Happy New Year - Gung Hay Fat Choi

Another year, another Chinese new year! This is now the year of the dragon. The Chinese new year runs on its own 12 year cycle. An animal with distinct characteristics and personalities is associated with each of the twelve years. For most in Asia, the lunar festival lasts for several days. I've never experienced it firsthand , but what I know of it, it involves lots of eating, drinking, fireworks, and downright joy and celebration.

http://www.chinesezodiac.com/

Here in the states, lots of families and friends get together to eat and celebrate. One custom for the new year is to give 'lucky' red envelopes. My own perosnal favorite, obviously, because you get money. There are lucky foods that are generally eaten customarily as well.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/chi-dragon-new-year-lucky-foods,0,4771984.story

As for my own customs, I like to go out with friends for a few drinks and announce to everyone at the bar that its the new year. Its actually become a really fun tradition for me and I come to really look forward to it. So to all, Happy New Year and eat and drink lots!

First Generation

I had a surprisingly hard time trying to figure out the name of my new blog.  When deciding on starting this blog, I knew almost immediately that I wanted it to have the word 'generasian' in there.  Shortly thereafter, I decided that I wanted it to be called 'first generasian' or 'second generasian,' but ran into an unanticapated problem.  My problem was that this is a blog and hence, a first person account of things, yet I had no idea whether I was consider first or second generation asian american.  I thought about it awhile, asked a few coworkers, checked the internet, and eventually asked family. 

My coworkers had no idea for the most part.  The internet, more specifically, 'wikipedia' just made things worse.  Both results were inconclusive and muddled.  They actually made me more confused.  Here are the two links:

First Generation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_generation
Second Generation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Generation

It was actually pretty frustrating.  My family finally decided it for me and even that didn't come without some differing opinions.  I polled a few cousins and of the 5 responses, 3 of them thought we were first and 2 thought we were second.  I finally called my dad and taking into account his fatherly opinion, finally decided (hopefully I'm right) on naming my blog 'First Generasian.'

I hope that you all will enjoy, appreciate, and laugh at my lighthearted attempt at asian introspection.  I'm pretty sure that I have lots and lots of material to write about and am really looking forward to this.

Shameless self promotion time...if you want to check out my other rambling, my other blog is http://austindiesta.blogspot.com .   Its a lot more random and casual.  I hope to make this one more structured and well thought out.  Enjoy and  since its after midnight now...Gung Hei Fat Choi!