22 February 2013

Chinese New Year 2013 (er...Year of the Snake)

The problem with being so busy is that so many things happen which are totally bloggable, and yet, time runs right out the door and I find myself sleeping trying to sleep in my bed, leaving blogging to another day...ya know, when there's more energy to be had.

Here's proof that February and all the punch it brings each year in it's meager 28 days has brought it big time once again. The man I live with is just so ridiculously talented. He's good at everything he tries to do. Bleh. Guitar- "Oh let's give it a couple months and see how I do... Oh look it's easy and I'm incredibly good at it!" (I really AM impressed at this despite my jealousy... seeing as how I spent a decade of my life on a piano and have NOTHING to show for it. I can't even play both hands on "Chopsticks"...just the right hand part..and he is NOT braggy about his talents, so I do it for him.) ANYWAY.

His recent delving has been into the world of photography. We bought a fancy schmancy camera a few months ago and he is already doing fancy schmancy things with it like make the video below.

And while Chinese New Year started a couple of weeks ago, please be reassured that this video is still representative of the fireworks display that is occurring even now as I type at 9:16pm 12 days after this video was recorded. It is current. And just one of the many things we've been up to this month.

CNY (stay with me now, you need to know that acronym) brings it big time with the fireworks. These people invented fireworks and I can assure you they know how to use them. July 4th is left in the dust in that we ONLY shoot them off one night and the kind they set off here 25 feet in front of houses are usually sanctioned by city officials and regulated at that size in the US. Disney World and Thunder can maaaybe say they've got some kind of street cred because of the music and the sheer volume of the bang, but know this, my fellow Americans, Chinese New Year OWNS fireworks and you will go down (or rather stay up due to their loudness, for approximately 3 weeks each year) if you think you can fight them or stop them. The ones in this video are just your "common" run-of-the-mill neighborhood fireworks.

All that's left to do is to set up the tent (for a comfy spot and a minor protection from flaming debris falling on your head) and take the boys out at midnight, especially on that first night.  They won't sleep. Embrace it. Applaud this race of people and their incredible contribution to the world. Let them wow you with their completely wonderful and magical (and as it were, illegal, in this country) fireworks display.



Chinese New Year 2013 from Anthony Rivers on Vimeo.

5 comments:

  1. Love it! Just might have to plan a trip over there one year to experience it. I turn 30 this year and am still in awe of fireworks. Every. single. time. The boys' faces were the best!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That would be great! Though you may want to time it so that at the END of your trip is CNY...otherwise the fireworks will keep you from ever getting over jetlag. CNY = No Sleep. :)

      Delete
  2. That. was. amazing. So well done, and I loved your boys faces and Isaac's emphatic YES when you asked if they wanted to sit in the tent. I'm also crazy surprised that your girl seemingly slept through it all!

    We have our regular display of fireworks year-round here in Prague that we can see from our terrace, but nothing like you have for days / weeks on end! I saw our new favorite firework here in Prague in your video too. It's right around 1:20-1:22... the kind where it explodes and then each little one explodes. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They usually go off at midnight every night. Weekends are heavier. But Bird's room has no outside-facing windows. (hard to explain the design of our house). The kids actually sleep through the ones at midnight pretty well, its the ones that start at sunset (aka-bedtime) that keep them awake most. Once I get them down, they stay down. But that first night is crazy. The one shot of what looked like smoke-fire under the tent next door was fire-crackers. A super long string (10 feet or more) of the LOUDEST firecrackers you have ever heard. Those aren't pretty to watch but you can ALWAYS hear them...and the best part is you get to set those off when you first wake up in the morning too. I love the 1:20 ones too! The ones around minute 2:55 were so big when they launched from their box a block away you could feel it in your chest then when they exploded the base/low-end was too low for our mic on our camera to pick it up. Nuts!

      Delete
  3. Such a great video! It certainly captures a night of memories.

    ReplyDelete