Gung Hee Fat Choy!

It's the lunar New Year.

Some New York Chinese are saying

that the blizzard on this weekend of celebration was propitious.  i.e., somehow lots of snow equates with lots of money and luck!?  Hmmmmmmmm

  (What a happy, cute, little fan, no?)   Anyway, it is the year of the Snake.

Anybody out there like snakes?  Not me, much, either.

I do like old Chinese stuff, though.

An interesting Leonard Lopate/WNYC radio interview with Singapore-based scholar Kishore Mabubhani (here) has him saying that as the Asian world becomes more middle class and more educated over the next several years, it will revisit its own cultures and move them forward.  

In other words, he says to expect a cultural renaissance from both China and India.

I really look forward to that!  Especially if it means nouvelle Cantonese food trucks on the streets of Los Angeles.  Gourmet eggrolls, anyone?

All these pictures come from a year 2001 (also a year of the Snake) desk diary I've had hanging around the house.  It was designed by Reed Darmon and published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco.  (Available on Ebay here.)  It was a spinoff of Mr. Darmon's book also called, "Made in China" that is still available here.

Thanks Reed!  Wherever you are!