After reading about it for years and never getting there for various reasons, I finally was able to check out Honolulu’s Chinatown during a Chinese New Year celebration. Events started Friday night, so I picked up Noel from his nearby office after work and we headed out. Our goals were to get some pastries and sweets from a new Chinatown bakery that has people lining up down the street for goodies and then to get dinner. We – barely – accomplished one of those goals.
Instead of an organized parade, Friday night just had everyone who has a lion/dragon costume running randomly through the streets collecting dollar bills “for good luck.” A little chaotic. Then equally randomly, folks lighting long strings of firecrackers hung from storefront facades. Robbie didn’t do so well with those and we couldn’t get him to cross a few streets to get to the bakery. So we headed in a different direction and found a non-Chinese restaurant that seemed semi-quiet and away from the fray. However, upon sitting down, we were informed (nicely) that a lion dancer was due to come through the restaurant and to “have his [Robbie’s] dollar bill ready if he was interested.” Then we noticed that outside of the back window the restaurant had its own string of firecrackers ready for lighting. We ordered anyway.
Cub was unusually fussy and not much worked to calm him down. At one point I rather comically tried to chase him down with a martini in my hand. (Didn’t spill a drop!) Milk calmed Cub down for a while. Until he threw it all up. I headed off to the ladies’ room to change him and when I returned, Noel headed off to the men’s room to clean up the stroller. The wait staff met him at the door and kindly showed him to the service kitchen, where they helped him hose it off and even Febreze’d it for him! Back at the table, we ate a few more bites and then asked that it all be packed up. Dinner was aborted and we headed home. The food was good though, and the wait staff fantastic. I’d like to head back someday without toddlers.
Instead of an organized parade, Friday night just had everyone who has a lion/dragon costume running randomly through the streets collecting dollar bills “for good luck.” A little chaotic. Then equally randomly, folks lighting long strings of firecrackers hung from storefront facades. Robbie didn’t do so well with those and we couldn’t get him to cross a few streets to get to the bakery. So we headed in a different direction and found a non-Chinese restaurant that seemed semi-quiet and away from the fray. However, upon sitting down, we were informed (nicely) that a lion dancer was due to come through the restaurant and to “have his [Robbie’s] dollar bill ready if he was interested.” Then we noticed that outside of the back window the restaurant had its own string of firecrackers ready for lighting. We ordered anyway.
Cub was unusually fussy and not much worked to calm him down. At one point I rather comically tried to chase him down with a martini in my hand. (Didn’t spill a drop!) Milk calmed Cub down for a while. Until he threw it all up. I headed off to the ladies’ room to change him and when I returned, Noel headed off to the men’s room to clean up the stroller. The wait staff met him at the door and kindly showed him to the service kitchen, where they helped him hose it off and even Febreze’d it for him! Back at the table, we ate a few more bites and then asked that it all be packed up. Dinner was aborted and we headed home. The food was good though, and the wait staff fantastic. I’d like to head back someday without toddlers.
It could have been worse! While dining, we saw a fire truck and an ambulance pass by in the direction of firecrackers that had recently gone off. At least we ended the night without permanent scars.
2 comments:
Clementine's first Chinese New Year celebration was in Virginia Beach, when she was about 6 months old. She fell asleep during the kung fu/lion dance demonstration at the restaurant where we were dining (front and center), with cymbals, drums and all! No firecrackers though.
Too cute! I bet it's a different story now. She must love the show put on. And the gifts! ;)
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