Big Trouble in the Lunar New Year

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
“Gimme Money” San Antonio, 2020

We usually celebrate the Lunar New Year at my cousin’s house, and this year there was a movie theme: Big Trouble in Little China! It was so cool. People were dressed in costumes, Big Trouble posters were on the walls, and the movie was playing in various rooms around the house. There was even a scene recreation out on the front porch:

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/9 sec, ISO6400
“Big Trouble” San Antonio, 2020

We had a great time this year, and of course there was plenty of amazing food. Stuffed!

Two-Dollar Bills are Still Special

"Money" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/105 sec, ISO6400
“Money” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

At Saturday’s Lunar New Year celebration, our kids each received a stack of red envelopes from the married people at the party. It’s a tradition that those who are married give red envelopes, which contain money, to the single people, and so our kids, who are still in their teens, still have several years of red envelopes coming up (we hope)!

Anyway, these days our kids prefer to use their debit cards, so they’ll give me all the cash that they collect at the party and I will transfer that amount to their cards. And usually, a couple two-dollar bills are in the stack of cash for exchanging.

So, this is the time of year that I see the two-dollar bill more often, which is cool because these bills are special to me. The two-dollar bill went out of print in 1966, but was re-issued in 1976 which was the bi-centennial year of the United States. According to Wikipedia, the bill reissue wasn’t specifically to celebrate the bi-centennial, but with all the hoopla surrounding the year, it sure seemed like it was part the celebration. Since I was a little kid at the time, it made a big impression on me!

Even today, I still get a small thrill when I see a two-dollar bill out in the wild. Not only that, but I feel a little bad about spending them or depositing them at the bank –.it seems like I should be collecting them, just like when I was a kid! But I realize that one nice, crisp two-dollar bill safe and sound in the drawer is enough. 😊

I hope you had a great day!

またね~

Snapshots from Our Lunar New Year Celebration

"Chinese New Years Toys" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Chinese New Years Toys” San Antonio, 2019

We visited my cousin’s house for their annual Lunar New Years celebration. Here are a few snapshots from the celebration. Gung Hay Fat Choy! 新年快乐!

"Wonton Plate" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
“Wonton Plate” Cedar Park, 2019
"Red Envelopes" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
“Red Envelopes” Cedar Park, 2019
"Chinese Costume" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/80 sec, ISO6400
“Chinese Costume” San Antonio, 2019
"Money Time" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: OLYMPUS E-PL9, 14mm, f/3.5, 1/60 sec, ISO6400
“Money Time” San Antonio, 2019
"Mahjong Time" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: OLYMPUS E-PL9, 14mm, f/3.5, 1/160 sec, ISO6400
“Mahjong Time” San Antonio, 2019