The Year of the Dragon begins.

I went to a religious, semi-private event that took place in Vietnamese, Mandarin and English. It was mentioned that dragons are significant because they fly, and are thus, closer to Heaven than the other animals that show up every year.

There was some Vietnamese music and dancing. The dancing was movements of slow waves that went in stops and starts. This was also a time when expensive silk outfits are worn.

At the end, people got to take an envelope from a money tree. It was a bare tree in a pot, with red envelopes clipped on. It symbolizes prosperity for the coming year. I had originally thought of taking one, but there were so many little kids that I didn't dare.

Write-up of the Philippine Cultural Arts Festival

This year's event is the 27th annual festival. It is being celebrated in honor of the founder, Dr. Lolita Carter, who passed away about a week ago.

The Samahan Dance Company just returned from a tour of Mindanao. Their trip included a visit to the autonomous region. While they were there, they learned about the area's traditional music and dance, which they are performing here. The festival continues today, and it's a rare opportunity to see Mindanao tradition in the US.

The only problem with this festival is one that afflicts many such events: Not enough food booths. This was a smaller festival with one booth. They need at least two. Have lunch early. I had two seafood dishes, whose names I don't remember.

Pictures are on the way. My computer stopped recognizing my camera, and it may take a while to sort things out.