Welcome Year of the Goat!

Hong Kong Waterfront

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese Zodiac it's the Year of the Goat. In case you're a new reader you might not know that I spent my childhood/teens in Asia, most of it in Hong Kong. So this time of year always holds a special place in my heart, even though I've long been living in Europe. I've visited a couple of times since and I've been astounded by the rapid changes. Recently I was looking through my file of Hong Kong pics and I'm not entirely sure whether I've posted these before, as these were done with a point and shoot and I may have just left them sitting there in the file!

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Heute beginnt laut dem chinesischen Kalenderjahr das Jahr der Ziege. Die Feierlichkeiten erstrecken sich meistens über eine ganze Woche, doch die ersten drei Tage ab heute gelten als Hauptfeiertage und kulminieren in einem grandiosen Feuerwerk über dem Hafen. Warum ich das Euch heute erzähle? Nun, ich habe meine Kindheit/Jugend in Asien, vor allem in Hong Kong verbracht und dieses Fest war/ist immer etwas besonderes selbst nach all den Jahren in denen ich bereits in Europa lebe. Ein paar Mal war ich zu Besuch und mich erstaunt es jedesmal wie schnell sich diese Stadt verändert.

Hong Kong is a very small island and most of it is covered in high-rise buildings! We lived on the 23rd floor in tight quarters and I never much minded the proximity to other buildings. Most of the time we have the blinds drawn anyway since most months are hot and sunny (and humid and hazy)!

Hong Kong ist eine sehr kleine Insel und fast komplett mit Hochhäusern verbaut! Wir wohnten im 23. Stock auf engem Raum. Die unmittelbare Nähe zu den umliegenden Gebäuden hat mir komischerweise nie was ausgemacht. Die meiste Zeit waren die Jalousien nämlich zugezogen, um vor Hitze und Sonne zu schützen. Schon ironisch, dass ich mich hier so sehr nach der Sonne sehne!

The Peak

The South China Sea

I do miss the sea and the salty air. I remember whole weekends spent at the beach. My first ever swimming lesson took place there.

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Nach wie vor vermisse ich das Meer und die salzhaltige Luft. Oftmals habe ich das ganze Wochenende am Strand verbracht. Dort habe ich auch Schwimmen gelernt.

Typical shopping mall with red mini bus on the left

My preferred choice of public transport is the MTR, the underground railway. It's fast, efficient, always on time and relatively inexpensive. I was there when they started building it! Before that we relied on mini busses.

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Mit der U-bahn, auch MTR genannt bin ich ich immer gern gefahren. Sie ist schnell, effizient, immer pünktlich und relativ günstig. Ich war da als sie gebaut wurde! Davor haben wir die Minibusse benutzt.

Rush hour

Riding up the long escalators. That's the back of my head :)
 Lange Fahrt mit der Rolltreppe nach oben. Das ist mein Hinterkopf :)

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That's me (ca. 2007) looking at some tacky souvenirs and smirking at something the shop assistant said :)

Das bin ich (ca. 2007) in einem kitschigen Souvenirladen. Ich musste über etwas was die Verkäuferin mir gesagt hatte schmunzeln.

Are you born in the Year of the Goat? Here's some fun Chinese astrology for you ;-)

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Nachfolgend eine (nicht ganz ernst zu nehmende) Astrologie für das Tierkreiszeichen Ziege ;-)

source

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Another make up bag

According to my January statistics on Dawanda (my selling venue here in Germany), this Asian inspired make up bag has received the most views ever! It's been 'pinned' by eleven buyers, so I wonder who the lucky one will be that actually buys it! It's the only one I made. I made it specifically to match the large tote bag with bamboo handles I made in December. Yesterday I received a parcel containing the same type of trim I used on this make up bag, but in a different colour variation: instead of the turquoise blue, the new trim is dark grey with bright pink flowers. This afternoon I will go through my fabric stock to see which will work best with this new trim. I hope I won't fall asleep at my sewing machine, because I didn't sleep a wink last night....I never do when we have a full moon.

Kimono Girl

This bag is a tribute to Asia, where I have lived, worked and made wonderful friends! I was inspired to make this bag by that cute little ribbon you see in the close up. I've had that ribbon stored in a box and recently re-discovered it when I was looking for something else! This tote is pretty large at approx. 14 x 13 inches (not including the handles). I made it a rounded shape to reflect the round floral pattern of the blue fabric, which coincidentally matches the blue of my ribbon exactly. The top part is a whimsical red fabric with an all-over pattern, also inspired by the red fan in the ribbon. The bamboo handles are store-bought. For the interfacing I have used canvas, which makes this bag pretty sturdy. The inside is a creamy cotton featuring two pockets made from the same red fabric as on the top front. Just looking at it takes me back to those fun times I had in Asia...watching the sunset on the beach, taking a stroll in the Japanese Garden, shopping at the market on Saturdays...sigh.