Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Last night, we went to the Chinese New Year celebration in La Cr*sse.  It was wonderful.  There was a show featuring local Chinese and Americans performing songs, dances, and even a comedy routine (with a well-meaning American butchering Chinese).  Sarah had a good time, swaying back and forth to the music and smiling broadly.  I think we all enjoyed being immersed in the Chinese culture and surrounded by Chinese again.

There were about 200 people there, maybe 2/3 Chinese and 1/3 American.  I was pleasantly surprised to see so many Chinese in the area.  I had feared it would be hard to expose Sarah to Chinese customs and language in our rural area, but it turns out there is a strong Chinese organization and even language and dance classes.  Perhaps Sarah and I will take some Mandarin when she's a little older and she'll be on stage at a future New Year's event.

Although she didn't seem too interested in most of the people who looked like her, Sarah did spot a four-year-old Chinese girl a few rows behind us and was fascinated by her (she was captivating in a royal blue satin dress).  She was another adoptee and had an older sister.  We met the family at dinner after the show, and they live in a town close to ours, so I hope we'll get together some time.

Dinner was a Chinese buffet, and I'm sure it was very good, but I didn't get to enjoy it much.  Something to do with eating with an 18-month-old....  The people at our table asked if Sarah could use chopsticks.  We told them that getting her to use a fork or spoon was tough enough, and I think they learned quickly that her preference is no utensils at all.  It hadn't occurred to me just how "uncivilized" she was until we were in public.  Oh, well, I guess that's to be expected of a toddler.

After dinner, all of the children got little red envelopes (hong bao), with money in them.  Sarah wasn't impressed, but the other kids were thrilled with their one-dollar bills. She fell asleep on the drive home, one pooped partier.

Note:  Chinese New Year is actually February 14 this year, so don't forget to wish your Valentine "Gong Xi Fa Cai."