Chinese New Year Part 2: from the inside

**Chinese New Year is a two-part series, scroll down to read Part 1 first. Or click on the Blog Archive on the left and click on Chinese New Year Part 1.**

Liying's Family and Me

Celebrating Chinese New Year with Chinese friends is what I cherish most about this lunar new year. More than the fireworks, more than the decorations, more than the time off of work, I will remember how special it was to spend time in a Chinese home during their most important holiday.

Liying, my boss, invited me to her home to eat with her family. Liying is a dear friend to me. She has been wonderful to me ever since I arrived in Kunming. Liying is the person I called when I got lost on the bus my third day in China; she spent an hour every afternoon this fall practicing Chinese with me; she interprets for me daily; and she has supported me during the difficult days as I adjust to living here. She is a great person who has such a heart to serve and is such an asset to CWEF.

Anyways, I went to Liying’s house for lunch to celebrate the new year. She has two older brothers, and she lives with her parents. Her mother prepared all of the food for our Chinese New Year celebration. It was delicious! We had chicken that was slow-cooked in a special pot, crab – shell, legs, and all, corn and bean soup, homemade dumplings, and sticky rice. I ate so much – not by choice, but out of courtesy. I had finished eating, felt completely full, and had already put down my chopsticks, when Liying said, “Whitney, rest a minute, then eat more.” She proceeded to insist that I continue eating, as she put more chicken in my bowl. I nibbled on it for a little bit. The next thing I know, her father has placed a huge blob of sticky rice in my bowl. I think I puffed out my cheeks as I thought, “there is no way I can eat more!” But it was hopeless, I had to be a good guest and keep trying. They had to roll me away from the table after lunch because I couldn’t walk, I was so full.

Liying and her parents

Homemade Dumplings!

Because everyone is off of work for the holiday, Liying, her friend, and I were able to spend the whole day together. We went to Diachi Lake, which borders Kunming on the west side of the city and is the 6^th largest fresh water lake in China. We spent the afternoon driving around the outskirts of the lake; there is a highway that wraps around the edge of the lake and runs between the mountains and the lake. It is beautiful. Liying’s friend is from a small town on the southside of the lake about an hour outside of Kunming. He wanted to show me his hometown, so we drove there and walked around for the afternoon. His little town is precious! It was rural and looked like authentic China (as compared to many of the cities that are so modern and have lost the historic Chinese look). The buildings were old and beautiful. Here are a few pics of people and cool buildings:

So rustic and so much character.

Cutie pie!

This is like the bike that transported my desk home (how long ago does that seem?! wow.)

An intense game of Chinese Checkers (not our version).

A long hallway that leads back to a courtyard and a home.

A woman at the market, rolling some type of noodle-like substance (I forgot the name, sorry!)

Flowers on the windowsill, my favorite

These two posters are over 50 years old. They were hanging on this old door inside a long hallway. The picture doesn't do them justice for how cool they are.

Holding her prayer beads. Not sure who she is praying to, but I pray it is to Him.

Cooking dinner

If a family member has died in the previous year, the house is decorated with purple banners instead of the traditional red.

Love his smile; he is washing a chicken for dinner.

I love doors! They're so cool.

Liying’s friend treated us to dinner, and then invited us over to his house for tea afterwards. (Dinner was spicy, so the Chinese believe that the body is “hot” due to the heat of the food. In order to restore the body to its normal balance, it is important to drink tea after a hot meal). It was really nice to just sit, drink tea, and relax as the day wound to an end.

Spending time in Liying’s home, with her family and friends, gave Chinese New Year true meaning and substance. The holiday came alive sitting across the table sharing a meal with her family and spending the day in her friend’s hometown. From the outside looking in, Chinese New Year is all about decorations, time off of work, and fireworks. Only from the inside is it evident that Chinese New Year is best characterized by family, friends, and quality time together.

His blessings to you this new year!