My Fulbright Year in Taiwan

Pasting up the "chun lian" 春聯 which are auspicious banners welcoming the new year.

Three-year-old Leilei gets a hands-on demonstration of the violin from Ian, as Ariel looks on.

The big feast happens on the last day of the year, called "chu xi" 除夕.

Burning paper money for the dead to use in the afterlife is part of the religious aspects of Chinese New Year.

This isn't really part of the new year, but we couldn't miss the opportunity to show a portable toilet in a truck. Call it "pees on wheels."

Carnivals with eats and games are a big part of Chinese New Year. Ian and I try our hands at shooting balloons. I think the balloons have nothing to worry about.

We can always count on Stacy's brother Quinn for fun games. He introduced the family to a variation on Blackjack. Like many Chinese games, it involves math.

Leilei loved using Grandpa's flashlight to look for things in hidden places, and Grandpa got a kick out of helping her.