Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year was last week but I missed out, despite working just 2 or 3 miles from the largest Chinese populations in Los Angeles County.  2008 is the year of the Rat, which I hope will bring good luck, especially to me. I was born in the year of the Monkey.  Last year was the year of the Pig.  I love pigs, especially the star of Babe, which is my favorite movie of all time. I think I've seen it over 50 times, maybe 75.

Last year, my friend May Kam and I went to Monterey Park to celebrate Chinese New Year at a traditional restaurant.  I dressed up in a Chinese top.  May said that I'd stand out.  "Only little kids, old people and non-Chinese wear those kinds of clothes,"  she told me.  She was right.  There were a bunch of old people, little kids, and a couple of non-Chinese like myself dressed up.  That's okay.  I loved it. 

Thanks to May and her language abilities - she speaks Mandarin and Cantonese - we ordered a bunch of different dishes.  This particular one is a plate of chicken knees.  No kidding.  The waitress went on and on about how special the dish was. So many chickens suffered for that meal!  That was before I returned to my vegetarian ways.