Cheesy like a Chinese?

Tonight, my cousin celebrated his 22nd birthday. As usual, my Popo(grandmother) insists on having a birthday bash at Empress Resturant. In Chinatown, the restaruant is known to my family as,"2nd home." We go to the same resturant, the same menu, the same items, the same people. Every single weekend. Tonight was different. Chinese New Year falls on Feburary eighteenth this year. Into the night, the plaza in Chinatown was bombarded with guests who wanted some real Chinese food and some celebrating. Yes, I did say, real Chinese food. There are two catergories: the generitc type of Chinese food that anyone can make, and then the real chinese food that only the elders can make, or only the true chinese people "from the village" like to eat. Vendors crowd the area with booths set up stuffed with Chinese art, some chinese goodies, such as gin dui and narssiuss blossoms.

Every year seemed like the same old, same old. Take a picture with the Narssiuss Queen and Court, clean the shopfront for the new year, blahblahblah. Chinese New Year traditions are pointless and unnessicary. But this year, there were children performing on stage at the plaza who were from China. At first, I was really not in the mood to be dragged around everywhere by my family and take pictures. As the night progressed though, my Popo, my parents, and I were practically forced to watch those chilren dance, laugh, sing, and be merry.

My first impression of this: Let us go home. NOW. But after a couple minutes, I was soaking in the chinese culture that was shining through those children's talents. The lights in the plaza was randomly scattered, people were crowded around the stage in awe, elderly people were chit-chatting in the corners, gossiping about the latest news in the Chinese newspaper. It is all in the eye of the beholder. Chinese? Cheesy? Not a chance. I am full Chinese and I am proud to say after the boost of Chinese Culture adrenaline; I am Chinese.