New Year Parade in Sydney
Feb 2, 2009 17:19:49 GMT -5
Post by douglaslam on Feb 2, 2009 17:19:49 GMT -5
The long awaited first twilight New Year Parade comes alive on Sunday evening 1st,Feb. It is a break from a short tradition started about ten years ago.
It is a hot day, the evening is certainly preferred to baking in the mid-day sun. The crowd is estimated at between 60,000 to 100,000 strong. The fellow young Chinese people next to me are all Mandarin speakers. They get excited and carried away by shouting xin nian hao to those performers came specially from China. I get the impression it is the sign of the time, Cantonese is becoming out of currency,
I let the professionals to show the highlights of the parade via the link. Three long-time district associations responded to invitations and take parts in the parade. They are Sze Yup, Chungshan and Gao Yiu. Chungshan has the largest participants. The large contingent from Henan province, some 500 strong is certainly spectacular. The lead group with its drums and cymbals really let you know how to celebrate. It electrifies the atmosphere, we clap and shout. But the following groups march, dance, and twirl without accompaniment. This is an oversight. The adoptive parents group of Chinese orphans is also there, but their number is smaller. Everyone is in red, very eye-catching and appropriate.
At the end of the parade, I move on to Darling Harbour, a large open space by the sea, for a fireworks display. As usual, I try to look for the adoptive parents and their children. My task is made harder by the sea of people. As luck would have it, I spot one couple with a little boy in the large throng. My wife and I thank them, for their kindness for making a big difference to one lucky boy. They are very modest and tell me they are the lucky ones. The little boy was adopted only eight months ago in Guangzhou. I remember when I was in Guangzhou a few years ago, doing a walking tour of Shamian the old concession area, I saw many couples taking their adopted children home. Many were Americans, I was only too eager to get in a few words with them.
That just about completes my evening, and it is coming up to 11 o'clock. The next day is a working day.
www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5037228-5010140,00.html#
It is a hot day, the evening is certainly preferred to baking in the mid-day sun. The crowd is estimated at between 60,000 to 100,000 strong. The fellow young Chinese people next to me are all Mandarin speakers. They get excited and carried away by shouting xin nian hao to those performers came specially from China. I get the impression it is the sign of the time, Cantonese is becoming out of currency,
I let the professionals to show the highlights of the parade via the link. Three long-time district associations responded to invitations and take parts in the parade. They are Sze Yup, Chungshan and Gao Yiu. Chungshan has the largest participants. The large contingent from Henan province, some 500 strong is certainly spectacular. The lead group with its drums and cymbals really let you know how to celebrate. It electrifies the atmosphere, we clap and shout. But the following groups march, dance, and twirl without accompaniment. This is an oversight. The adoptive parents group of Chinese orphans is also there, but their number is smaller. Everyone is in red, very eye-catching and appropriate.
At the end of the parade, I move on to Darling Harbour, a large open space by the sea, for a fireworks display. As usual, I try to look for the adoptive parents and their children. My task is made harder by the sea of people. As luck would have it, I spot one couple with a little boy in the large throng. My wife and I thank them, for their kindness for making a big difference to one lucky boy. They are very modest and tell me they are the lucky ones. The little boy was adopted only eight months ago in Guangzhou. I remember when I was in Guangzhou a few years ago, doing a walking tour of Shamian the old concession area, I saw many couples taking their adopted children home. Many were Americans, I was only too eager to get in a few words with them.
That just about completes my evening, and it is coming up to 11 o'clock. The next day is a working day.
www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5037228-5010140,00.html#