I am so tired! So tired…
I can’t imagine a fate worse than enjoying one’s self until the wee hours on New Year’s Eve, only to have to roll out of bed at 7:30 a.m. and walk a mile to force myself into the throng and watch a bunch of marching bands. But my mom said this would be a thrill for her on a par “with the time she got to shake Roy Rogers’s hand as a child,” so I scammed some seats with a very understanding friend last night whose family camps out on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena every year (right next to Aardvark’s), and at least ensured I could see the parade without staying up all night to guard our spot.
I’d meant to bring signs to protest China’s involvement with the parade, including a float and a tribute to the Beijing Olympics, something I am adamantly opposed to. But the thing is, a lot of Chinese Americans may be opposed to the Beijing Olympics, but others are very happy to have their ancestral homeland recognized in 2008 (even Taiwanese don’t seem to have the same anger at the People’s Republic that their grandparents probably had). And there were other floats celebrating Chinese culture that I enjoyed and did not want to protest. So… I chickened out, unlike some people. Great cowardly way to start 2008, to be sure. But hey, I wasn’t on the part of the parade being televised, anyway.
Actually the parade was kind of cool, at least as far as entertainment you can bring your parents to. There were a bunch of equestrian paraders, including some folks riding mini-carriages led by teeny horses, and some interesting musical choices for the floats, including ELO and Beach Boys songs that weren’t the standard radio fare. My girlfriend took photos, so expect some pictures to be added to this post later.