ratcliffe-lee.com

mama and alex, shut up and dance 2012. (taken by aunt jeanette)

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:55:43 -0400

mama and alex, shut up and dance 2012.

(taken by aunt jeanette)

jratlee: kratlee: this is what the tennis court used to look...

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:10:11 -0500

kratlee:

this is what the tennis court used to look like! baby shrubs! grandma with a turkey (or as mom said, “dinner”)!

all of this.

jratlee: had family over on jan. 2, 2012.

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:37:12 -0500

jratlee:

had family over on jan. 2, 2012.

christmas 11

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:48:47 -0500

christmas 11

Christmas 2011

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:21:00 -0500

Christmas 2011:

tried using storify as a place to gather all the media our family created around the holiday.

pre-show. (by jratlee)

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:05:48 -0500

pre-show. (by jratlee)

jratlee: thanksgiving 2011. had fun making this. will try to...

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

jratlee:

thanksgiving 2011.

had fun making this. will try to do it every year from now on.

finally got my act together w/ columbus day wknd photos as well.

also, come at me movember.

ratcliffe-lee siblings at basin harbor club, 2011 edish....

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:18:50 -0500

ratcliffe-lee siblings at basin harbor club, 2011 edish. (previously.)

1/4 OF THE RL NEXT...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:34:00 -0400

1/4 OF THE RL NEXT GENERATION………..2011…..NOW JUST GET THEM ALL TOGETHER…………….VERY SOON

3/4 of the RL Next Generation...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:30:00 -0400

3/4 of the RL Next Generation …………..2011

al.: stokes state forest

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:26:32 -0400

al.:

stokes state forest

gossip & drama in latest episode of “texts from my...

Fri, 20 May 2011 14:38:41 -0400

gossip & drama in latest episode of “texts from my mom.”:

note: “inflatable kayak.”

stairwell party.: /philly for the day.

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:14:45 -0500

stairwell party.:

/philly for the day.

Happy New Year!

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:27:35 -0500

The Custom of Eating Dumplings for the Chinese New Year

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about symbolic foods that are eaten around the world for the New Year.

There are symbolic foods that are eaten for the Chinese New Year too. This year, the Chinese New Year celebrations start on February 7th. (It will be the year of the Rat!)

Dumplings are one customary food that’s eaten for the New Year. One reason is that they resemble the old gold money used in China. Thus, dumplings symbolize the hope for prosperity in the coming year. Usually the dumplings are filled with meat.

In parts of Northern China, they even insert a coin into a couple of dumplings. It you’re lucky enough to be served one of those, it’s thought you’ll acquire even more wealth!

Lin wrote to me about the custom in Tianjin, a city that’s southeast of the capital of Beijing, China:

As the Chinese New Year is coming up, there’s something interesting to note here about New Year’s food. In Tianjin, China, people will make vegetarian dumplings, apart from the meat ones for the New Year’s Eve. They eat the vegetarian ones especially at midnight, usually with the fireworks going outside the windows. The vegetarian dumplings signify a coming year which is very clean, with no accidents, no serious affairs, etc.

“Su”, as vegetarian, implies something simple, calm.
The contrary is “Se” as in colour/lust, or “Rou” as in meat/flesh/therefore lust.

Interestingly, in other parts of China this habit is not often observed. Not even in Beijing, as far as I can determine, though it’s just 120 kilometers away.

I mentioned this custom to Ray Lee, who was born in Hong Kong. Ray said:

Yeah, that’s interesting. I’ve never heard of it. But then, China is a big country with a lot of different local customs. I am sure there are a lot I haven’t heard of. I remember we would eat a certain kind of vegetable around the New Year simply because its name sounded like “getting rich”. The name of the vegetable is “Fat Choy” (it’s a long black sea moss), which as you may recall sounds just like the “fat choy” in “kung hey fat choy”!

“Kung Hey Fat Choy”, means “Congratulations and Be Prosperous”. It’s something that people say to each other in Cantonese during the Chinese New Year.

To all of you celebrating the Chinese New Year, “Kung Hey Fat Choy”!

To Baby Bets

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:24:58 -0500

Xin nian kuai le

Photo

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:21:47 -0500

Photo

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:15:45 -0500

Photo

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:14:35 -0500

Yo! Bunny FF! Wat day is it !

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:09:47 -0500

davidcho: OH OKAY Necessity trumps Common Sense? I hope so.

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:57:25 -0500

davidcho:

OH OKAY

Necessity trumps Common Sense? I hope so.