A few years ago, I learned how to make the most well known of origami dragons. It was not too challenging, and looked neat. However, for the Lunar Year of the Dragon that began on Feb 10, 2024, I upped my origami dragon game with a much more challenging, and cooler looking origami dragon, as shown below along with the origami dragons I used to know how to make. I will still make them for a lot of occasions as they are quicker and easier, but for the special occasions, I have something a little more special to turn to!
dragon
Definition: Tanuki, Topping Out, Dragon Gate
So many cool new words and terms in one short story that I’ll put it into two posts!
Tanuki
Japanese raccoon dog that looks like a raccoon but isn’t (or even close biologically)
Topping Out
Scandinavian practice of putting a tree or wreath on top of a new house and building to appease tree spirits, as if to say “thank you” to the forest for the wood used
Dragon Gate
Huge gaps in the middle of Southeast Asian skyscrapers to allow dragons to fly through from ocean to mountains.
Now this is a slightly crazy looking, but fun, concept that is taken very seriously!
https://twitter.com/digitalcitizen/status/1217942843257425920
DRAGON Tennis Shorts
Please click to enlarge
From my pajama dress pants muslin pattern, I removed the curvature from the hip to waist to make it go straight up on the pattern for these tennis shorts. I also chopped off the leg lengths, obviously. But imagine that! Dress pants turned to tennis shorts!
Dragon Dance at the Hong Kong Market in Houston
The Dragon Dance is a traditional Chinese dance performed at festivals. I captured this with my GoPro cam at the Hong Kong Market on January 28th, 2012, for Chinese New Year. It happens to be the Chinese Year of the Dragon.
Lion Dance and Firecrackers at the Hong Kong Market in Houston for Chinese New Year
I was recently in Houston, Texas, to enjoy the Chinese New Year full on given the large Southeast Asian community there. This was a lion dance video I captured with my GoPro Cam while I was there on January 28th. While it was going on, they also lit a whole whack of “mouse” firecrackers, which were supposedly “quiet” relative to the real big stuff they use in Asia. Unfortunately, I couldn’t simulate it for you because even if you turned your stereo up full blast, it would not be as loud as these “mouse” firecrackers!
Digital Citizen 