Chinese New Year

The next day, we went into town for the Chinese New Year festivities (a week after Chinese New Year). It was odd, really. The crowds were huge, but there wasn't really enough to actually sustain our interest for very long. There was a big stage in Trafalgar Square where people did some fantastic dancing, but in between the dancing two girls spent a very long time reading out characteristics of people born in various years from pieces of paper to fill time. It got a little dull.

Chinatown itself was much more exciting. There were lanterns absolutely everywhere, and huge queues outside all the restaurants. The main street (Gerrard Street?) was impassable because there was a dragon dancing. I really wanted to see the dragon, but we couldn't see it properly because the crowds were so dense. Every now and again you'd see the dragon's head bouncing up but then we were hustled back out of harm's way.

All the children had those firecracker/banger/snaps things, those little twists of paper with gunpowder in them that you throw on the ground. I really like having them myself, there's something very satisfying about throwing them on the ground, but they're quite annoying when small children throw them at your feet. We did buy a paper dragon thing and a drum thing though - I'm not sure why, we just got caught up in the whimsy I think.

The disappointing bit, though, was the fireworks: we had timed it so we'd be there for the fireworks at 5pm. We checked with the information stand, who confirmed they'd be at 5pm. But it was a bit cold so we went and had a cup of tea at the Cafe in the Crypt, and reemerged at 4:45. We headed for Leicester Square, where the fireworks were due to be, only to find they weren't going to start until 6pm. Cold and bored, we headed for home.