Mid-Autumn Festival

We celebrated Mid-Autumn/Moon festival this past weekend in Singapore.  It is a very auspicious time in the year for families to get together and celebrate the harvest.  It's right up there with Chinese New Year, so like everything else in Singapore for a holiday, the decorations were BIG and fancy! Families get together, and eat Mooncakes, and Pomelos(like a big green grapefruit).  It's a little more subdued than Chinese New Year, and we could really feel a laid back vibe from people.  We went to the Chinese gardens to see their lantern walk.  It was really pretty...and we beat the crowds, which was great.  It wasn't a super hot night, and we really enjoyed strolling around and looking at everything.  That was my second time there, and I will definitely be back.  It's very serene there, and a nice break from the cement of the city.  larry was in photo nerd heaven and took a ton of amazing shots.  His big boy camera was able to really capture the night scenes better than the point and shoot.  

I got a sugar art lollipop from one of the crafters, and it was almost too pretty too eat.  I loved watching him do it.  He had you spin a wheel, and what ever animal it landed on, that's what he made for you.  Pretty neat.  

Then this weekend we ventured out to a new restaurant/hawker stand I had read about.  It's called Botak Jones, and it's american food.  It was really yummy, and the service was excellent. I had a chili dog.  Not quite like the ones back home, but still good. They have Swanky Frankys on the menu...very much a Detroit thing. Only thing that would have made it better would be a big frosty diet Vernors and a Sanders hot fudge cream puff.  I checked out the website (botakjones.com), and it turns out the owner is a fellow Southfield-Lathrup Senior High School Alum!  He was the first graduating class.  We shot a few emails back and forth, and I think there is a slight possibility of cream puffs being on the menu sometime soon. Small world huh?  

Halfway around the world, and I find a fellow Charger.  Made me a little homesick and awed all at the same time.

After that yummy dinner, we hopped in a cab and went down to Chinatown to check out the Moon festival/lantern walk going on down there.  It was all lit up, and gorgeous.  Again, the vibe was really laid back and fun.  I love seeing the little kids with their lanterns, and parents pointing out the big beautiful moon.  I sat down on a bench while Larry took pictures, and just observed the traditions going on around me.  One mom shared a mooncake with her baby bird kids, all three of them stood in a line with their mouths open, then took a bite, it was really cute.  I was once again struck by how lucky Larry and I are to have this experience, and to be able to be participants in these peoples lives, if only as an outside observer.  Things are still often strange and sometimes difficult living here, but I wouldn't change it for a second.  When Larry came back over to where I sat, I grabbed his hand, and whispered " let's take a minute and remember this forever."  It may sound corny, but doing that kinda cements it in my head.  I wanted to remember the colors and smells and sounds swirling around me.  I know someday, when we're back in the routine of living in America, I will have those cemented moments to go back to.

*note on the new slideshows:  I am trying these out, because I can add music, which if you know me at all, you know is a nifty new tool for me.  If the songs are annoying you, or two are playing at once, simply click on the volume button on the top left corner, and it will stop.

xoxoxo

Pam

p.s. I had a tiny bite of the mooncake, and though it's not my cup of tea, Larry like them a lot.

They were a gift from a co-worker, very sweet of him!