According to local weather forecasts, we are expecting extreme cold weather especially around the time of the Lunar New Year. Traditionally it is usually extremely cold around the Lunar New Year. You can expect snow up in northern China. Over the years, temperatures have varied in New York and occasionally you get a slightly warmer holiday. It looks like we'll be freezing our asses off this year. My memories as a kid for Lunar New Years are food, cold, and sheer happiness. I didn't really care about the red envelopes (now I do). If you really want a traditional celebration there's a lot of preparation. My family this year want to do a low budget and low key celebration. We're not going to be preparing a lot of foods and decorations. I'm totally fine with it. We can celebrate something else later in the year.
Today I went on a haul with my parents. We bought a hundred dollars worth of groceries that will last us for a good two weeks. Some items will last a lot longer like our four bags of rice, three bottle of soy sauce, sunflower seeds, and puffed rice snacks. Weeks before, we had already began stocking up on items we needed. The only things that we need fresh on the week of Lunar New Years is vegetables and rice flour.
I wish I could get a day off on Lunar New Years. Luckily this year, I DO happen to have a day off because I don't have a class scheduled. Hooray for me. However, I never get the time and motivation to design a Lunar New Year illustration. This year I'll be able to help out more with the food like making dumplings from scratch. My mother was debating whether she should make 油角 (jau gok, yau gok) and decided not to in the end. Yau gok is a Cantonese treat made from a glutinous rice dough and meat filling. The yau gok is then deep fried into a golden brown. My mother uses a healthier option and bakes it instead so it becomes more like a pastry. Yau gok can be sweet as well if you change the fillings to something like a black sesame and coconut combo.
For the second part of this entry, I'll do a short music list recommendation. I think I'll do a past and present theme this time with the big shots. Artists grow all the time and things can only get better if you work hard. Click the titles as they will lead you to a youtube video in a new window.
Forever Love by X Japan (1997)
This very soothing song from 1997 has been a favorite among listeners. It is very representative of X Japan's well known ballads like "Crucify my love" and "Tears". Almost an opposite direction of their heavy metal, the orchestral music coupled with Toshi's vocals are all about sorrowful emotions.
Scarlet Love Song by X Japan (2011)
This song was the theme song of the animated movie Buddha whose original story is written by well known mangaka, Osamu Tezauka. The video I linked it to is a fanmade video, but it is really well done. I was definitely reminded of hide and the ending of the video nearly brought tears to my eyes. The song was written by Yoshiki and released in 2011. This song may have been used for the movie but it was written to commemorate hide. It combines piano and drums.
Rosier by Luna Sea (1994)
This song is a fast paced love song of the 90s rock. Originally released in 1994, High and Mighty Color covered this song in 2007. The video's kind of fun to watch too.
Messiah by Sugizo (2011)
After Luna Sea disbanded in 2000, every member embarked on their solo career. Sugizo, the guitarist of Luna Sea, played in several bands and also did his own solo project. In this performance, he combines alternative rock and electronic. It makes a very good background sound for a dance party.
New Legend by Galneryus (2007)
This is probably my favorite song from Galneryus. At this time, Yama-B was still the vocalist and his voice matured from his indie days. Despite the fact that I still can't pick out the English words, I still like the music and the video is so full of energy. I miss Yama-B and Syu's dark hair.
Angel of Salvation by Galneryus (2012)
Galneryus still uses a lot of themes about revolution and moving forward in their music and lyrics. This time they've incorporated an orchestra for a more profound air. The performance is still energetic, but more mature. Sho as the new vocalist really fits in the band and Syu's guitar solo is very invigorating. I must add that the original song is 14 minutes long, but for the sake of promotion the video is 7 minutes.
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