This week, I got the opportunity to celebrate Chinese New Year in Sydney, and it was surreal. I visited Chinatown, and the entire place was decked out with decorations and lots of red everywhere. It felt just like my grandparents’ neighborhood during the festive season in Beijing. There were red lanterns hanging all over, crowds of people wearing red, and even this really cool balloon shaped like a Chinese lion from the lion dance.
Since it’s that time of year, I had to eat a metric ton of noodles. I think I ate noodles at least five times this week. Fun fact: did you know that noodles symbolize longevity? So, the longer the noodle you’re eating, the better. I made sure to eat plenty—just covering my bases for a long and lucky year.
The rest of the week was mostly about classes and, well, more eating. Classes are starting to pick up, and the workload is getting heavier. The only class I’m really worried about is business law, but I’ll get through it fine. Celebrating Chinese New Year in a new place, surrounded by so many others celebrating too, was an amazing experience. It was a mix of familiarity and something new at the same time, and I loved every second of it.
