A drizzly weekend in downtown San Diego
This was a more outdoorsy weekend than I expected. The San Diego Chinese Center put on their festive Chinese New Year celebration in old China Town (the little area between the Gaslamp Quarters and the Marina District) all weekend. A few neighbors and I got to roam around a bit, checking out the shows they put on at the main stage at the corner of J Street and 3rd Avenue.
It was rather good. They had quite a big turn out despite of on and off rain (well... more like sprinkle, really). We saw the lucky lions and dragon parade twice (I think they were on 3 times a day), lots of traditional dancing from various parts of China and Mongolia, a couple of Chinese theater plays (I think one was actually a Vietnamese play, though; 'Dr Quinn and the Stone Sprout'), some Chinese music performed on traditional instruments, a really good contortionist acrobat who doesn't seem to have any bone in her body (my back hurt just watching her!), a lantern parade... For the life of me I can't seem to remember any performer's name (nor could I manage to remember how to say 'Happy New Year' in Chinese despite of the host's repeated efforts to teach us. I must really be growing tone-deaf with age).
Then... on Sunday I went out for a walk along the Embarcadero Promenade just to get away from my noisy next door neighbor shouting at his tv. It was rather cool and windy, so I kept moving to keep warm... and somehow got all the way up to the outskirt of Lindberg Field (San Diego International Airport). So I naturally snapped a few plane photos simply because I couldn't help myself. I don't know what it is with planes and trains and ships... I can't get enough of 'em.
Talking about ships, the Californian was out roaming the bay today. I thought she was just taking a few visitors out for a peaceful cruise.... until the brat of a ship fired off two smoke cannon shots right at the Carnival Spirit cruise ship before folding her sails and coming back to port. What a loveable floating terror she is!
It was rather good. They had quite a big turn out despite of on and off rain (well... more like sprinkle, really). We saw the lucky lions and dragon parade twice (I think they were on 3 times a day), lots of traditional dancing from various parts of China and Mongolia, a couple of Chinese theater plays (I think one was actually a Vietnamese play, though; 'Dr Quinn and the Stone Sprout'), some Chinese music performed on traditional instruments, a really good contortionist acrobat who doesn't seem to have any bone in her body (my back hurt just watching her!), a lantern parade... For the life of me I can't seem to remember any performer's name (nor could I manage to remember how to say 'Happy New Year' in Chinese despite of the host's repeated efforts to teach us. I must really be growing tone-deaf with age).
Then... on Sunday I went out for a walk along the Embarcadero Promenade just to get away from my noisy next door neighbor shouting at his tv. It was rather cool and windy, so I kept moving to keep warm... and somehow got all the way up to the outskirt of Lindberg Field (San Diego International Airport). So I naturally snapped a few plane photos simply because I couldn't help myself. I don't know what it is with planes and trains and ships... I can't get enough of 'em.
Talking about ships, the Californian was out roaming the bay today. I thought she was just taking a few visitors out for a peaceful cruise.... until the brat of a ship fired off two smoke cannon shots right at the Carnival Spirit cruise ship before folding her sails and coming back to port. What a loveable floating terror she is!
No comments:
Post a Comment