Chinese New Year Parade

Three friends and I ventured to the 13e arrondisment today for the chinese new year parade. It was really really neat. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the parade to start (it’s the same everywhere!). We were also behind barricades. So I sat down and attempted to take a video and pictures through the bars in the barricade, which was fine until the parade started. When the parade started a whole ton of people came walking along side it. And then some sat down directly in front of me on the other side of the barricade, which I tolerated for about 15 minutes and then stood up (and probably blocked someone’s view, which I was trying not to do by sitting). Throughout the parade random people would walk along side the parade, some taking pictures but mostly just chatting… going for a leisurely stroll alongside a parade and blocking EVERYONE’S view of said parade. Which was very annoying, but I could see most of the parade most of the time. There were lots of firecrackers set off alongside the parade route as well, which were very loud and not very pretty (just grey smoke). But the parade itself was very cool. Lots of dragons, dogs, karate and everything else you’d expect from a chinese new year parade… except the middle part of the parade. The middle of the parade was all Caribbean/African themed, which was really cool don’t get me wrong just unexpected. Then the parade finished with a giant buddha statue being carried through the streets. Afterwards we went for chinese food… which was delicious!!