Chinese New Year 2011

2011;  year of the rabbit.

What does that mean?

Well, for starters: lots of rabbits everywhere;-)

Rabbits everywhere.....

And people posing in front of them.

Rabbits that you can throw coins on for good fortune.....

Ugly rabbits.....

Bigger-than-life origami-rabbits.....

Flower-rabbits.....

Meticalously maintained all the time...

Number two: lots of streetdecoration, in particular lanterns:...

After seeing everybody pose, I felt for a small pose of my own;-)

In the background our building: the Sail.

So we have lots of rabbits and lanterns and people posing....Number three: other deco, like blossomtrees; a fairytale-look.

The fourth element I'd like to mention: RED. All things red, a very important color for the Chinese.

Number five: mandarins.
Important NewYear Ritual is to give the person(s) you visit two mandarins and to give them back to someone. Also seen in displays on the floor, in mandarintrees, etc.

This one was on the floor of a spanish restaurant. Recognise a toreador-hat?;-)

Number six: people, people, people....you can walk over the heads in Chinatown in this period.

Characteristic number seven: River Hongbao; a yearly festival, held on The Float (the floating sportsfield) and the adjacent tribunes.
Loved it last year, very disappointed this year.

The Float: lots of people.

Also the tribunes were loaded.

Like last year there was this giant God of Fortune.

Every so many minutes he spits out a lot of golden glitterconfetti. People go crazy when that happens and try to catch the stuff with their hands or with upsidedown umbrellas.

In this foodcourt walked a live God of Fortune. People were eating and even more drinking, partying, inviting Frits and me for beers. Happy atmosphere.

AngMoh's participating in the fun;-)

Boy making the V-sign while posing. A thing that all Singaporeans seem to do as soon as they pose for a pic;-)

Frits and the Dragon

Number eight: the fair with the merry-go-round; each year a success.

This year there was an unusual display: a scale-model of a famous and special HDBflat: the Pinnacle Building. 

A nice bridge;-) to my next blog which is about that specific building.

You see that the different towers of this building have connecting bridges at two high levels. My next blog is situated on the highest connecting level! C U there;-)