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| The girls enjoying the SF Chinese New Year parade |
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| Chinese New Year 2012 - Year of the Dragon |
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| Vibrant dragons - SF Chinese New Year parade |
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| Fantastic displays; the parade went on for 2+ hours |
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| One of many cool Year of the Dragon 2012 floats |
The 2012 San Francisco Chinese New Year parade was a first for us, and we had a fantastic time! Grandma, grandpa, Uncle Colin and Devin were there, and of course, we brought along our little ox, Elise, and rabbit, Alina, to ring in 2012 and the Year of the Dragon. The parade was excellent. It was over two hours long and filled with vibrant floats, colorful lights, festive music, and hundreds of dancing dragons, in every shape, size and color imaginable. The girls enjoyed watching the show. At first, Elise was a little hesitant to get close to the dragons, but by the end of the parade, she was doing her best to reach out and touch them. Alina was awake for most of the parade and enjoyed just chilling in the baby carrier and fixating on all the colorful lights. After the parade we all had dinner at an excellent restaurant in Chinatown. It was some of the best Chinese food ever.
I find the Chinese zodiac signs rather interesting, especially when it comes to the girls. Elise is an ox, and she can be as stubborn as ever when it comes to getting her way. The upside of that is her determination and drive; I can already see her being assertive and highly motivated, which are positive attributes to carry into adulthood. Alina is a rabbit, and while it really is far too early to analyze her personality traits, rabbit's are known for their calm and peaceful demeanor (hooray). They are highly compassionate and diplomatic; and do their best to avoid confrontation. Right now, Alina really is the most peaceful and content little baby. I'm sure she will enter the toddler terror years just like any other kid, but here's hoping that she will remain relatively calm and non-confrontational throughout adulthood (I can wish right?). Happy Chinese New Year 2012!
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| More festive parade participants and displays |
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| Dancing dragons |
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A few of the incredible dragons!
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Neon orange Chinese dragon
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| Enjoying the Chinese New Year parade |
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| Delicious dinner in Chinatown after the parade |
