Author Topic: Year of the Tiger! (Read 3109 times)

miguynmkoi · « **on:** February 17, 2010, 10:30:13 AM »

It's the Year of the Tiger! We spent Valentine's Day, President's weekend, and Chinese New Year all in Vegas. We had a blast! This is the first Chinese New Year we actually spent away from home but the choice of Vegas was really a big change for us.

We visited many festivities special for the New Year and eat like there's no tomorrow. The best was all the floral decorations created for the festival. Here are some Tiger shots. The second photo shows TWO Tigers. This is DD's year!

Mikey · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2010, 12:23:01 PM »

A friend was facetiously remarking that he was scared because he was born during the year of the monkey and tigers eat monkeys.....

Jerry · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2010, 01:08:17 PM »

Sure beats the "Year of the Rat!"

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2010, 07:52:12 PM »

Hey Jerry - Nothing wrong with Year of the Rat, the same year my son was born.

There were many special floral arrangements for the New Year festivities at most of the hotels. We saw a large production of the dragon dance travel throughout the Bellagio Hotel's main entrance and the casino.

Here are some of the beautiful flowers and decorations we saw. Starting at the Wynn Hotel......I saw some long fin comets I really like

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2010, 07:58:07 PM »

At the Venetian and Palazzo Hotels more decoration dedicated to New Year. Plus we saw the fabulous Le Reve water acrobatics and swimming show at the Wynn where giant flowers made of light fabric opened and closed towards the end of the performance....no cameras allowed during the show

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2010, 08:00:37 PM »

Our favorite site to see during the month of February is the Atrium at Bellagio Hotel. During this month is the always new Chinese New Year celebration floral arrangements. It's always amazing to see all the plants used to create the scenes.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2010, 08:02:23 PM »

Still more from the Bellagio Atrium....

Check out in the last photo the large ball hanging above the pandas....deerhorn plant!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2010, 08:04:16 PM »

The pandas are sooooo cute. Gotta love the black bamboo. I can't image how difficult it was to get these soooo tall bamboo plants into the building let alone getting from point A.

OK! That's it for now. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed the real thing! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

karen J · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2010, 08:02:41 AM »

Wow...just wow. What amazing pictures. I love the designs and the saturated, rich colors.

"Gung Hay Fat Choy!" ... does this mean Happy New Year? One of these days I'd love to learn Chinese. I think I'm too old.

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2010, 08:06:46 AM »

Wow, those pictures are something else.

Thank you so much for posting them.

I've never been to Vegas...........not hubby's cup of tea.............. Years ago there were a lot of one day flights out of Indy to Vegas that were really cheap. My sister and I always said we were going to go but never made it. I'll get there one of these days.

Karen

Jonna · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2010, 09:45:53 AM »

Wow! Beautiful pictures! Those pandas are adorable, especially the baby, and I would LOVE to have one of those fern balls. We were there for Chinese New Years one time and the decorations and the orchids are just incredible. Oh, those orchids in your pictures... I must go off and get over the envy.

Jerry · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2010, 12:00:38 PM »

YES to all of the above.

Yes, Annette I know, but "Rat" has a funny ring to it.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2010, 12:23:08 PM »

WE love to go to Vegas since it is only a 4-1/2 hour drive (shhh...I can do it in 4). In recent years the hotels have become a destination for relaxation and eating. We don't gamble, did that when we were younger. DH will only do blackjack if we go with friends. I can't add for beans they are so fast so I just shop

We mostly sight see and window shop around the various hotels. There is a new one we had to check out, the City Center. Fabulous hotels and shopping center. Kinda ritzy so we just look

Karen you got it right. Gung Hay Fat Choy is Cantonese loosely translated for Happy New Year.

Indi Karen you've got to get out to Vegas! There are so many thing to do and see besides gambling (

for me) See the view you can get in LV!

Jonna, I drool every time there are orchids in such mass abundance. When I get home and look at my orchid stand I almost want to cry, they look so pathetic :'(

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2010, 12:34:05 PM »

I know Jerry

More flowery stuff if you can handle it

Jerry · « **Reply #14 on:** February 19, 2010, 04:16:43 PM »

Not a good year for one Tiger!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2010, 05:21:46 PM »

Jonna · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2010, 05:41:43 PM »

Incredible what they do with flowers, gorgeous! We used to call Vegas, the adult Disneyland but now it is more family oriented as well. It is people watching heaven for me, I can sit around and watch other people for hours. Mimi likes to play the slots, I hate losing so I'm not very enthusiastic about it, I figure I have this amount of money now and then I put it in a machine and I don't have it anymore. Duh! She seems to win more often than I do though, she's hit several big jackpots on the quarter machines. No doubt it is because she plays longer though, I get up and leave pretty quick. It is mesmerizing to watch those things spin around, I can see how it could be addicting. It's just that I hate giving up my money for nothing, thus - I tend to take all the free drinks and such and then I have to go to sleep. I guess my party days are over.

mascot · « **Reply #17 on:** February 19, 2010, 10:07:59 PM »

Quote from: Jerry on February 19, 2010, 04:16:43 PM

Not a good year for one Tiger!

good one!!!

Jonna · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2010, 11:42:13 AM »

I went to a New Year banquet last night here in Mérida. It was wonderful and reminded me of the more elaborate ones I've attended in San Francisco. This was held at a restaurant, the owner came from a neighboring state where he has another restaurant and cooked it personally. It was put on by my neighbor across the street who is Chinese from Seattle. There were people from all cultures there, I counted 4 languages being spoken at the table, and he was wonderful about explaining the significance of the food. We had long noodles for long life, many whole fish, shrimp, chicken, beef and lots of vegetables. My neighbor said he requested the vegetables specifically because they don't often use many down here. It was a long meal with many, many courses and lots of laughter and talking. A perfect night.

marla · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2010, 01:55:05 PM »

Annette
Wow your pictures are just STUNNING

!!!!!!!! Sure brightened and warmed up the snowy day we are having. I have never been to Vegas, except for a layover on the way to CA at the time my sister lived there and met us at the airport, and took us to Freemont St. (I think) for a light show that was totally awesome, we had just enough time to see it and get back to the airport...have never been back though. Thanks for sharing the beauty.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #20 on:** February 20, 2010, 03:44:26 PM »

Jonna, it's really cool you got to experience a Chinese New Year dinner. IT has been a ritual that I grew up with and I still continue it in my own home. In fact we are celebrating our home feast tonight. Right now I'm in between cooking up a storm and taking a break, phewwww! I will be serving 9 courses

Busy busy! Add to repertoire: fish = easy easy, black moss = fortune, pig feet = prosperity, oyster = everything will be good, chicken = longevity, lots of oranges and red apples = prosperity and life. There are more but these are the ones I can think of now. Sometimes I invite my neighbors for the feast but I have extra family members these past few years (DD's BF, DS's GF, and some friends away from home).

I love people watching, in fact we watched from a bar in Bellagio and it is amazing how many people visit for the first time. Hearing the oooohhs and aaahhhhs is fun to watch. When we strolled around our hotel late at night we saw the long lines of "young" people waiting their turn to get into some very popular nightclubs. Now that is a very weird and wild group of people to watch! The little things these youngins wear!?!?! I would not believe it if I did not see with my own eyes!

Marla, Vegas has so much more to see now. I can't part with hard earned money so we just sight see at all the new hotels and shopping centers. Vegas seems so plush and extravagant now!

And the parking? Not so bad.

landey1230 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 21, 2010, 04:31:40 PM »

Great pics. I can't imagine all the time and work that went into all of that. Wow.

We took the inlaws out for dinner and gave them a red envelope.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #22 on:** February 22, 2010, 08:56:58 AM »

You're right Alfonso! Red envelopes or lucky red pockets are verrrrrry important, especially if you receive them! All my kids and niece because they are unmarried receive red pockets from elders (that's me!

) and way elders like my mom receive them too from their kids (me again!

) This time of the year I carry red pockets just in case I need to shell out. Then you get to see relatives you never see any other time of the year come visit

Well I wish everyone a very prosperous and healthy New Year. Spread the good cheer!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #23 on:** February 22, 2010, 10:49:58 AM »

Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity.....three good guys to have in your corner. Plus lots of red pockets all over the place!