Chingay: Giant Dog at Orchad

Chingay. Honestly, the very first time I heard this word an image of drag queen & peeps in skimpy suit parading in the street crossed my mind. Sounded like something to do with mardi gras. But, come on, mardi gras in this island? Actually it was quite close. Chingay is a parade, but not that kind of parade. It is a parade to welcome the spring season, the start of new year. The word chingay itself means 'a decorated float', which refers to the miniature stage or float borne on the shoulder of performers -or nowdays on top of a lorry or a truck.

Anyway, hundreds of people, locals and tourists, was flocking on Orchad to see this parade. The first float lorry is the giant dog with several smaller doggies attached there. Dancers dressed up as dogs, any kind of dogs, from dalmation with sunglasses and hay hat, futuristic robot dog to bones (yep, bones!). There were also dog that burst out of colorful present box. This reminded me of one of my friend, who dressed up as a box of present complete with ribbon to costume party years ago...

Then came bunch of performers, marching band, dancers in shiny and mini outfits, more lorries, etcetera... One of my favorite was the Japanese contigent. Hundreds of people dressed in colorful costume, young and old, kids and aunties, dancing and cheering, surrounding their lorry. It was really cool! Almost at the tail of the parade there was a lorry with giant mechanical orang utan, waiving his right hand to the audience while his left was shouldering Jane & Tarzan.