• Event

    Guo Nam Lion Dance

    March is here and Lunar New Year festivities have come to a close. In February, I had the opportunity to watch Guo Nam perform a lion dance at a town center. While I’m glad I got to see the performance, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about some particulars of this Lunar New Year event.

  • Event

    Lunar New Year at Southeast Asia Festival

    Lunar New Year vibes were felt at the Southeast Asia Festival thanks to the red lantern decor and the iconic lion dance that is very much a big component of Lunar New Year festivities. I know some people question what Lunar New Year has to do with Southeast Asia as this specific new year is often associated with East Asia by the West. The thing is Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Vietnamese (Southeast Asians) and among Southeast Asian Chinese. There’s a reason why some people opt to celebrate Lunar New Year in a Southeast Asian country, like Thailand, for example. This year aside, many mainland Chinese travel annually to Thailand for Chinese New Year.

  • Art,  Event,  Travel

    Behind the Masked Dancer, Hanuman

    There’s an air of mystery behind every masked dancer. While the performance itself should be the focal point, you sometimes just can’t help but to also wonder who is underneath that mask. Is the performer young? Old? Male? Female? Attractive? All of the above?

  • Nature

    Hello Winter

    Halloween silhouettes

    It’s time to temporarily say goodbye to Autumn. As of today, Winter is officially here. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy an autumn photo or two.

    What’s it like where you’re at?

    Here, it doesn’t feel like Winter yet.

    Autumn foliage
  • Event,  Food

    The Red Cup from Starbucks

    Sometimes, it’s the smallest of things that bring a smile to our faces. Not long ago, I was able to get hold of a Starbucks red cup. I know that some people scoff at the “red cup” frenzy but I see it as a “gift” to yourself. Obviously, it’s a gift with strings attached in that you can only get the “red cup” if you purchase a holiday drink, while the cups are still available.