People streamed into Chinatown in the early morning. They stood in line at the street fair for freebies, bought “bargains”, threw little pops on the ground that supposedly resembled the spark of a firecracker. Mysterious smoke billowed from the sidewalks. Gun powder smell was everywhere. Tangerine peel littered the streets.
“It’s Chinese New Year!” a tourist shouted.
Well, New Year was two weeks ago. The parade this evening marked the end of the celebration. By four o’clock, most of the streets in Chinatown were barricaded. The crowd stood along Kearny Street. They had prepared to spend the day waiting for the spectacle.
Snacking, texting, taking pictures of each other to pass the time. Excitement. Entertainment. Exoticism. Bruce Lee and Salvador Dali were born on the year of the Dragon. I waited for an opening and dashed across the street, headed home.
Photo from Asian Week.
