Lantern Parade

This Friday is Moon Festival which is the equivalent of our Easter, and very large on the Vietnamese calender. The school festival begins with a dragon dance followed by a lantern parade. All the students were busy over the long weekend creating lanterns which they consequently brought to school and parade with. The lanterns of course are judged, and here by hangs a conundrum. In the foyer on Monday morning were many mothers putting the last minute finishing touches to lanterns, or fixing lanterns that had traveled to school. It happens the world over.... very small students make the most ornate lanterns, or should I write the mother's of very small children make the most ornate lanterns. Year 5 classrooms are across the corridor from my lab, so I slipped over to snap a few students adding finishing touches to their lanterns.

The staff wear Ao Dais, the tradition dress at Moon Festival. An Ao Dai has a very long bodice/ top garment that goes well below the knees, and is split up the sides to the waist, so the front and back panels are a bit like flaps. The neck line is high and usually with long sleeves. Under this ornate top they wear long pants in a matching colour. I've purchased the fabric and have to go tonight to pick my Ao Dai up from the tailor.
Moon festival is celebrated with moon cake. On first glance my slice of cake looked like it was filled with glace fruit. Not so and I got it so terribly wrong. They are filled with pork, or chicken or green tea, and always have an egg in the centre.When you get a slice of cake there is a bright yellow centre. Tue, my TA gave me a slice last week and I thought it tasted quite nice. However word on the street from ex pats who have lived here longer than me is .. NOT SO. Green tea is about the nicest and its often down hill after that.
Out on the street are stalls selling moon cakes, nicely boxed and packaged like Christmas cakes in supermarkets. ........ Watch this space.