I made a promise to Little L that I'd take her to her very first lion dance. Her excitement was infectious despite the fact that I was feeling like death worn over. That's the trouble with sending little kids to school. They bring home all sorts of viruses, nits and bacterias. That could only mean one thing. They get incredibly sick every other week which means that the mommies will pull in day AND night duties to look after them and then AFTER they bounce back to normality, faster than you could say Tigger, the slaves...ahem...I meant to say mothers are indubitably infected being so worn out and all. WE want our own mommies too! Oh, don't get me started on man flu %&@^! pfffft.
Right. Where was I? My first memory of lion dance was at Nye-ma's house (maternal grandmother). I was only a wee girl then. It was one of the rare Chinese New Year that we made it back to Sibu. In the morning right after all of us were handed a hong bao (red packet), Nye-ma told me that a lion dance troupe was coming to the house.
I was dying to take a peep inside the hong baos to see how much money I've accumulated from my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles so far. The thought fled my mind the minute I saw a lion dance troupe arriving on the back of a lorry. The group immediately got to work. The banging of the cymbals and the consistent staccato beating of the drums. There's the lettuce on the floor to entice the lion to eat as well as the lighting of the firecrackers. It was loud, exhilarating and magical.
Little L was up and dressed in her pettiskirt which she was allowed to wear since it was Chinese New Year. Due to planned engineering work on the tracks, we had to catch a train and then a double decker bus. Finally, after months of constant pleading to ride on the top deck, her wish was granted.
Unfortunately, we missed the official opening where a VIP was invited to dot the eyes of the lion to commence the show.
I don't know how these ladies do it in thin dresses. It was an extremely windy day and freezing cold.
Right. Where was I? My first memory of lion dance was at Nye-ma's house (maternal grandmother). I was only a wee girl then. It was one of the rare Chinese New Year that we made it back to Sibu. In the morning right after all of us were handed a hong bao (red packet), Nye-ma told me that a lion dance troupe was coming to the house.
I was dying to take a peep inside the hong baos to see how much money I've accumulated from my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles so far. The thought fled my mind the minute I saw a lion dance troupe arriving on the back of a lorry. The group immediately got to work. The banging of the cymbals and the consistent staccato beating of the drums. There's the lettuce on the floor to entice the lion to eat as well as the lighting of the firecrackers. It was loud, exhilarating and magical.
Little L was up and dressed in her pettiskirt which she was allowed to wear since it was Chinese New Year. Due to planned engineering work on the tracks, we had to catch a train and then a double decker bus. Finally, after months of constant pleading to ride on the top deck, her wish was granted.
Unfortunately, we missed the official opening where a VIP was invited to dot the eyes of the lion to commence the show.
I don't know how these ladies do it in thin dresses. It was an extremely windy day and freezing cold.
The dragon troupe.
The beating of the drum
And clashing of the cymbal
Little L is such a beautiful cutie pie! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, q9y8! She's a sweetheart when she's not driving up the wall :P
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