chinatown hustle

Every one is gearing up for Chinese New Year - its a big deal here. Red and gold decorations came up right after Christmas, and shops have been playing traditional Chinese music. Even our not so spirited condo has brought out some lucky mandarin orange trees. We went to Chinatown to get in the spirit and it was packed. The streets are lined with stalls selling shiny decorations, cookies, dried meats and mushrooms. As usual I am not sure what to expect on the holiday itself. Most expats seem to head to a beach for the long weekend. Here in Singapore I suspect Chinese restaurants are all booked so may just be a normal day for us, hope we catch a lion dance somewhere.