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Expectations, n. things looked forward to; things regarded as likely to happen

All right; I’ll admit it right up front. The main reason we chose Hawaii as the destination of choice for our honeymoon was because I wanted to go someplace exotic and out-of-the-ordinary. Having been born and raised in Houston, Texas, it was a place so far out of my experience that I knew it would make our first few weeks together all that more memorable. Thus, I had rather high expectations (and not just because it was our, you know, honeymoon).

Now, before I go on, let me just say this: the entire experience was far beyond anything I ever imagined. Although we spent all our time on Kauai (except for the airport on the big island), we still managed to pack in quite a bit of excitement, adventure, and wonderful experiences. Truthfully, it was enough to last us a lifetime.

I have to say, though; at the very beginning, my expectations took a bit of a beating.

Expectation #1: Nice Digs

For instance, we reserved a suite at this resort, complete with lanai (which is essentially a large balcony) and a king-sized bed. Naturally, we expected a nice place - I mean, this is Hawaii, right?

Well, the room was pretty nice, I’ll give it that. Although it was pretty much the usual tropical resort-type place, it did have a fantastic view of Hanalei Bay (the room in this particular photo is pretty much exactly like our room and our view), and the lanai had a nice table and chairs on which we ate breakfast every day. But (and this was a BIG ‘but’, baby!) it had a double bed, not a king!

Now, I can tell you from experience, someone my height won’t fit on a double bed. So we called the owner of the suite and complained (not that there was much that could be done about it at this point, but still). She didn’t seem bothered at all that she had lied to us about the size of the bed (we specifically asked for a king). I mean, she had our money, so there wasn’t much we could do.

But the kicker was when Mrs. MZM told her I was too tall for the bed. You know what the owner’s brilliant solution was? And I quote: “Oh, no problem; just pull the couch over to the end of the bed and he’ll have plenty of legroom.” Unquote.

Well, as I said, we had certain expectations as far as accommodations. Alas, the reality was somewhat, er, less.

Expectation #2: Sunshine

I’ve already written (earlier this week) about the fact that our stay was somewhat, er, “solar-radiantly-challenged”. (This photo is exactly what Hanalei Bay looked like. Except for the gray, rainy skies. And, er, brown water. Click on it for a spectacularly larger view.)

Hey, when you go to Hawaii (or any vacation island destination, for that matter) one generally assumes there’s going to be plenty of sunshine and blue skies. I mean, it’s in all the pictures, right? (Yes, I know it rains a lot in Hawaii; how else would that lush foliage survive? But they still generally have plenty of sunshine, too.)

Again, the reality was less that expected.

Expectation #3: Great Island Experiences

I think I also mentioned the fact that our visit happened to be during the “off” season. What that meant was that many of the quaint little shops were closed, and in fact a lot of the more “mainstream” tourist attractions were, too.

See, in Hawaii, there’s at least one experience you simply must enjoy; it’s the epitome of the Hawaiian experience: you must, at all costs, attend a luau. Usually, the biggest challenge is picking one; they’re literally everywhere (at least during the tourist season, that is).

An authentic luau can be quite elaborate, with wonderful entertainment, native costumes and the inevitable hula lessons (something you can’t avoid if you’re going to visit Hawaii). Naturally, the best ones are at night (flaming torches makes the best lighting), and held outdoors (that photo is the sort of thing we’d, um, hoped for).

Alas, because this was the, you know, off season, the choices were somewhat limited. In fact, there was only one available on the entire island! But, we shrugged and went anyway, hoping for the best.

Well, this one was held in a sortof large barn-like structure with open sides; not out in the open like we’d hoped. (Probably a good thing since it pretty much rained most of the time anyway.) And, it had electric lighting, no torches. To make matters worse, the food was really not all that great, and the man across from us was totally drunk and rather obnoxious; we could tell his wife was pretty embarrassed.

Ah, well; yet again, it was less than expected *sigh*.

The Key to Managing Your Expectations

By now you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Man, this guy has nothing good to say about anything! Who is he, anyway - that new superhero, BummerMan?” But hold on there, Buckaroos; we’re headin’ for a point if I can just figure out what it is (sound of crowd grumbling and getting restless).

OK; so here’s my point.

Expectations are good things to have; in fact, I’d even go so far as to say we need ‘em. They give a point of reference, and - dare I say it? - even something to hope for. They serve as indicators that let us know what we’d planned or expected would happen, actually has.

The problem, though, is that expectations can sometimes get, for want of a better term, too big for their britches. You know what I mean, right? Let’s say you’re planning something (it doesn’t matter what), and you’ve got every last detail worked out. I mean, there is absolutely nothing left to chance. Everything is going to go your way, and that way is… perfect.

Um… yeah.

You know it’s true: hardly ever does anything go perfectly. In fact, the more planning that’s required, the more likely whatever-it-is will go awry, if you know what I mean. You might as well just face the fact that life is never perfect. It follows, then, that if when you have expectations, then sometime, somewhere, you’re going to experience disappointment.

So what’s a person to do? Never ever plan, hope or even dream, again? No, of course not, ya big galoot (sound of fist pounding on desk)!

The key to managing any expectation can be summed up in one single word: flexibility. Yep; that’s the secret. And that one word is the thing that saved us from disappointment on our trip. Oh, don’t get me wrong; we were still disappointed when some of our expectations weren’t met; at least temporarily.

But by allowing ourselves to be flexible enough to creatively respond to each disappointment, we turned what could have been a not-so-great moment into one that, even now, still brings back fond and wonderful memories.

For instance, to this day we hardly remember that ridiculously short bed. What we do remember, though, are the breakfasts we enjoyed every morning on our lanai, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and entertained by a couple of cardinals that seemed to think we had invaded their own personal space. They were so unafraid of us, they practically hopped in our laps as we ate!

And the lack of sun wasn’t really that much of a problem, either. It certainly didn’t stop us from checking out all the incredible sights: picturesque waterfalls, beautiful beaches, incredible mountain vistas and spectacular ocean views. (Although because of the constant rain, all our pictures came out sorta dark and gloomy.) But because we were willing to stay flexible in all things, why, everywhere we went, we’d stumble across yet another surprise (like, f’rinstance, that time we accidentally stumbled - literally! - upon a couple of nude sunbathers!)

Expectations can be good; they give you something to look forward to. But managing your expectations with a liberal dose of flexibility will allow you to enjoy life so much better. That way, even when things don’t - quite - go like you expect, well, you can still have an experience just as good (or even better).

___________________________

Yes, today marks the 26^th Anniversary of the day Mrs. MZM and I gazed into each other’s eyes and proclaimed to all who happened to be present those two powerful, life-changing little words: “I do.”

I find it rather appropriate, then, that we just sorta happened to end this series of posts with that particular word, flexibility. Honestly; it wasn’t planned.

But if there were one single word that characterized how Mrs. MZM and I have coped with the ups and downs of our years together, it would be that one. Of all the blessings God could have given us, that one quality is what continues to turn every day into an amazing adventure that never ends.

You know, I am still completely overwhelmed with the amazing and wonderful fact that, of all the people God put on this planet, this wonderful woman agreed (finally!) that I was the one - and said “YES!”

That is something for which I will be forever grateful.

Happy Anniversary to the Love of My Life!

__________________________

For the rest of our Hawaiian Honeymoon adventures, see:

Hawaiian Honeymoon, Part 1: Dignity; Always Dignity

Hawaiian Honeymoon, Part 2: When Skies Are Grey

Hawaiian Honeymoon, Part 3: Underwhelmed

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Actually, this post serves as something of a Public Service Announcement. (You know, one of those things you see on TV or hear on the radio where people or organizations publicly demonstrate they’re watching out for your welfare.)

So consider this post as fair warning: You folks up in the Chicago area (laughingly known to us Texans as “the frozen north”) - well, you’d better hide the silverware! Yep, that’s right; I’m on my way to Chicago on May 2 for the Next Big Thing - SOBCon08 (sound of women and children screaming in fear crowd cheering)!

Liz Strauss, Terry Starbucker, and the whole gang have really gone all-out to make this year’s edition of SOBCon a huge success, and believe you me, it shows! Dubbed as a “Biz School for Bloggers”, it promises to once again be the keystone event of the year:

Whether for love or money, if you blog for readers or community, you’re in the business of blogging. This conference can help you achieve your goals, faster with more confidence, and more predictably.

I must admit, I spent a lot of time trying to decide whether or not SOBCon08 was right for me or not. After all, the Middle Zone isn’t a business (it’s really more of a state of mind), and I don’t monetize it in any way, shape or form - other than the priceless currency of your readership and good fellowship. But that’s not really what caused me to hesitate.

To tell you the truth, I didn’t understand the value proposition. I mean, when you get right down to it, what is it about SOBCon08 that justifies the not insignificant cost? To put it bluntly, what’s in it for me? (C’mon, admit it; if you’re still unsure about going then you’re probably thinking the same thing.) Naturally, being the pragmatic fellow that I am, I started to wonder - just what are the benefits?

After all, even though I don’t monetize the Middle Zone, that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make money from blogging someday, right? After all, as more and more businesses turn to blogging to get closer to their customers (and quite a few other reasons), the chances are pretty good that I’ll need to better understand the business of blogging, right? Besides, we’re not necessarily talking here about hard cash, you know.

So, if you’re like me (and if you are, I offer my sincere condolences), in no particular order allow me to count the ways…

Knowledge - Like I said, knowing how to do something is never a bad thing, even if you don’t actually, you know, do it. Besides, you never know when you might be able to synthesize that knowledge into some other endeavor, right? Like my old scoutmaster always used to say, “Be prepared.”

Ideas - There’s nothing like being with a large, like-minded (yet still diverse) group of folks to stir up the ol’ creative juices! Not only will you get to hear from 200+ others, at some point we’ll be working in teams to help each other build business plans, action plans, and maybe plain old share an idea or two - whacky or otherwise - that could be useful to us and our customers. This could be worth the price of admission all by itself.

Relationships - It’s a chance to meet up with the folks we may only know electronically. At the last SOBCon, I was still relatively new at it, and didn’t really know too many people. Since then, however, I’ve forged some wonderful relationships - many of whom (or is it who?) will actually be there too. What a great way to strengthen the bonds of friendship! For me, this is probably the biggest immediate benefit. But who knows where it can lead?

Show Off - I know this sounds a bit odd, but the fact is, many of us have grown considerably during the last year. Hey, here’s a chance to demonstrate your own expertise. C’mon; take a bow, why don’t you - there’s nothing wrong with that! After all, we make money off our expertise every day, right? Besides, it gives the rest of us a chance to celebrate and encourage each other, too.

Networking - I’m tellin’ ya, ever since I realized the value of networking for life, I’ve tried never to miss the opportunity. Although in person I tend to be rather shy and retiring (no, really!), it’s something I’ve made myself do because, well, we all benefit from knowing as many people as possible. And I don’t mean just their names, either.

Hey, there’s plenty more than these few things I just listed, but I didn’t want to hog ‘em all. If you’re still sittin’ on the fence, though - well Bubba, why not take a moment to consider these five thoughts. Heck, add your own reasons, why don’cha!

I can tell you this - SOBCon08 promises to add up to one exciting event! Do yourself a favor and drop by the site and sign up. Hey, if you do decide to come, then by all means, drop me a note and let me know. And be sure and tap me on the shoulder (just look for the hat); I’d be downright honored to meet you. I’ll be staying at the Hotel 71 around the corner, so I’ll be close by.

In the meantime, to you folks in Chicago… like I said, you’d better hide the silverware!

See ya!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

You know I really appreciate the work you do. I mean, what with all that flying around, keeping tabs on the emotional states of, oh, billions of people around the world, and those arrows – well, I just don’t know how you do it.

I remember a time, though, when I was beginning to wonder about you. I mean, I’d been hit by one or two of your arrows before, and each time it happened, I thought it was THE time. See, I believed in you, and what you could do. But it never seemed to take, if you know what I mean.

Each time, things just didn’t seem to pan out. Oh, there were lots of reasons, really. Sometimes it was me; sometimes it was her. Ah, well; as I like to say around here: c’est la vie – that’s life in the Middle Zone. In any case, I suppose the bottom line is, it just wasn’t meant to be. Or maybe it was like, you know, practice.

As I said, though, I have to admit that I was really beginning to wonder about you. Was there really such a thing as True Love? I mean, other than in the movies, or in books? If it really existed, then how in the world would I ever find it? Even more important, how would I recognize it?

And you know that thing we laughingly call Love At First Sight? Well, it seemed ludicrous that such a thing could be real, you know? I mean, c’mon – something as complicated as love, happening that quickly? Nope; no way!

But then one day… well, one day I met her.

It was a most amazing and profound moment; to me, it was only yesterday. We were in a room, perhaps twenty people or so. She stood up and said a few words. I turned to look at her – and for an eternal moment it was as if time stood still and the universe came to a complete stop.

Alas, I’m sorry to say I don’t remember what she was wearing (although she probably does!), or what I was wearing (ditto), or any of those little details she’s so good at.

No, what I remember is the absolute perfection of her face, her smile – and well, for want of a better term, her spirit. At that moment, nothing else mattered. It was as if the center of this suddenly motionless universe was right there in the room with me… and even more amazingly, it was close enough to touch!

Needless to say, never having experienced Love At First Sight, I didn’t recognize it for what it was. After all, at the time, I wasn’t even really looking, if you know what I mean. To this day I can’t even describe exactly how I knew; but somehow, I just knew. This was It. This – ah, this was the Real Thing.

Oh, I know she acted all aloof and everything. She even tried introducing me to every other girl she knew, just to get me off the track, but I wasn’t fooled. As if I could be deterred. I knew; and deep down inside where the heart really lives, I knew that she knew, too.

What’s really weird is it seemed like everybody else knew, too. Our friends, acquaintances – heck, the very first time I met him (and without anyone saying a word) even her father knew! But I guess you can’t hide something like that from a loving, caring father like hers; he could probably have seen it coming a mile off…

Eventually, though, she admitted the truth to herself and to me. And so we married.

Well, it’s been over twenty-five years since we stepped up in front of our friends and our families and said those words (“I do!”). A lot of time has passed; a lot of memories created. What an amazing experience it’s been, being married to the Love of My Life!

Sure, we’ve had our ups and downs – growing old together just wouldn’t be as interesting without the joys and the trials that go along with it, you know? It’s kinda like ol’ Dino used to sing, When love hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie – well Bubba, I’m here to tell ya: that’s amore! To be honest, I wouldn’t want to change a thing.

So anyway, Cupid, I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your work, and everything you’re doing to help make the world a better place. I’ll tell ya; life just wouldn’t be the same without you!

Keep up the good work!

(photos: Love letters straight from your heart, by cattycamehome, and Heart shaped bokeh, by yumi)

___________________________

[Note from the proprietor: In addition to being a soliloquy to Mrs. MZM in honor of Valentine’s Day this year, this also happens to be an entry in a group writing project called “Dear Cupid”, being hosted over at Between The Lines. Go check it out!]

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day (sound of agonized screaming from all those guys out there who, er, forgot), I thought a little story might help get you in the mood.

During the first year of our marriage, Mrs. MZM and I attended a Newlyweds class during the Sunday morning Bible study hour at our church. In keeping with tradition, when Valentine’s Day rolled around, they organized a banquet for our rather large group (it was a very large church).

This particular year it promised to be quite a shindig. We had a great meal lined up, live entertainment, and beautiful decorations, including about a million red, pink and white balloons (and I should know; I helped inflate them!)

As preparation for the banquet, though, everybody was asked to submit an illustration of the “most romantic thing” our mates did for us while on our honeymoons. The idea was to read the entries at our banquet and then vote on the best one. The winner would be rewarded with a romantic weekend getaway at a local posh hotel.

Well, the banquet was a smashing success. The food was wonderful, the desserts suitably decadent. The fabulous decorations (Mrs. MZM helped with that) and lively entertainment really made the evening a fun time for all.

But finally it was time to hear what shining examples of romanticism our class members had contributed. (To be honest, I was really looking forward to picking up a few tips – something that might be useful in future years.)

Oh, there were all the usual things – flowers, carriage rides through the park, romantic dinners, moonlight walks on the beach, etc. But there was one that really stood out; a contribution from one of the wives. I’m tellin’ ya; it was a real doozy – and unanimously chosen as the winner.

Want to know what she considered to be the most romantic thing her husband did during their honeymoon?

When she had to “go”, he sat on the toilet seat and warmed it up for her!

Well, when that one was read, there were a few seconds of absolute dead silence (during which time you could have heard an ant walking). Then every jaw in the place dropped straight to the floor (I wouldn’t have been surprised if we had registered a 5.5 on the Richter scale!) We got to our feet en masse and began to applaud the somewhat embarrassed hero of the day. Talk about a show-stopper!

Well, after 25 years of marriage to the most Wonderful Woman in the World, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. And yes, I’ve been asked a time or two for relationship advice; something I’m more than happy to share. (Admittedly, I’m nowhere near perfect *sigh*. To quote one fellow: Lemme tell you everything I know about women: Nothin’!)

But somewhere along the way I almost always relate this story because I’ve never heard a better example of out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to romance. After all these years, I’ve never heard of anything that can top it.

About the only thing I can add is: Gentlemen, go thou and do likewise.

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Since Valentine’s Day happens this week… I’ve scheduled a couple of V-Day posts for Wednesday and Thursday. Just a little something special for you (and Mrs. MZM). Stay tuned!

(Image from XKCD)

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

[Note: This is part 2 (obviously!) of a two-part post (but there may yet be more!) about my experiences while living in Taiwan during Chinese New Year back in 2000. In case you missed it, here’s part 1.]

What’s a Night Market?

My favorite and most interesting places to visit in any Taiwan city were always the Night Markets. What’s a Night Market, you ask? Well… they’re a sortof flea market/ garage sale/ sidewalk sale/ carnival/ food festival, all rolled up into one. And oh yeah; they’re only (usually) open at night.

They are held on a street that’s blocked off from automobile traffic (although occasional motorcycles and bicycles are a constant hazard). During the day, the street may or may not look almost normal, but at night, the stores along the street (and anyone else who can squeeze in) simply move their wares outside. They are usually open until very early in the morning.

Street markets have an interesting atmosphere, in more ways than one. First of all, it’s sortof like walking through a kaleidescope. Lots of colorful clothes, various and sundry wares, and food stalls of everything imaginable (and some that aren’t!) are pushed at you from every side. Then, of course, there’s the smells – quite an amazing variety, and combinations thereof – at every turn!

Some Night Markets are more-or-less permanent; one in Taipei had a permanent weather cover built over the street. In other cities and towns, though, they only have them during special occasions, like New Year’s.

The Hsinchu Night Market

The week before New Year’s (which was on Feb. 5 in 2000), the city was literally in a shopping frenzy. You could tell the difference; the entire downtown area was filled with late-night shoppers.

Unlike Taipei, which has 4 or 5 well established and permanent night markets, Hsinchu only has one. It’s only there for about two weeks during the New Year’s celebrations. Luckily, it was only a few blocks from my hotel, which made it easy for me to enjoy.

One of the main entry points started at the big traffic circle around Hsinchu’s ancient Eastern Gate. The market extended from there (and down a few other cross streets) for maybe a half a mile or more. In this photo, it was down the street you can see through the gate’s arch, right next to the Kentucky Fried Chicken place (always a “safe” place to eat!)

On either side of most downtown streets are regular shops; hundreds of them were within the length of the Night Market alone. (Plus there’s lots of other streets with just as many.) Since this was a “special occasion” market, it not only stayed open for business until the wee hours, but was open all day, too.

The market consisted of two long row of booths set up in the middle of a couple of downtown streets that were closed to cars for the duration. Occasionally, though, someone drove his scooter through, beeping and honking his horn and causing all manner of (mostly good-natured) mayhem. Walkways on each side of the stalls were packed with people; I could barely get through.

Choices, Choices, Choices

It was almost unbelievable, the variety of wares to be found!

Some of the vendors used PA systems to shout out their sales pitches (even though most of their customers were only 3 feet away!) When you add the fireworks and firecrackers going off most of the night, the noise got pretty deafening.

One of the largest booths had a huge pile of ski jackets, pullovers, etc. on a big table. The salesman was shouting at the top of his lungs over the PA system while everyone inside was poking, grabbing, shoving, and pushing each other like a girdle sale at Macy’s. The reason: price per jacket - about $5.

Let’s see… there were also cell phone accessories, music CD’s and cassettes, musical instruments, books, assorted trinkets you might remember seeing with the label “made in Taiwan”, blankets, stuffed animals, scarves, tropical fish, cosmetics, gambling machines, and of course lottery tickets.

Other stalls had various types of: food, such as sausages, noodles, various vegetables, ducks (whole or parts, raw, dried, stuffed, fried, baked, roasted, barbecued, etc.; it was like Bubba Gump’s, except it was, you know, for ducks), pastries, ice cream cones, drinks, an Icee vendor, sweets & candies, dumplings, and many foods I couldn’t recognize at all. One particular area of the food market was called “snake alley” because of the, er, exotic foodstuffs available there. ‘Nuff said.

Along with those were selections of teas, herbs, flowers, and plants of all kinds, fortune tellers, toys, blouses, shirts, ties, socks, shoes, coats and jackets, pants, hats, wood and stone carvings, Taoist and Buddhist idols, temple-related things like incense and ghost money (burned as an offering to their ancestors), purses, belts, plus all kinds of backpacks.

Then there were various medical related things, like massage chairs, back massagers, back scratchers, actual Shiatsu massages, women’s and men’s, er, “enhancers” (but let’s not go there!), several doctors, acupressure and/or acupuncture clinics, and perhaps the most surprising – someone practicing dentistry, right there on the street!

In addition to this, there were lots of guys selling things out of suitcases. Stuff like watches, jewelry, bracelets rings, gloves, sunglasses, eyeglasses, little glass critters, and — well, you get the idea.

And to think; this was only on the first block!

Just to make it really interesting, there were also quite a few stalls promoting one or another presidential candidate for the upcoming election to be held in March (rumors, mudslinging, and outright accusations promised to turn the event into a real dogfight).

About a quarter of the vendors were selling New Year’s stuff - decorations, bamboo shoots (supposed to be good luck to have them in your house), paper dragons, etc.

The bottom line is, business is the name of the game, and making money the ultimate goal. Everybody seemed to be having a great time, though, so I would call it a success.

________________________

I guess the real bottom line, though, is that no matter where I am in the world, I’ve found that people are, well, still people. They love to have a good time, enjoy themselves; and just because they look a little different than I do - well, we’re really all the same inside.

I will always treasure my experiences in Taiwan as a wonderful, growing time in my life. Although I was almost exactly opposite my hometown on the globe, thanks to email and occasional phone calls I could still stay connected with Mrs. MZM.

But the place - wow, the place was utterly fascinating!

Note: If you found these articles interesting, let me know; there’s a lot more to tell! A big part of the Chinese New Year celebration is the Lantern Festival, of which the one in Taipei was the absolute biggest and most extravagant. I’ll be writing more about that amazing event in future posts.

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Since today is officially the Chinese New Year (it’s the Year of the Rat), I thought it would be fun to write about some of my experiences while living in Taiwan back in 2000.

I was stationed in the city of Hsinchu for about three months while building one of the many semiconductor manufacturing facilities located in the Hsinchu Science and Technology Industrial Park.

It was my idea all along (before I had ever heard of blogging) to eventually write a travel book, or series of books, called Travels with Bob. So while there, I journaled extensively about my experiences, mostly in the form of emails to Mrs. MZM (who unfortunately had to stay home).

Alas, the travel book never materialized (although you never know; it might be revived one day). In the meantime, and thanks to the Internet, I invite you to travel along with me.

[Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part post. Stay tuned tomorrow for the exciting, thrill-packed, er, Part 2]

A Little Background

The Chinese New Year is the main holiday for this entire part of the world. In fact, most people plan their annual vacations around it. But not everyone stays put; many folks go to places like Thailand, Indonesia, or Australia.

Traditionally, this holiday is usually spent with families (but then, aren’t most?) Luckily, most people get at least a few days off from work (unless they’re in retail – but more on that later). Some workers get as many as ten days, and nearly all students are off from school, too.

Like Mardi Gras, the Chinese start their celebrating about two weeks early. Also like Mardi Gras, it’s one long party! And just to keep things lively, fireworks are as common as fleas; it was an unusual night when at least a few big boomers didn’t go off.

Of course, the Chinese don’t celebrate Christmas. But, I was surprised to find they treat it almost exactly the same way Westerners do, including a Santa-like figure that shows up at your door with money or gifts (everyone exchanges gifts, just like we do in the West).

Instead of gifts, though, sometimes they give each other “good luck money”: money placed inside small red envelopes, with good wishes for prosperity, peace, and success written on them.

To add to the festive look, all the bigger stores display their Christmas decorations until the New Year’s celebrations are over (usually sometime in February – I wish Mrs. MZM would let me keep the Christmas tree up that long *sigh*), and holiday music still sounds from the muzak systems. (Actually, it’s kinda fun listening to Chinese versions of familiar Christmas carols.)

It’s also one long shopping spree, too - unlike in the U.S., nearly all stores stay open for business throughout the holidays. Many keep later-than-usual hours to take advantage of the extra crowds walking around at night. (Why do they walk around at night? Stay tuned to tomorrow’s post for that one!)

Finally, The Day Arrived

New Year’s Eve was a many-hours-long succession of spectacular fireworks, hand-thrown firecrackers, and late night shopping downtown. Of course, I heard fireworks going off every now and then over the last two weeks, but on this night it’s pretty much a constant background noise.

Along toward midnight, they got more frequent, and much, much bigger. They didn’t have a big organized event like we might have back home, though; people just set them off whenever and wherever they wanted. Every now and then, a whole string was set off, lasting as long as several minutes. You could hear the echoes roaring and rocking back and forth among the downtown buildings.

Finally, it all ended about 1:00 am. I guess everyone must have gone to bed because I didn’t hear a single pop after that (also unlike back home)! But the next morning (which was the actual New Year’s Day), I was awakened about 10:15 (OK, so I slept late!) by a tremendous racket. (Not exactly my favorite way to wake up, but it certainly got my attention!)

Just a few blocks from my hotel (although it sounded like the room next door!), a band of colorfully-costumed drummers performed right in front of the main entrance to the SOGO store (a large Japanese department store). Evidently organized by the store management, there were also two official-looking characters standing beside the still-closed doors.

Well, the drummers did their thing (making quite a racket with the echoes and all), and while this was going on, several people set off long strings (about 50 feet long) of fireworks. Absolutely deafening! Everybody was obviously having a great time, though; even though we all had our hands over our ears…

Each long string of firecrackers took almost two minutes to finish, drummers banging away in spectacular cadences all the while. It was fantastic – they were really quite good. Finally, as a finale (the traditional ending), one last blast went off underneath a small decorated paper box, shooting it about 20 feet into the air.

The Dragon Dance

Then, the drummers moved aside to make room for a dragon dance. Usually, the dragon figures are made of paper, and can be as many as 50 or more performers long. This time, though, there were only two men per dragon (I found this video clip – very much like the one I saw), so it was an, er, “short” performance (Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Sorry.)

Of course, the dragons were quite colorful and elaborate – their eyelids and ears flapped away at the kids in the audience, giving them a thrill and making them and their parents jump back, laughing. They danced, jumping up high and dipping down low, and then it looked like the two dragons began to get a bit friendly, wrapping their necks together and bumping heads.

After a time, a man ran out in the street and placed a large red pail containing fruits and vegetables on the ground in front of the two dragons. He offered a pineapple to one dragon, who took it in his mouth. The other dragon was offered a different vegetable (it looked like a fat white carrot). (The pineapple represents hospitality, and the other one represents prosperity.)

The dragons then began taking turns bending low over the pail, while the crowd (obviously knowing what to expect) surrounded them, gathering right up close. Suddenly, one dragon jumped up, and candy flew out over the crowd! It was hilarious; everybody went absolutely nuts, adults and children alike! After a few minutes, the other dragon did the same with his pail, resulting in a melee of epic proportions.

Finally, the two officials from the store walked up to the dragons and offered each of them “good luck” money envelopes, then officially opened the store for the day. The crowd gathered thickly around the doors as they opened, pouring in like a human waterfall. You’d think it was a girdle sale at Macys!

[That’s all for today! Come back tomorrow for Part 2 – the Hsinchu Night Market.]

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