On February 11, 2011, the annual Lunar New Year Parade, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, took place on Kearny Street. Several renown councilmen as well as wonderful floats with this year's Zodiac symbol, the dragon, appeared in the parade. There were Kungfu performances, lion dancing and even a series of firecrackers set off throughout the parade. A diverse age group performed, from elementary school students who banged on the "Da Shi Gu," Chinese Drum, and the returning U.C. Davis Aggies marching band which synchronized to perfection. Channel2 Fox showed up in fanciful Cable Cars strolling down the parade. The lion dancers frighten away the evil spirits as Miss Chinatown sparkled as she stood on her float waving with a gorgeous smile to the crowd. Each studious member participating in the event worked hard to show off his/her talent, making the parade the most breathtaking as it could have been. All these performances are just for the entering of the Dragon year.
I also partook in the parade as I worked with a classmate volunteering to hold up one of the 12 Lucky Proverbs which had the rat stamped on as well as Chinese characters. Throughout the path, I had to fiercely battle the wind as the banner had an immense headwind. Although I had a tough time during the parade, I felt great to be a part of an annual San Francisco event, seeing renown men and women such as Miss Chinatown as well as Mayor Edwin M. Lee. As a matter of fact, before the parade started, I waited excitedly as I stood 10 feet away from the mayor as I asked him to take a picture with him. Although hovering cameras completely surrounded him, I was able to inch my way in to receive a picture with him only after a firm handshake from our respected Mayor. I would love to continue partaking in this parade in the following years.
As the Dragon continues to roar, we celebrate the coming of a New Year.
No comments:
Post a Comment