lunar new years

The museum celebrated Chinese New Year this past Friday with plenty of events in the evening, in addition to the opening of a new Chinese landscape exhibit. Everything was free, and therefore over three thousand people showed up. Kansas City is truly fortunate to have a museum that creates events such as that for all to enjoy. We, as officers, got the rare opportunity to wear something other than our uniform as long as it was Chinese-style. Some were chosen to dress up in Chinese costumes the museum curator had brought back from one of his trips to China. I didn't bring back anything from China besides some bulky Tibetan outfits, so I skipped out on that part. One of my Meetup groups was at the event, and since I was working, I only got to join them for a moment or two while on my break, but I was at least posted in a gallery adjacent to some musicians and was able to enjoy that.

Along with the exhibit, I get to wear this.

Yes, you can ask me. But not just yet. Someone had an issue with the copy machine and only copied off the first page of the six pages we were supposed to read to be informed of exactly what we are supposed to know when we are asked.

Both the Chinese calendar and the Tibetan calendar go by the moon, but they each count the "extra" days differently, so this year the Tibetan New Year (Losar) was today, the day after Chinese New Year. By request of the Tibetan leader, it was supposed to be a day of prayer much like last year, for the Tibetan self-immolations and continuing situation. I decided to make my favorite Tibetan bread, a very simple recipe of fried dough, ever so slightly sweet. Normally I don't like fried things, but these are not greasy, and it's fun to make the shapes!