CNY

Shots Around Hanoi: Fifth (Tet Special)

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We’re in Colorado for actual Tet, but there were plenty of festive things to see out in the flower fields near Tay Ho last weekend. I finally got around to editing the photos, so here you are!

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All of those are my favourites, so that you can see them in more detail. The flowers are mostly peach blossoms, which bloom this time of year. People in Hanoi buy branches or whole trees with the blossoms to put in their houses. They hang ornaments on them just like a Christmas tree. I had no idea that was a thing until this month. It’s a great festival out there in the fields, and the farmers who live in the shacks on the land get a big bonus in income just before the Lunar New Year.

I also tried out a little Lightroom black and white on these ones.

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Happy Tet, Everyone!

Minhang! Minhang! Minhang!

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Our adopted borough of Shanghai is the best. Screw all the rest!

We spent a great day in the Springtime sun at Jinjiang Action Park. We can see the Ferris Wheel from our balcony, and it was high time to go on it ourselves. Actually kind of terrifying, but a beautiful view on this clearest day in months.

You could even see the Oriental Pearl and the Bund!

Minhang is the best.

Late Winter Outfit

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Revolution Mug

This week it’s Chinese New Year, which is like Christmas and Thanksgiving rolled into one. We’ve been enjoying warm weather for a couple days, but early in the week it was freezing cold (as is usual in Shanghai’s winter).

It’s hard to be fashionable when you are cold all the time, but I’m managing.

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Outfit for work. 

It goes like this in the winter time: bra, shirt, other shirt, dress, other dress, sweater, coat, scarf. On the bottom: long underwear, tights, other tights, knee-high socks, skirt. I’ve taken to wearing colourful skirts as petticoats for extra layers. And yet, one will still be cold as the humidity means it just cuts right through it allllllll….

I did a little DIY for CNY, too. Lanterns made from Hong Bao, the lucky envelopes that people use to give gifts of money at this time of year. One I managed to do backwards, but it looks like a red sun (sorta).

It’s the Year of the Monkey, so our Christmas monkeys are in style still.

We made a Wishing Tree and wrote things we want for the new year, and made a feast of fish and cheese (much better than it sounds) for the night of the new year. Happy 2016!

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