so, sydney was really fun as i was saying. the noodle market was massive and an example of what you can do with a serious wad of cashola up your sleeves!!!! oh well... it was a funny experience. lots and lots of people but i think i enjoyed the asian night market in wellington n.z earlier in the year more. wellington had such a bustling vibe and you were forced to walk through a sea of people to buy food. sydney was very ordered and a somewhat anglo in comparison... not to be negative but sometimes i think our whole litigious society gets in the way of a good event... anyway, it was a beautiful night and hyde park is a gorgeous setting and the sea of lanterns was really beautiful. it would be fantastic to have as many asian food stalls in newcastle.. perhaps if i burn enough incense!!! i was slightly dreading and also looking forward to buying the lanterns for this years market. chinatown, without any knowledge of mandarin or cantonese, is not the best option when going to haggle for an event with a limited budget. last year i had a great time in a little shop where i knew i got ripped off but didn't really care. this year i went to the shop that the 'little shop' bought from. 'leung wai kee buddhist craft & joss stick shop' is on george st in haymarket. i love it in there!!! this is the place to go if you are wanting to burn anything paper for the after life! i'm not totally up on the complexities of the custom but at 'leung wai kee' you can buy paper everything for the spirit world and ancestors: business suits, briefcases, money, clothing... it's all rather surreal but very cool all the same! as well as a whole floor dedicated to such things there are serious amounts of red lanterns to be found!! i think i did ok! the whole back of my station wagon is now full of lanterns so hunter st will be very pretty sometime soon! at the end of my time at 'leung wai kee' i felt very special when sam, the lovely man who served me, allowed my to drive around to the lane behind the store and ring a 'secret' bell to pick up my purchases. i could have spent a long time in that storeroom...
No comments:
Post a Comment