The year of the Tiger

I am fascinated by public transport, and although I have great faith in it, it can be a little confusing and I am always kind of surprised when I successfully arrive at my destination. After taking the train last weekend to London I am more confident in reading the confusing timetables, which is great because until now, they made no sense to me at all. There's something about the London tube that I find especially appealing, and as it took us to Chinatown I don't know if I was more excited to be zooming around under the city or getting to learn some Chinese New Year customs.
The streets of Chinatown were teeming with people, it was amazing. It took us 20 minutes to walk one block there were so many enjoying the parade of a good luck lion zig-zagging its way down the street, visiting each business to, well, give them good luck. In each doorway hung an offering of lettuce which the 'Lion' would take, break up, and throw back onto the proprietors. Everything I found strange about the day was justified as 'good luck' so, okay! We had a buffet lunch that was okay and 'London cheap' which basically means not cheap at all. The lion throwing lettuce at the door didn't make the food better, but made for an interesting intermission. Hundreds of lanterns were strung across the streets, Leicester and Trafalgar squares were alive with celebratory people, entertained with traditional Chinese dances and music.
I learned and forgot several Chinese phrases, enjoyed strange offerings in the Asian markets, and had a leisurely stroll through some London sites. We snuck (sneaked?) into Westminster Abbeys Evensong, I am always surprised by the beauty of that place!
In the evening they had a spectacular display of Chinese fireworks. How could I underestimate their proficiency at this, after all, they invented them. The proximity to trees had me wondering if the London Fire Brigade was an official sponsor. But what ensued was one of the best, brightest, and loudest displays I've ever seen. Some into the trees, but most were low; strung across trees, spraying out on the ground. By the end the smoke was thick and pieces of firework were raining down on us.
Last night we brought the two week celebration to an end and made some Chinese dumplings. It was a surprisingly simple process (especially if you buy the dough premade and cut into circles) but forming the dumplings is a real skill. It was clear which ones the yank made, overstuffed and not exactly artfully done. Regardless of how they looked, they were delicious.