chinese new year

26 January 2009 marked the Chinese New Year celebrations... the beginning of the Year of the Ox! I was born in the year of the Pig... how about you?

We went into the city for the Chinese New Year Festival Carnival that Sunday and met up with our friends Christine, Steve, Matthew and Isaac. An outdoor festival in Dublin in January is a risky matter... the skies started out nice and blue... but the rain inevitably came...


Still, it's so nice to walk around Dublin city on a Sunday morning. Moore Street market, empty.

The Carnival was held in Wolfe Tone Park in the city centre and there were stalls and food and workshops and performers.

Malachy celebrating the OX!

Isaac and the Ox!

Another new year's reveller :)

I wonder what his chat-up line was....?

Sloppy, yummy buffet food for all, which we managed to eat outdoors in the January chill... before the crazy rain came ;)

Even the festival Ox got wet...!

So we retired to a nearby restaurant to dry off and get some hot refreshments. Here are Liam and Matthew tucking in!

Once the rain had stopped and the coast was clear, we all ventured back out into the festival square... we didn't want to miss the lion dance.

After the rain :)

The lion dance was so impressive. The kids just stood there in awe!

Afterwards we went to one of the craft workshops and were taught how to make these fish lanterns... so cool!

Liam and Matthew showing off their handiwork.

正月