A Late Dragon Year Parade In Wellington

Because Wellington was hosting the Rugby Sevens last week, our yearly CNY parade has been pushed back a week to Sunday, February 12.

Traditionally, Chinese New Year celebration finished on the 15 day of the new year; which was February 5, last week.

But since "when in Rome...", I mean when in Wellington, do what the Wellingtonian do; the show must go on ;)

Sunday turn out to be one of those perfect Wellington sunny day!  Thousands flock to the CBD to watch the short 15 minutes parade through Courtenay Place and Wakefield Street.

Leader of the pack, our Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown leading the parade at Wakefield Street.

The mountain bikes were gifted by Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong 郭金龍 in July this year, when Mayor Wade-Brown led a Wellington business delegation to the Chinese capital.

During her visit the two cities celebrated the fifth anniversary of the sister-city relationship and the bicycles are to recognise these links.

One of the bikes was given to the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing and the remaining 99 have come to Wellington.

Did you know Beijing Mayor's name Guo Jinlong means Guo the Golden Dragon?  :)   金龍 in Chinese mean Golden Dragon.

You must have a dancing dragon in dragon year! The boys from the Wellington Chinese Sports and Cultural Centre (WCSCC) Dragon Dance Team with their ultra long dragon.

Local Chinese in their colourful Chinese opera costumes.

Friendly warriors with spears, or were they candy sticks?  ;)

Le General tempting the little lion with the colourful ball, here you can see her about to throw the ball along Wakefield Street for the little lion to fetch. Woman in figure hugging prosperous red cheongsam is Stefanie.

The little lion went after the ball and Stefanie went after the lion, these cheongsam is made for running?  ;)

The parade was over in 15 minutes and they wind their way to Frank Kitts Park where the CNY stage performances is. We did not follow.

We were hungry! We were yearning for some good old Malaysian food and Little Penang is near by :)  Alas, it was closed! What we didn't know was they set up a stall at the Asian fare in the TSB Bank Arena, next to Frank Kitts Park.

We tamed our hunger instead at Satay Kajang, one of our favorite Malaysian style restaurant.

Satay Kajang at 39 Dixon Street, Wellington.

My favorite! The "Har Mee" or Prawn Noodle at Satay Kajang, I reckon this is the BEST prawn noodle in this part of the world!  How come so good?  Mr Tay, the boss; told me the soup in his har-mee came from stock of crayfish heads!

They also serve fair dinkum Malaysian style "Teh Tarik 拉茶", on a sunny day like today; I like mine with ice! Real yum!

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