Tianjin time again
We’re in Tianjin for Spring Festival / Chinese New Year for the third year running. But this time there’s also the small matter of our wedding party. It’s arranged for 9 February 2011 and will be held in a function room of the Geneva Hotel.
Last night was New Year’s Eve so it was a big family dinner in a local restaurant where we dined on such interesting items as bullfrog and eel. The frog was fine but I’m not too sure about eels …
After dinner we set off some ridiculously big fireworks kindly supplied by Monica’s brother then it was back to her parents’ home until midnight. At that point it was back into the streets to take part in the nationwide lighting of firecrackers and yet more fireworks. The sky was lit up in every direction and the noise was staggering. At one point there was the loudest bang I’ve ever heard which came without any warning. It was like being thumped in the chest by the Invisible Man. Fantastic!
There’s still six days until the party so we’ll be visiting Monica’s friends and family to enjoy more of the Spring Festival and the wonderful Chinese hospitality. There’s also the small matter of a costume fitting at some point …
Monica's brother Wei always provides the fireworks
This seemed ridiculously big for a single firework ... until I saw what Fang had bought later the same week!
There isn't much 'health and safety' when it comes to fireworks in China