Fire Palace

The last day of 春节 Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year) --  my 8 year-old student’s family invited our family to supper at Changsha’s most famous restaurant, The Fire Palace, attached to the fire god temple. I decided to leave Mike & Jon home with Drew. I asked Titus to be my date. <3

The family invited a handful of other guests, and I enjoyed the conversation (made possible by leaving toddlers at home) and all the dishes, like snake, snail, stinky tofu, turtle soup, you know, all the usual.

After supper the family took us to the riverside to light fireworks. My date was thrilled to find that Chinese sparklers are like a blowtorch on a stick. 

street scene

entrance

The Fire Palace

Hunan opera stage

above left: fire god  above right: entrance
above black & white: burning incense to the fire god

snails

snake

Spring Festival actually does seem to inaugurate spring! Winter is passing and you know, it wasn't so bad after all! This is our fourth taste of winter here, and every year the cold season feels more manageable because every year we get a little smarter, taking a hint from how the other 7 million people here do just fine living through a Changsha winter. 


I've had a persistent case of chilblains on my hands, but I decided to be thankful because it allows me to identify with my neighbors in a way. Chilblains is pretty commonplace.


So now Spring Festival is officially over. Red lanterns have disappeared. Friends have reappeared. Shopkeepers have opened their doors (seriously everyone closes down...I could hardly find any vegetables or meat to buy for an entire week!) and students will be back in the classroom by the end of the month.


We are bound for springtime folks. And normal life. Cheers!