Double the Holiday, Double the Fun

This year Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day landed on consecutive days, meaning more time off for Cody and more time for all of us to play! 

Jade had dress up day and a party at school.  She loves to pose, can you tell?

The kids were supposed to bring in their favorite lantern for show and tell.  I figured the kids would bring in the ones being sold in all the markets, so I asked Jade if she wanted to go to the market and pick one out. 

She told me no, so we didn’t.  I think she was just being lazy.  Instead she took in a Halloween lantern that we already had.

  

After school she of course came home and told me the other kids had lanterns that lit up and played music.  I felt a little bit bad, but told her it was her choice and next time when I ask, we should go out.  

She also painted her own lantern at school.

 

That evening our apartment complex had a party out in the courtyard by the swimming pool.  It was actually pretty fun.  I felt a sense of community with the other people in the buildings; it was nice. 

In addition to moon cakes, they also had popcorn and cotton candy—not something I would have associated with a Chinese holiday, but I guess they work for any party!

 

The Chinese are big on their Chinese riddles.  Cody read a few, said they were hard, so we stuck to watching the kids play and chatting with the other parents. 

Apparently glow sticks are also a thing at Mid-Autumn Festival.  News to me.  And I’ve been here for over four years!  All the local adults were passing a ton of them out to the kids.  Jade was in heaven.  Her and Natasha were quite proud of the long chain they created. 

 

The next night we stopped in at the Mandarin Branch party (no pictures though).  We even learned how to make moon cakes!  The no bake kind at least.  Still fun!  After that we headed to Victoria Park to view all the lanterns for the festival.

 

And Jade finally scored her dream lantern. 

Our final day of holiday was spent in Tsim Sha Tsui enjoying the gorgeous weather and view, as wells as seeing the Terracotta Warrior lantern display.  It was such a pleasant, laid back afternoon.