Chingay in JB .. (warning : long post ahead)

So i decided to go watch this year's Chingay after all =). Partly because i haven't been there for the past few years, partly because i was rotting at home and needed some 'fresh' air, partly because my cousin was apparently going to be one of the deities (they all looked the same, i couldn't figure out which one was her ^^") and partly because i wanted to check out the lion and dragon dances. But most of all it's because i found company to go with me to check it out ^^

At first, Chia Huan and her friends wanted to go, so i decided to 'follow' them. Then i heard Eric and Irwin wanna go too, which sort of made up my mind. Wasn't until the last minute that Chia Huan ffk me.. i was already in JB by then ^^". Thankfully Eric and Irwin aren't bad friends like Chia Huan =P. Haha kidding..

Anyway, me, Irwin, Eric, and Eric's 'friend' met up at CS at 5.30pm. Had dinner at our usual haunt, Pikachu restaurant haha (we didn't know where else to eat.. -.-"). Then walked all the way to Yahya Awal to intercept the procession, and finally 'met' them at around 7.30pm.

The usual stuff.. floats, guys on stilts, oversized puppets, lions, dragons, getting choked by the smoke from all the incense, raining confetti, exploding balloons, taiwanese sausages, you know. Still can remember the times my parents brought me to watch Chingay long long ago.. nothing much has changed, though i felt this year's procession is getting shorter =/

So we stood there while half the procession went past, then Eric and his 'friend' disappeared. *shrugs* haha that's not unexpected anyway =P. So me and Irwin stood there for a while more before deciding to walk with the procession. Walked till Wisma, then waited there for Eric and his 'friend' to catch up. Stood for a while more, walked till the post office, then i parted ways with the rest coz i'm waiting for my parents there. Only got home around 12.30am due to the traffic jam and stuff ^^"

Hmm.. bout what did i see.. there's the northern and southern lion dances. The dancers are way younger than me.. some of the 'heads' were just primary school students O.o. But then the lions didn't do much also.. most just walked along with the procession only -.-". Some did some jumping, but that's all. Sigh, but what else should i expect, right? There's more dragon troupes i think.. and at least the dragons showed off some moves.. really got me impressed. Had been a long time since i last saw dragon dance ^^. Could learn something from watching them.. and haha, they got me itching to go train dragon dance again ^^".

There's some floats too.. but they looked like recycled CNY floats to me -.-". And a few groups of aunties dancing to music ^^", a large group of 'deities' walking together, some cymbals and gongs performances by youngsters younger than me (haha i felt so old). There's the customary big big flags too.. they make it looked like it's so light haha. A dragon made up of helium-filled balloons (-.-"), some oversized puppets rotating like mad (wonder what is that for?), guys on stilts.. that's all i guess.

There must be like thousands of people there at the sides, most of them families with small children. Hehe.. me used to be like them too, standing at the side, waiting for the guys and gals in the procession to pass sweets to us. Years had gone by, amazing there's still people who came to check Chingay out. I mean, why would anyone had bothered, right? It's the same every single year, isn't it? Even my family had stopped going to watch Chingay already years ago..

And yet i found myself among the sea of people this year. I dunno what really drives me to watch Chingay.. i just like the atmosphere i guess. It's our tradition after all, and you don't get to see Chingay in KL, do you? (which is why so many KLites asked me what Chingay is.. -.-"). The past few months.. i think i finally became a 'Chinese' haha. I guess i'll be the only one among my brothers who'll still hold our chinese tradition in years ahead. Might be one of the few among my friends too. Sad, yeah.. as generations passed we gradually lose touch with our roots. Damn i sound like an old man lol..

PS - hey thanks ya Irwin and Eric.. if not for you guys, i would've been watching Chingay alone this year ^^

Note on Chingay:
-i will update this after i dig out the newspaper article on Chingay-