Chinese New Year Street Scenes

Nina is the redhead woman in the sea of black Chinese hair. She is not afriad to throw herself in front of the dragon dancers. There are lion dancers and dragon dancers. We wake up from our not so fitfull slumber (fireworks exploding like bombs all night tend to interrupt dream time) and head down to the street. First stop: coffee. Next stop, catch those lions and dragons!! Dragons are the long creatures, held high by ten or twelve or fifteen dancers. Lions dancers are two guys, huddled and balanced inside the lion costume, front legs and back legs. It is 8am new years day and Nina and I hit the streets in search of dancers. We find them, we follow them, we consider getting on the bus with them. They travel from square to square, performing. Welcome the year of the pig. Sometimes the dancers sit on a bench and smoke cigarettes. We strike poses everywhere possible.