Hawai’i actually has larger Japanese and Filipino ethnic populations than Chinese, but neither celebrates the lunar new year, so the Chinese take the lead on the LNY festivities.

MN — Come to think of it, my 엄마 was fussing over something related to our home and room arrangement or something. Then she sent an extra set of the Korean wedding ducks home with me.

DF — Hmm, I actually haven’t heard people calling the red envelopes that, although I haven’t really spoken to anyone about them either. The thing that tends to bug me is when people refer to the Lunar New Year as “Chinese New Year,” even though it’s not like China has an exclusive claim to the lunar calendar. Bah.

Happy new year to all anyway!

Happy new year!

2. Oi. My grandmother is into the whole feng shui and always blames the location of the bed (which can be fixed) or the direction of sunlight (which really cannot be helped unless you’re prepared to tear down the entire apt (a-pa-tu) building) for our family’s general bad luck. She may have a point, though.

3. All that minimizing and cleaning out the dust bunnies – I can totally see the chi sparkling.

I feel the push too to do more Korean things and start my own traditions, it’s like an unspoken obligation. Boston is just like Hawaii where the Asian community is Chinese dominated. Hmm, maybe start a Korean heathen’s R us group? Blasphemy and bibimbap, hedonism with you hwe dup? I’ll do the MA chapter if you do your state.