Hello friends,

The two-week “spring festival” that marks the Chinese New Year starts next week. We’re lucky enough to have a really great lion dance troupe in Victoria. This year their big Chinatown performance will be on Sunday, February 22nd. I propose a class outing to watch them together.

This will be along similar lines to last year, but I’m making a few changes because we ended up waiting out in the cold for a long time. This year’s version:

• Meet at 11am at my office: theDock, 722 Cormorant Street. It’s an easy spot to get to by bus or bike, and on a typical Sunday morning there’s car parking right in front - though that might fill up because of this event 2 blocks away.

• I’ll make gongfu cha for everyone, and we can share some snacks.

• At about 12:30 we’ll walk over to the block of Fisgard Street between Douglas & Government, to watch the lions dance in front of the Chinese Benevolent Association.

• We’ll watch for about half an hour, and then come back to theDock to warm up and pick up anything left behind at my office.

• Bring earplugs, and any kind of sharable food.

• If you haven’t been to a class recently, you are still welcome. It’ll be nice to catch up.

• Bring a guest if you like, but please let me know so I have an idea of numbers.

If you’re interested, just reply to this email. Please include your phone number (I should have it already but just in case), and any dietary requirements, which I’ll share with whoever else is coming.

If you are interested but that timing doesn’t work, here’s a list of other performances Wong Sheung is putting on this Spring Festival, and this page has the full schedule for the 22nd.