Chinese New Year in London

The Chinese New Year's celebrations in London always used to be my favourite event of the year and right now I'm not so sure anymore if it still is. I loved the parade and I'm quite sure so did the other togs - but this year they didn't have one. Sob, blubber.

I grew up with stories about a distant cousin of mine emigrating to Hong Kong - well, he eventually became the Ferrari retailer to the wealthy Chinese, and is probably counting his money right now. Having visited Hong Kong a few years ago, I must say that I liked the town and the Chinese a lot - apart from a metallic smell of the seafood/shellfish odour lingering in the air - but that's another story. The view from Hong Kong peak at night is just unbelievable and right now I want to go back!!!

Today, London celebrated the "Year of the Ox" which comes around every twelve years. Oviously, I'm not going to tell you under with sign of the Chinese zodiac I was born because this might lead you to some unlawful - yeah, don't do it - calculations of my age. ;) But, so you can relax, mine is a really lovely sign.

Photographers don't like politicians and their stand-ins on stage adressing the public. Does anyone ever listen? Is it photogenic. I don't know. But then, thinking back, some of my past politicians' pictures have sold.

Due to being the stills photographer on a "low budget" feature film - don't worry, some blogs about this will follow - I couldn't really stay long. I ended up in a press pen outside the press pen (don't ask) to watch a "flying lion". Yup. Something like that performed by the brothers Chen. They were up on some - what looked-like tubes - and jumped from one to the other. Pretty scary. They really did well, until, shock, horror, one of the tubes fell. Ahhh. I'm pretty sure that everyone went: NOOOOOOHHH! But we needn't have worried. It was part of the act and just made watching even more enjoyable.

It still is my favourite festival - I do tell everyone taking part in the Notting Hill Carnival the same but let's keep that a secret!