yelling prices and negotiating. At first I thought it was all in Chinese, but my friend corrected me. They actually were saying "all can try, all can try!" In other words, "free samples." I enjoyed my free samples.

One of my favorite treats is quite popular during the new year. Pineapple tarts! Basically, they are a glob of pineapple jelly on top of a butter cookie. Delicious.

It is the Year of the Goat, so there were plenty of cute little goat toys for any goat collectors out there.

 Lion dance puppets are perennially popular. I don't know that their mouths say, but I'm sure it was something about prosperity and good wishes for a new year.

Speaking of Lion Dance, that evening there was an international Lion Dance competition.

Here's a two-minute video I shot of the team from Vietnam. You can see the amazing skill level of the dancers. Two men work in concert to perform a dance on poles up to 6 feet above the ground. It's much more impressive and athletic than many American sports.

This particular dance competition was semi-blocked off from the public, which made it difficult to watch. My pictures and video were taken by holding my phone above my head. I wasn't the only one popping my head over the fence.

Beyond Lion Dance, we also ate at the local Hawker Center. I love this stall enough to wait in line for 20 minutes. My friend had to claim a seat while I claimed a spot in the queue. See if you can spot the American...

The lanterns were out again this year, draped across the main roads.

I've got to admit, though, goat lanterns aren't quite as impressive as the horse lanterns from last year.

Here's an example from the Year of the Horse:

As you can tell, they were beautiful. Much more so than goats... But really, I'm not sure you can make goats very majestic.

That didn't stop me from having fun.