According to traditional custom, today is the Chinese lantern festival! It’s a day when they light the paper lanterns and send them up as symbols of hopes and dreams for the future. A beautiful tradition!
Always on the first full moon of the new lunar year.
Lanterns are available for about οΏ₯5, and come in many colors! Mine was red π
Lights are shining!
Fireworks blasting!
Happy Lantern Festival!
Bad News: no electricity from 8-8 so no meals provided. Which is against my contract but they don’t care. β_β
Good News: I am surrounded by amazing friends, family, and students who I love so much and who love me in reyurn. And these lovely roses were only $1 each π What a blessing!
ζ°εΉ΄εΏ«δΉ (XΔ«n NiΓ‘n KuΓ i LΓ¨) means Happy New Year in Chinese π This year is the Year of the Monkey! I think tomorrow I will try to add a description of the Chinese animals theory to DeceptivelyBlonde πΒ
Anyway, Happy New Year from us in China! Here’s one of the beautiful fireworks that lit up the sky on New Year’s Eve π No one does firework like the Chinese!
Β Archaeologists have uncovered the world’s oldest set of tea leaves from the tomb of an ancient Chinese emperor!Β
Β Living 2,150 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Jing was a major fan of the delicious drink. Β Like all the rest of us tea lovers, Emperor Jing understood the power of the tea leaf and its healing/renewing abilities. Β
The collection of tea leaves was 42 feet x 8 inches. That is a major tea haul! If you ever tried drinking tea from leaves rather than a lipton bag, you’ll know that it only takes a small amount to go a long way. This amount probably lasted him a long while in the afterworld! Β
This particular type of tea, Camellia Sinesis, comes fromΒ a typeΒ ofΒ small evergreen shrub known as a tea tree. The leaves and buds of the tree are used to create a special, expensiveΒ green tea. Β There are actually two varieties of the tree–one is used to create the Chinese teas (such as White Tea, Oolong, Pu’er, Green Tea, etc.) and the other is used to create Indian Assam teas.Β The leaves of the tree have long been applied in Chinese traditional medications and as a caffeine provider. Β I’m guessing it was pretty easy to bring the emperor over as a tea supporter π
The tomb was located in Xi’an, China. Xi’an is now world-famous due to the discovery of the Terra Cotta army buried under the local hills and is only about an 8 hour drive from where I live! Β I’m really excited; maybe I could see this tea pile π Emperor Jing’s tomb contained “50,000” terra cotta animals and statues, along with other great treasures.
The extra amazing thing about the tea beyond its age is the fact that it is some of the earliest proof that researchers have about the Silk Road. Β It is believed thatΒ the emperor may have tradedΒ his tea withΒ Tibet where similar tea remains were found dating not long after. Β This shows the the Silk Road probably moved thorugh Tibet at the time. Β
Resources:
OMG, in a land lacking decent chocolate, I have found heaven!
Yes, Metro Center at Xujiahui station in Shanghai. So amazing!
Its like a chocolate paradise, two floors of chocolate, twizzlers, jolly ranchers, and the best thing ever . . . Reese’s!
And the cafe upstairs has mint chocolate and iced mint drinks! Chocolate ice cream too!
Had to buy a new purse on Taobao for my trip to Shanghai, the snap on my old one finally gave out. Β So I was really excited to test it, this has been my second purchase on Taobao officially by myself! π Β Originally more than 200 Yuan, I got it for 50Yuan (about $9)! Β SoΒ exciting. I was a little worried about the shoulder straps, but actually they ride really nicely! It even came with the cute bear π Β I love the woven look, it’s a type of art. Β It’s about medium size, not too big, not too small. And it came right on time. Β Great purchase!
βShe was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no cityβ ~ Roman Payne
Language Translation
Deceptively Blonde 