Celebrating Chinese New Year in Israel

The Chinese New Years was surprisingly fun and I got to meet a lot of wonderful people and experience some new things.

First, there was the official Taiwanese new years celebration in the Taiwanese ambassador’s house. Coming with me from Jerusalem were the girl in charge of the Korean center in Jerusalem and a Taiwanese student at the Hebrew University who brought a Canadian from who lived in Taiwan for 2 years from a Jerusalem suburb. Arriving there, we met the honorable Mr. ambassador and his team and I realized that I wasn’t really dressed for the occasion (Israeli no shave long T-shirt style). It took a few minutes to realize that I actually know more people there than I thought I would, as I noticed Taiwanese Ruby and her boyfriend at the corner, as well as my Israeli Chinese language teacher from the university who was there with her Taiwanese husband and her gorgeous little kids, and another nice surprise of meeting the Israeli blogger in Chinese – Violet.

(Thanks Ruby for that amazing photo)

The atmosphere was very warm and inviting with yummy food and Chinese presents. I got to sit down with Ruby and her boyfriend, talk with a few Taiwanese who were curious who I was, fail to make my Chinese teacher proud when talking to her husband, get a polite indifference to my questions about Taiwan-Israel business and academic connections, tell Violet about our little Israeli Asia addicts and eat a lot of Taiwanese style food. Naturally, I also got to do a lot of people watching and see all the Israeli-Taiwanese couples with their little kids. I really enjoyed it all – it was great fun.

Here’s what Ruby wrote about our little get-together :

Chinese : 這時候因為部落格而認識的朋友菲力出現！菲力曾來台灣學中文，女朋友也是台灣人，所以他對台灣很有親切感，本人有點像年輕的湯姆漢克喔！

Bad translation : That’s when Fili, a friend I know from the blog, got there! Fili went to study Chinese in Taiwan and his girlfriend is Taiwanese so he feels very close to Taiwan. I think he rather resembles the young Tom Hanks (fiLi – Tom Hanks, eh? :D finding out what 湯姆漢克 was, took me a very long time ).

Chinese : 我們三個人排隊拿東西吃，有很久沒見過的油飯還有豆干！真想偷豆干回去做炸醬麵吃捏！和菲力聊台灣的種種超開心的！相較高胖對於台灣很多東西都表示不可思議，菲力都以很寬容有趣的態度接受，相當的open-mind，對高胖來說真是機會教育啊！菲力非常喜歡台灣，我問他對台灣迷信的看法，他說跟台灣女朋友回女友家過年的時候，每餐都要回三樓拜過祖先執杯之後才能吃，我問：你覺得如何呢？他說很有趣。我看看高胖，傳給他『看到沒有，看到沒有！人家多大方！』的表情。菲力又說，他很喜歡台灣，希望能在台灣找個工作，我一聽，又回頭瞪高胖，對菲力說：『他去年有機會外派駐在台灣的工作，結果他放棄了！你可以試試投履歷到那間公司。』看看，人家還想找台灣的工作呢！可惡的高胖！永遠跟人唱反調，我狠狠又瞪了高胖，高胖只好苦笑。

Interesting notes :

• A really old Taiwanese man everybody honored. Who was he and what was he doing in Israel?
• Almost all the mixed-couples kids, some very Asian looking, spoke Hebrew and almost no Chinese.
• The guys serving the food were from the Philippines working as florists.
• Face concept, especially due to the nature of the event, was in high-gear.
• GuanXi is important, and I have none.

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The second event was in Mei’s apartment with all the Israelis who love Asia. Mei runs the Israeli Chinese language and culture forum in Tapuz and it was the first time for me to meet her. Mei indicated that the event usually holds a few of the forum’s close friends toasting for the newyears but this time there were more, some who heard about the event through me. Aside from Ruby and boyfriend and the people who came with me from Jerusalem, there was a lovely surprise when Young who I expected to be a  Korean guy turned out to be a beautiful Korean girl who came with her boyfriend to say hello. There was also a very lively Chinese girl, a few guys who came there through a mutual Korean friend who couldn’t make it and the rest of the forum gang. I really enjoyed it all – it was great fun.

I think we’re a special bunch – us Asia oriented folks, we are. We got our own little magical world we’re fascinated about. I guess that being able to meet others who are passionate about what you are is always interesting. What’s even better is meeting with Asians who are living here in Israel and share their experiences and life stories, get to see things through their perspective.