Lunar New Year Celebration

Growing up in Western PA, Chinese New Year was not exactly a giant celebration. Chinese culture, and non-western European cultures in general, were not focused on during my K-12 education. When my world history teacher "covered" a unit on China, she gave us a giant packet of questions we had to look up in our textbook. She said that we weren't going to have to have a test on it because the names were just "too hard to pronounce and memorize."

In fact, I did not know really much at all about Chinese New Years until moving to Houston, and specifically learning quite a lot when I started working in the Sharpstown area. My school is next to the new Chinatown, a booming area of Houston at Beltway 8 and Bellaire. Chinatown used to be in the downtown area, but like most things and people in Houston, it moved outside the loop, and now looks something like this:

This Asian population of Houston is around 6% of the population, and is growing leaps and bounds every year. More than one in five foreign-born Houstonians — an estimated 318,284 persons — were born in Asia.  My school specifically focuses on teaching Mandarin Chinese and culture, and we have one of the strongest Chinese language programs in the Houston area. For many of my students, Chinese will be their third language, as they are already fluent in English and Spanish. I have loved learning about Chinese culture with my students, and excited for the opportunities it will provide them in the future. 


One of such aforementioned great opportunities was today. I was working late at Saturday school this morning, and I could feel my stomach growling. I couldn't stop watching the clock, knowing that in just a few hours I would be stuffing my face with the most delicious fried Tofu, noodles and enjoying a Taiwanese tapioca tea. Why? Lunar New Years!

The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration at Houston's Chinese Community Center is one of the largest and most exciting events of the year in Houston as it combines two of it's best assets: diversity and food. Thousands of Houstonians trek to the southwest side of town to enjoy a day of food, performances, and shopping.

In the four years that I've been attending, the crowd seems to get larger and more diverse. Our school preforms every year, and the crowd loves it as our band of Hispanic students performs traditional Chinese songs with a rock twist. I also cheered for my friend's daughter Alexandria perform the Lion Mask dance and the  Lantern Dance.

The CCC programming includes all of the traditional and modern favorites from all over Asia, as well as a Mariachi band and an El Salvadorian performance. I spent awhile talking to a student of mine, Rosa, who is part Vietnamese, part Hispanic, and has studied Korean at the CCC. She is now studying Chinese at out school, so it will be her 5th language. She, like many others in Houston are a blend of interesting cultures and backgrounds. Talking to Rosa and being at the festival made me extremely appreciative of my own path and experiences, and to live in a city where I can learn so much about the world without actually leaving.

My Torrid Affair with Houston

One day seven years ago, I loaded up my Kia with all my belongings and drove the 24 hours from Pittsburgh to Houston. I had the great misfortune of moving to Houston in June, which meant I was essentially covered in sweat for the entire first three months I lived here. I cried the first time I had to drive on one of the seven lane highways, and scoffed at the Darque Tan billboards posted everywhere. I mean, why were people fake tanning in a city where there is constant sunshine?

Needless to say, this was not love at first sight. Houston did not have me at hello, nor did I know immediately that Houston was "the one." I couldn't get used to the fact that I had to drive 20 minutes to get just about anywhere, and I desperately missed the changing of seasons, Steeler football, and my family and friends.

But now, seven years later, I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that Houston may be home now. My husband and I have great careers here, and the opportunities and comforts of live are quite endless. I have decided to use this blog as a way to bring my affair out from a dark corner at Marfreless and into the light. Yes Houston, I do love you. There, I said it, in public.

For anyone relocating to Houston or thinking about it, here are my top three reasons for loving this city:

1) The food. This is hands down the best reason to be in Houston. There is an abundance of great, creative, and affordable restaurants. I am sure when you think Houston, you think BBQ and Tex-Mex. While there are plenty of these places, they are by no means the majority of restaurants here. There are MANY options for Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese food, and our Chinatown has blocks and blocks of unique and authentic options. We have award winning chefs like Monica Pope that are working to build Houston into the culinary capital of the south.  I am a vegetarian, my husband is a devoted meat eater, and we find plenty of options that work for both of us.

2) The sheer amount of things to do. There are so many museums, galleries, parks, events, parades, festivals, etc that you will absolutely never be bored. From visiting the Menil to ice skating at Discovery Green to shopping at Farmer's Market or seeing a movie at Sundance Movie Theater, there really never is a reason to stay home and complain of nothing to do. A lot of events are free or very low in cost, like my favorite free event in Houston, a Beatles cover band at the Continental Club on Thursday nights, which leads me to my next point...

3) It's extremely affordable and diverse. You get to enjoy all the food, music, museums, and events of a large city for the cost of a small city. My husband and I, who are both educators, live a few blocks from downtown and have a very urban lifestyle that we could never afford in most major cities. People from all over the world come to Houston because of the strong economic growth here. I often hear Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Arabic spoken at my downtown grocery store. The city is vibrant and growing, and when you live here you are a part of it.

So there, I love you Houston, and am looking forward to taking our relationship to the next level.