We had most of our Islandwalk neighbors over last night to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It was a well-behaved group of about 34, but getting everyone drinks was a bit overwhelming when they all showed up at the same time. This is one of the drawbacks of having all the attendees living so close and the tendency to walk down in groups. I’m sure there were a few folks that we left out in the process of texting invitations. We’ve met so many people in the short time we’ve lived here, so it’s difficult trying to decide who to include. My wife also has taken on the responsibility of organizing neighborhood meet-and-greets at the nearby clubhouse, and at these everyone is invited. We have one in a few weeks, as she continues to thrive on party planning. 

Tsingtao beer was probably the hit of the evening to wash down the shrimp fried noodles, crab Rangoon, pork tenderloin sliders, egg rolls, egg drop soup shooters, pot stickers, and other Chinese treats. There were also many sweets like Nazook pastry, chocolate covered strawberries, Hershey chocolate kisses, and fortune cookies. Most of the guests brought a dish, hostess gifts, or a bottle of wine to add to the festivities.  Everyone got a red envelope parting gift, loaded with more luck than money.

“A red envelope (hongbao in Mandarin, lai see in Cantonese, and ang pow in Hokkien) is a gift of money inserted into an ornate red pocket of paper. They are given on some important occasions, such as Chinese New Year, birthdays, and weddings in China and some other Asian countries as a way to send good wishes.

The color red symbolizes energy, happiness, and good luck in Chinese cultures. Traditional red envelopes are often decorated with beautiful Chinese calligraphy and symbols.”

My wife loves to host parties, while I find them to be an exhausting hassle, considering my voice and hearing issues. I only pick up about half of what people say to me anymore, especially in a large group setting. In this neighborhood, someone is always having a dinner gathering or celebration, and in our case a Sunday night blast was a true indicator that most of our friends are retired, no longer worried about Monday morning work issues. We have another one to attend tonight, just a few houses down, to talk about a potential Mediterranean cruise. Any excuse for a party on any given night!

Our guests last night seemed to have a good time, with too many silly references to “Looney” rather than “Lunar.” It was, after all, a celebration to bring in the “Year of the Rabbit,” so some of our decorations reflected this theme. I immediately thought of the Looney Tunes cartoons that I watched as a child and the Bugs Bunny rabbit character. What’s Up Doc!