Xin Nian Kuai Le!

 

For those who are Mandarin-challenged, this means Happy New Year, a timely phrase because today marks the start of the most important Chinese holiday of the year.

 

2013 is the Year of the Snake and in NYC's Chinatown, firecrackers exploded to scare off evil spirits, dumplings were devoured (it is said that the more of them you eat, the more money you'll make in the coming year) and traditional costumed dancers paraded through the streets to the beat of drummers to kick off the 15 day celebration.

 

 

These characters are a crowd favorite, particularly the colorful heads of dragons or (as in this case) lions.  But it takes two to tango and it occurred to me that while someone gets the glory and attention up front, there is an unsung hero bringing up the rear that nobody seems to notice. 

 

So what's the procedure for selecting who gets to drive and who gets stuck in the back seat?  Draw chopsticks?  Best-of-three at Chinese checkers?  And would anyone actually volunteer for this back breaking gig?  I mean, the perks of the job are seemingly few and let's face it, the employment description is not exactly a resume booster:  February, 2013:  Lion's Butt

 

Yet, the show must go on and a second body is required to give the creature a full set of four legs so...here's a salute to all those who toil in obscurity in the rump regions, grinding it out in unglamourous posterior positions, willing and able to make asses out of themselves.      

 

 “Behind every able man, there are always other able men.”  (Chinese proverb)

 

 

 

Tale Of The Tail