This post is part of an ongoing effort to catch you all up on what the Klars Afar have been up to here in Taiwan. This entry details Chinese New Year 2015.

In America, the biggest holiday season is Christmas or Hannukah or Kwanza or whatever it is you happen to celebrate. In Taiwan and China it’s Chinese New Year or Spring Festival 春節. It happens in February and everybody takes up to two weeks off and there are many traditional activities enjoyed by all – like fireworks (oh God did I ever get tired of hearing firecrackers and bottle rockets – it never seems to stop during the entire period), eating traditional foods and launching lanterns bearing your wish for the coming year.

The one most enjoyed by Griffin and Bodhi was the giving of red envelopes bearing cash to children. As you can see, they got very excited.

Many of the people in Taipei travel during the break, either to their home village elsewhere in Taiwan or take a vacation so at times the city seems deserted. Since we’re newcomers here, the Klars decided to see some of the sights the Magic Rock has to offer close to our home.

On the north coast of the island is the Yehliu Geologic Park. It’s a very beautiful collection of intriguing rock formations jutting out northward and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea. We took the kids and dogs there to check it out. Take a look!

Beauty and the Sea.

The family awaits a rogue wave.

Dramatic rock formations for the Sea to crash upon.

Bodhi is master of all he surveys.

Mommy & Bodhi peek out from a wind cave.

Wind caves formed over the years.

Crazy cliffs stretch skyward.

What to do if you get caught by a wave.

Geologic Park Blues played on the harmonica.

Where to charge your electric car.

The most famous rock formation, dubbed “The Queen’s Head”.

Time to snuggle with Scout.

Bodhi & Scout relaxing.

More rocks

Jake takes in the scenery with the boys.

Still more rocks.

Kids pose with a famous rock formation called “The Leopard”.

Daddy gets Brain Freeze from a Mango Smoothie

Griff couldn’t read the signs warning not to touch the rocks.

Yet another custom we particularly enjoyed is the sky lanterns. In the early 19th century the Lantern Festival was brought to Taiwan, where every year, at the beginning of the spring planting season, people would release sky lanterns into the air as a prayer for the coming year. You write your wish on the lantern, light the fire beneath it and send your wish off to the heavens. We went on a trip organized by Taipei American School to a Pingxi Lantern Festival – a beautiful village in the forested mountains south of Tapei where every 20-30 minutes hundreds of Taiwanese launch their wish lanterns in waves.

Some people drew caricatures on their lanterns.

A typical family ready to launch their dreams.

A successful launch.

A not-so-successful launch.

The Limmer Family, friends of ours here in Taipei launch their lantern.

Griffin & Bodhi with the Limmer Girls.

Snacks and beverages were in great demand.

Becky, Griff & Bo with the Lovely Ladies of Limmer.

Griffin paints his wish on our lantern: “I wish I could get Halo 5 sooner.”

Bodhi paints his wish: “I wish I was super tough.”

“Fun in Taiwan” & “Great career progress”

Bodhi’s illustraion of super tough – a stick man with biceps

Bodhi’s wish.

Griffin’s wish.

Countdown to our wishes taking flight.

A successful launch of our Family’s Dreams.

Street food: squid on a stick before frying.

Street food: Squid on a stick after frying.

Mass launches like this one happened regularly throughout the evening.

Becky wished for more fun in Taiwan. Griffin wished for “Halo 5 sooner”. I wished for career progress (a job). And Bodhi wished to be “super tough” and drew a stick figure with biceps as a visual aid.

The next morning, Bodhi was very sad. He thought his wish hadn’t come true because he woke up with no biceps. “I’m still skinny!” he cried. I explained that you could be skinny and still be super tough. So I showed him some Bruce Lee videos on youtube and he was mesmerised. Now he has a new hero – another little skinny guy who kicks major butt like he does in his Kung Fu classes.

Well, that’s it for this installment. Two more to come before New Year – Spring Break and Summer Vacation. Don’t forget that we love and miss you all. And there’s always room in our home for any of our friends who wish to visit Taiwan.

–theklarsafar.