Remembering Dad

January 30th would've been my Dad's birthday. This time of year always evokes memories of him. He used to lead the Hip Sing Association lion dance troupe in the Argyle area of Chicago. I still remember him teaching the twenty and thirty something year old Chinese guys how to do the dance while he played the big drum. My brother and I would be on the sidelines watching every move with glee. Then on the usually freezing day of the performance, we would get all wrapped up in our winter snow gear and follow the lion dance parade around all the Chinese businesses in the neighbourhood until our toes couldn't take the cold anymore. So every time I see a lion dance around Chinese New Year, a wave of memories come flashing back into my head.

We took Alexandre and Jean Michel to see the lion dance parade at the Hotel de Ville in Paris last weekend, and I was impressed by the thousands of people who were there to see it, and even more amazed at the number of Chinese associations which exist here!

The boys loved it, (mostly Alexandre) and because Alexandre kept pushing to the front of the crowd to get a better view, we ended up getting swept into the parade as they proceeded across the square and Rue de Rivoli! Well, at least the boys and I blended in with the other Chinese people who were part of the parade! Being naturally crowd shy and not very Chinese looking, my husband decided to stay back in the crowd. I am glad to be able to give the boys a chance to experience a bit of Chinese culture even though we no longer live in Hong Kong.
My Dad at our wedding in Phuket, Thailand. The last time I saw him healthy. (21 December 2003)

The lions welcome in the Year of the Dragon at the Hotel de Ville in Paris. (28 January 2012)
Drumming for the lions

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