I’ll admit it: Since I was a kid, I loved watching Japanese taiko drumming. The beat. The movement. The booms.

You name it. It has everything a person would want out of a musical art.

So when I heard that The School of TAIKO would perform on Friday at Uwajimaya in Seattle, well, I made sure that my family and I were there.

They were performing as part of the market’s Japanese outdoor summer festival – and there’s another performance scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28.

Drop by if you’re in the neighborhood. Or just have a look at these video clips.

I had never heard of this particular group before. But one glance at the musicians showed that they’re a sharp, precise group.

The school is lead by Ringtaro Tateishi, who apparently has performed throughout the world including at Walt Disney World for seven years.

I’m just glad that my family and I had an opportunity to be in the audience.

Even now, as an adult, I could watch these clips over and over.

By the way, if you want to see more videos of The School of TAIKO, the group has its own YouTube channel.

There are drumming videos posted, as well as a few of Japan playing in the World Cup.

Over on Vimeo, Les Fitzpatrick has posted some great clips of another Seattle taiko group – Seattle Kokon Taiko.

I should say upfront that the old Immigration and Naturalization Service building in Seattle – which has office space for lease and has neoclassical architectural touches from the 1920s and 1930s - sits on a centrally-located piece of land.

It rests at 815 Airport Way S. on the border of the city’s International District (and across the street from Uwajimaya, the big Asian supermarket) and within walking distance of the sports stadiums, restaurants and bus stops.

So, yes, it is easy to see why the building will be a draw for people in 2010 and beyond. But keep in mind: This 77,000-square-foot building, which opened in 1932 and completed under the supervision of architect James Wetmore, has plenty of history.

As in: It once housed Chinese immigrants – who were detained under the Chinese Exclusion Act, the country’s first racially-specific immigration law to block people from entering the United States.

HistoryLink.org notes that Alvin “Creepy” Karpis – a 1930s gangster and member of the Ma Barker Gang – called the building a temporary home (involuntarily, of course). He also spent time on Alcatraz. He apparently was a real-life public enemy.

On the upper floors, employees once processed gold – by 1955, nearly 1,000 pounds of it, federal officials said. Miners from the Klondike Gold Rush stopped at the office with what the precious metal. The U.S. government wanted to boost its gold reserves.

When I toured the building in 2006 with Hing Chinn, a Seattle resident who was detained there under the Chinese Exclusion Act, I spotted cramped rooms, tiny offices and holding cells – all of which undoubtedly will change with renovation efforts.

Now, as they say, all of this can be yours – or at least a slice of it if you lease office space in the building. This sign photographed below sits in front of what officially was called the United States Immigrant Station and Assay Office.

The leasing is a continuation of the sale of the building for $4.4 million by the federal government. INS Holdings LLC, comprised of a group of Seattle-area investors, purchased the building in an online, eBay-style bid.

At one point, the city of Seattle had hoped to receive the building for free from the federal government. There was talk about using the building to house travel and trade offices and some type of Asian Pacific center.

The city later pursued a sale of the building at a price tag of at least $998,000.

That idea, though, of the city taking ownership of the building fell through and the online bid process surfaced. The initial bid was $2.2 million and INS Holdings LLC won the day.

Urban Visions, a Seattle-based developer, envisioned using the space for environmental projects. 

At one point, the Highline School District, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Salvation Army and private developers also expressed some interest in using the building, a federal official said.

Shawn Jackson of Holden Street Partners LLC is taking calls regarding office space at (206) 510-2576. A2 – Anisoglu Associates – or A2 – of Bainbridge Island is the architecture firm working on the renovations.

Cihan Anisoglu of Anisoglu Associates and a development partner said that the new owners plan to have space in the building to mark its place in Seattle and U.S. history.

Last year’s poor economy apparently delayed the posting of the office lease sign until recent months in 2010.

So: Will people rent space in the building?

I can see how people who support urban density could gravitate toward leasing space in the building, which required millions of dollars in renovations to bring it up to safety code. The building, as I’ve said, is close to Uwajimaya, restaurants and office buildings.

Jen Graves of The Stranger notes on the Slog that some artists already are in the building.

In terms of architecture, well, there are touches that people won’t see in the shiny, new steel-and-glass skyscrapers in the city. There is an Old World charm to its light fixtures, what with all the metal framing and ornate styling, as well as a modern touch with the energy-efficient bulb.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places – so the owners need to keep much of the structure as it is.

The other day, after I spotted the office lease sign, I stood near the building and realized that its gate was open. A parking company is using the back lot.

I had never looked behind the building – I always saw it from the front, just as a facade and history marker in many ways. Well, here are some images from the other side of the building.

In 2005, the federal government issued a quick history of the building – including the fact that a safe-cracker who plied his gingerly trade during the Depression Era once was locked up inside.

Like I said before: This place has lots of history.

The Seattle museum named after Wing Luke has changed its name. Photo source: Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience via Facebook.

The Wing Luke Asian Museum, one of Seattle’s most well-known institutions, changed its name, representatives announced Wednesday.

It is now the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience – and has taken “The Wing” as a shorter version.

Museum Executive Director Beth Takekawa explained the change in a statement:

As the decade begins, the 43-year old Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience has entered a new world….Having opened the doors of a major building expansion and lived in it for two years, we have welcomed 50,000 visitors in our first year and are on track to bring in at least that many in our second year. Living in a world of 50,000 visitors is a 350 percent increase over our previous highest visitation years of 13,000-15,000. Our newly populated world has confronted our institution and the Asian Pacific American communities whose stories we tell, with a real opportunity to engage and interact deeply with the American public and culture.

As part of the expanded name, the museum also unveiled a new logo on its Web site.

On Saturday, the museum will celebrate the 100th birthday of its current home in the East Kong Yick Building in Seattle’s International District.

The museum’s old logo can be seen in the announcement below.

Wing Luke was the first Asian American to hold elected office in the Pacific Northwest, according to his biography posted on the musem’s Web site.

He served on the Seattle City Council.

Just two years ago, the word rolling off many people’s tongues in the world – and the Seattle area – was about a shortage of rice.

Prices jumped. It was taking longer for shipments to arrive. Restaurant owners were out searching for the staple, which is popular for Asian food.

Restaurant customers were asking price questions. Some members of the public stockpiled bags when they could.

I don’t follow the rice market that closely – except for when I’m literally in a market. So, I was happy to see bags and bags of rice sitting on top of one another the other day at Uwajimaya, the Asian market which has a large store in Seattle’s International District.

The question, of course, is why did I start thinking about rice recently?

Well, I spotted this huge replica of a rice cooker sitting high on a shelf at Uwajimaya.

I didn’t ask exactly why the store has such a large replica – I just kept looking at it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was made for a parade or a fun run or something like that.

So, after I stared at the giant rice cooker, I began looking in the rice area.

In terms of supply, at that moment, I’m happy to note that Uwajimaya had enough to meet demand.

Sacks, mostly weighing 25- and 50-pounds, sat before customers.

As you see in the photograph below, there was TAMANISHIKI SUPER PREMIUM RICE, HIKARI IMPERIAL QUALITY RICE and NIKO NIKO CALROSE RICE.

And the bags also sport eye-catching colors. The one brand and style that I can see here, in the photograph below, is KOKUHO Heirloom Varietal Enriched Premium Rice.

Now, I should note that I have not tried all of these types of rice.

I just enjoyed seeing so many bags stacked one on top of the other, as I recalled those bleaker rice days in 2008.

If you don’t buy 25- to 50-pound sacks of rice on a regular basis, think of it this way.

If you live in the Seattle area, you probably remember last year’s freak heat wave – the one which drove people to big-box retail stores in search of fans and air conditioners at the last minute.

But when you arrived at the store, units had been snatched up.

Wooden pallets sat there with nothing stacked on top.

With me and rice, it’s that kind of feeling.

And brown rice remains a popular choice, too.

As for my wife and I, we usually pick up our jasmine rice at Costco.

The last time I noted the price (which was late last year), it fit in well with the idea that economies of scale have their advantages.

Oh, yes.

So, you’ve bought at 25- or 50-pound sack of rice for you or your family.

What’s the best way to cook it?

In a pot on top of a stove?

If you can – and if you eat rice on a regular basis – opt for the rice cooker.

Uwajimaya has a grand assortment with some in the $30 range and others in the $100 or so range.

And some of the more elaborate models have easy-to-see, round buttons to push.

Some models have an option to keep the rice warm.

The big buttons remind me of robots, in a way.

And as you see in one of those photographs, once you buy a rice cooker, you own it – at least at Uwajimaya.

In addition to cooking rice, you can steam other food, including pork, chicken, fish and vegetables.

Using steam as a way to cook food can really bring out some outstanding flavors.

My wife and I always survey Uwajimaya’s rice cooker selection. But for some reason, we’ve ended buying them at other places.

We bought one at Fry’s Home Electronics and the other one at, yes, Costco.

Cooking rice in a pot is always a possibility.

But in my years of cooking rice, I’ve actually burned two pots. I just didn’t pay enough attention.

The interesting thing is that if I hadn’t looked up and spotted that giant rice cooker replica at Uwajimaya, I would have been content to just buy groceries, including a head of cabbage, and going home.

It looks like the giant rice cooker replica has been sitting on that shelf since 2003.

I don’t know if the replica is the largest in the world – but I have come across the globe’s biggest piece of dry tofu and longest California roll.

And I forgot to say: In the Seattle area, the Asian Counseling and Referral Service hosts its annual fundraiser, Walk for Rice.

The next one will be held on June 19, 2010.

We all know that change happens – sometimes for the better and sometimes when there’s no opinion at all.

But it’s always good, I think, to pause to remember a place and its role in a community.

This time, the news involves China Gate, a restaurant in Seattle’s International District that stayed open late at night and dished up old-style and tasty dim sum.

It is now closed. Nancy Leson of The Seattle Times has all the details about the closure on her blog, All You Can Eat.

In the International District, I’ve covered a few closings, including the Yick Fung Co. and Kong Sun Co.

They’re the kind of places that you certainly know when you see the building or hear the name. But they might not come to the top of your mind every single day.

In my neighborhood in the past year or so, a market has closed as has two coffee stands, an old-style drugstore, a printing shop and a movie rental business.

I was in the Seattle neighborhood recently and thought I’d stop by to see the building, which has ornate dragons on top, a rich red facade with a yellow sign and a few spots of chipped paint.

This place once was a bustling restaurant - and even attracted Bruce Lee, before he moved to California to pursue his Hollywood career and show more people his martial arts prowess.

His wife told me that when I had the opportunity to chat with her years ago and I mentioned his ties to Seattle and its Chinatown.

From the looks of it, if a restaurant owner wants to move in and open in China Gate, the opportunity exists.

On the restaurant’s Web site, valet parking is still available.

When you look up at the magnificent red facade – which I admit, buildings don’t have as much these days – you spot a Chinese dragon and the Chinese characters, which are pronounced in Mandarin as ”long men jiu jia.”

“Long” means dragon in Chinese. And dragons have long symbolized that country.

Below this dragon – and another one on the other side of the yellow sign – is a note of busier times.

That’s right: Karaoke for customers and the masses, all days of the week.

There’s also a framed restaurant review from Seattle Magazine. The article, published in 2000, talked about top places to eat and included China Gate.

Here’s the text from the framed review:

It’s facade brings to mind a Hollywood backlot set. Inside, China Gate offers a Hong Kong-style menu with a couple hundred choices and dim sum that, while not all stellar, can be quite good. This large eatery offers two dim sum services per day, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 9:30 p.m. to about 2 a.m.

I like that 2 a.m. part.

Yes, I’ve heard that many people don’t feel as safe in Seattle’s International District late at night (or early in the morning) these days.

When I was younger, I’d get hungry at all hours of the day – and dim sum or noodles would enter my mind.

One summer, I lived in Berkeley, Calif. Chinese restaurants in Oakland’s Chinatown stayed open late – and I’d go after I watched David Letterman host his old show on NBC.

At China Gate, what patrons also found inside was an old-style Chinese restaurant.

I’ve visited a few times and ate there once. I recall high-backed booths, which I recall were pure vinyl.

The cash register looked as if it hadn’t been replaced in decades – all shiny metal, buttons that you really have to push to make everything work.

Interestingly enough, those upside down Chinese characters - which are pronounced “fu” in Mandarin Chinese – and are on those red pieces of paper mean good luck and are popular, especially during Lunar New Year.

I recall that the dim sum was filling.

One time, a few years ago, I dropped by and talked with the owner about story ideas in Chinatown.

He was talking with some Chinatown restaurant owners and business leaders – all of whom were seated around a table.

I had never met these business leaders and one asked why he hadn’t seen me more in Chinatown.

The owner was kind enough to offer me some dim sum, which I respectfully declined given that I was working as a journalist.

The place also offered people a chance to see upturned eaves - always great to see (I like big boxy buildings, too).

Of all the comments left on Leson’s blog, I like this one, by a writer who goes by the handle “westsidemarc,” the best:

This is sad news. My grandfather built the ornate Gate for the original owner with whom he was friends for many years and I can recall grand family dinners there as some of my first memories when I was a young boy. I hope that a new owner is found and that they bring the China Gate back to the glory days of the past.

It’s funny how life goes.

It would be great to chat with, if possible, this man who helped build the fancy red gate at China Gate.

Years ago, when I was in college, I chatted with a woman whose relative helped build the pagoda that you see on the Tsingtao Beer label.

Is there value in chatting with people who helped build interesting structures?

In terms of money, no.

But in terms of understanding more about a place, yes.

As for food, after I saw China Gate on my trip to the International District, a friend and I met up at Hing Loon.

I’ve mentioned that I like the place, especially its curry over rice.

We dined on a hot pot dish with salted fish, chicken and tofu ($9.50).

It hit the spot.

In this case, everything aligned just perfectly.

The best thing I can do when an image of a Tofu Robot standing next to the Space Needle arrives on a shirt in Seattle’s International District is to tell other people about it.

Why?

I mean: Why not?

In math terms, this is what we have: tofu + robots + Space Needle = clothing.

It’s pretty simple.

I spotted these in a window display at Kinokuniya bookstore, which is located at 525 S. Weller St. in Seattle and attached to Uwajimaya, the Asian supermarket.

Think about it this way: You can buy ginger, garlic and bean curd and a Tofu Robot shirt in a matter of minutes.

The shirts range from about $20 to $24.

It might just be coincidence but two shirt colors match one area of the bookstore – which is packed with comics, pop culture items from Japan and Asia, books about Asian Americans, movies from China, magazines from Asia and architecture photo books showing people in the West how designers in Asia have envisioned their living places.

Oh, yes. The store also sells the P-Sharan SQ-35 Pinhole Camera, which can produce some artistic images.

I don’t know what to say except there is nothing like the image of Chinese-style chicken hanging in a window.

Yes, I know that I’ve talked much about tofu in the past.

And there’s nothing like people lining up on Saturday in Seattle’s Chinatown International District – the day before the Year of the Tiger started – to buy chicken or duck to celebrate with relatives.

Oh, yes, nearby, a large, colorful dragon rests on a building wall, overlooking the humans below.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve always loved the noise, smell and feel that life on the streets can bring to a city – in this case, Seattle.

This Chinese lion dance team performs during the Lunar New Year celebration in Seattle's Chinatown in 1921. The group also helped raise money for famine relief in China. Photo source: PEMCO Webster & Stevens Collection (courtesy of the Museum of History and Industry and spotted in an outdoor, public display by The Wing Luke Asian Museum)

As you’ve noticed, I’ve been on a run with Chinese dragons and lions lately – what with the Year of the Tiger that started Sunday.

I know it’s a day after the Lunar New Year began – and people still are celebrating. I thought I’d continue with one more post about lion heads used during Lunar New Year festivities.

Why?

Well, to quote singer (and pop philosopher) Kenny Rogers: “You’ve got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them.”

I’m holding on to this idea for just a bit longer.

I’m also doing this because I recall a person telling me years ago that the past is prologue.

But you know what?

The past is also actually fascinating – and worth spending time reviewing and understanding. It’s more than just a preliminary discourse to something else.

A gold lion head sits inside Uwajimaya, the Asian supermarket in Seattle, to mark the Lunar New Year.

You can actually learn new insights.

Take a look at the black-and-white image that I posted above of this Chinese lion dance team in Seattle’s Chinatown in 1921.

I spotted it in a public display that The Wing Luke Asian Museum put up in an office building window near Uwajimaya, the large Asian supermarket in Seattle.

The team is standing in front of the Hotel Milwaukee, the hallmark building that was built by Goon Dip, a Chinese man active in Seattle’s community and business affairs.

HistoryLink has details of his community work and notes that he built the elegant hotel at 668 King St. with the goal of housing people who attended the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle.

That was Washington state’s first world’s fair and drew an estimated 3 million people from the state and around the world, according to History Link.

Based on Google’s street view mapping system, the address of the Hotel Milwaukee that you can see today matches what HistoryLink describes.

Goon Dip’s name also appears above the building’s main doorway.

About two years ago, I interviewed shopkeepers who left retail space in the Hotel Milwaukee. At the time, the new owner was renovating the building to turn rooms into apartments.

The black-and-white image gives people in 2010 an idea of just how long Chinese lion dances have been taking place in Seattle – in this case, nearly 90 years.

Saturday’s Chinese lion dances took place near the Chinatown Gate – just blocks from the Hotel Milwaukee.

Modern life is worthwhile, rewarding and terrific.

But so too are many traditions.

What I like about the black-and-white image from 1921 is that it gives us a glimpse of a lion’s head and its design.

I’ve been noticing that lion head designs actually differ – and liked seeing the image that the New York Daily News captured.

I had never seen a lion’s head with a larger forehead and protruding eyes on the sides. The colors and paint designs are worth studying.

Now, that I think about it, the image in the New York Daily News might actually be a Qilin.

I’m accustomed to the lion head that my parents bought for our family more than 30 years ago in San Francisco Chinatown, as well as the fluffy, friendly ones that my family and I saw Saturday in Seattle.

Mak Fai, the Seattle martial arts master, who brought his lions, dragon and crew to the streets during Saturday’s celebration, noted different styles that he uses.

He apparently seeks out quality lion heads and noted that they have been used since the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD).

If his estimate is correct – and I have no reason to doubt him – the use of lion heads during Lunar New Year festivals would date back over 1,000 years.

Of course, the use of lion heads would vary, given China’s history and ethnic Chinese around the world celebrating the holiday.

My wife found this online essay in Chinese about the use of lion heads during Lunar New Year.

Her summary of this article is that lions are not indigenous to China and – according to this essay writer – might have come with traders along the Silk Road, possibly as gifts to the emperor.

The story goes that people would use a real lion to entertain the emperor, possibly as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)

Later, people in China would use bird and other animal masks for entertainment during festivals. Eventually, the use of those other animals disappeared.

But the use of the lion figure – which is seen as fortuitous – continued.

And apparently, the use of lion figures grew in popularity in China during the late 1800s and early 1900s – or during the end of the Qing Dynasty (1616 to 1911 AD).

It appears that Mak Fai also was aware of using five lions during the Lunar New Year festivities.

This essay writer notes that five lions are typically used to represent the four directions – north, south, east and west – as well as the center. 

On Mak Fai’s Web site, he also has two Qilin styles. These mythical creatures are a mixture of different types of animals.

Mak Fai, the Seattle martial arts master who trains lion dancers, also has this style, called the Gold Qilin. Photo source: Mak Fai Washington Kung Fu Club

If you’ve visited the Summer Palace in Beijing, you’ve probably seen a statue of the creature.

I never realized what they were.

Though their bodies look similar to a lion, they have, what looks to me like, dragon-style heads. I’m glad he posted images online.

I don’t know what else to say right now - except that I’m glad I spotted that black-and-white photograph taken in 1921.

Oh, yes: I try to limit my use of archival photographs on my blog posts.

But I have seen some in the past and used them to illustrate points or talk about history.

Cases in point: Fu Pei-Mei, the famous chef from Taiwan, and the Aerocar.

As always: Thank you to my wife for helping answer my questions about Chinese history.

So after my son and I watched the opening performance of the Lunar New Year festival in Seattle, we met up with my wife.

The three of us headed over to Hing Loon, a Cantonese Chinese restaurant which is one of our favorites in Seattle.

During last year’s Lunar New Year celebration, my parents were visiting us – and the five of us made our way to the scrumptious restaurant where the waitresses remember you and are friendly.

On Saturday, we ducked inside because our bellies were giving us signs that it was time to fill up – and our choice for the day were noodles.

Then, moments after we sat down – just as what happened when my parents joined us last year – we spotted Seattle martial arts master Mak Fai and his crew of lion dancers make their way to the popular restaurant.

Good stuff. And we knew it.

My son looked out the window as the loud rhythm of the drums and cymbals grew louder.

I popped out one battery from our digital camera and inserted one with more power. Then, I made my way toward the entrance, knowing that the lions would come to eat the cabbage and fetch a “hong bao” – or lucky red envelope that is prevalent during Lunar New Year.

My wife held our son, who clutched her in anticipation of the colorful lions to tell the not-so-nice spirits it was time to leave.

With the video option of our digital camera turned on, I stood at the doorway with the lions in clear view.

Then, after I spotted Mak Fai unfurl a row of small red items, I knew what was next – the bang, boom, pop, pow and crackle of firecrackers.

Good times.

Just like when I was a kid and visited San Francisco and Oakland Chinatowns during Lunar New Year.

I finally realized that by ducking down and shooting video through the lower portion of the glass door would give me a clear, protected shot of Mak Fai and his lion dance team.

They impressed the crowd and welcomed the Year of the Tiger for Hing Loon’s owner and staff.

And it worked.

As you can see in the video and as Mak Fai points out on his Web site, the footwork and waist movements of the lion dancers are important to making the lions come to life.

The person wearing the Buddha mask also does a great job with footwork and using the fan and physical gestures to entertain the crowd.

After the firecrackers blew, the two lions entered the packed restaurant, bowed before an altar and made their way through the kitchen. One lion walked through the dining area, as customers held their cameras up to capture the moment.

One aspect of lion dancing that I’ve always enjoyed is that it shows young Chinese men – among others who participate in this art form – demonstrating strength and athletic skills.

First, they’re continuing a long tradition of helping to give the boot to bad spirits and welcoming good health and prosperity to people.

Second, they are showing that people of all backgrounds – and especially young Asian or Chinese men – can be strong, active participants in life.

I think many Asian and Chinese men are aware of the geek, bookworm or weak perception that can be associated with us as a group.

This perception has often popped up in U.S. history.

This probably explains why I’ve always liked Chinese dragons – and their ability to be fierce. They’re also just cool.

In Chinese history, there’s been a long awareness of that country as a weak place compared to other nations.

That might be changing now, as the world watches China emerge on the world stage as a major economic and power player.

And in the United States and the world, we are aware of strong figures, such as martial arts star Bruce Lee, and Asian and Chinese men who are active, intelligent and community participants.

Speaking of Bruce Lee, who met his wife in Seattle and is buried in the Emerald City: His first martial arts studio was located in the basement of the red building in the video.

I’ve really come to appreciate Seattle’s history over the years I’ve lived in the area.

In fact, if you walk out of Hing Loon’s doors, turn right and go down a few doors, you’ll pass the former site of the tofu shop where John Maeda’s family worked.

Maeda is now the president of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Oh, yeah, Hing Loon has the food chops and serves up delicious stuffed bean curd and mouthwatering curry, among other Cantonese delights.

When my parents or other relatives visit the Seattle area, we always stop by to fill up.

It’s funny: I tried to keep these Lunar New Year posts pretty straightforward, as a way to just celebrate.

I think I did. But I suppose my reading of history and thoughts filtered through – which I think is fine.

And overall, Saturday’s events marked a wonderful way to welcome a New Year to the planet.

If you didn’t see my earlier note, my family and I wish you a Happy Year of the Tiger!

With my son at my side, I turned on my digital camera, switched to video mode and captured Saturday’s Lunar New Year celebration in Seattle’s Chinatown International District.

It was terrific – bringing back memories and giving my son a chance to see what I saw in San Francisco and Oakland Chinatowns when I was a kid.

My grandparents lived in those Chinatowns and my parents would take my sister and me to celebrate and watch the colorful, loud street performances.

My wife was shopping for vegetables. But my son and I hurried out the store and made our way to the district’s Chinatown Gate, where martial arts master Mak Fai and his group brought out their best lions and dragon to welcome the Year of the Tiger and scare off the bad spirits.

I’ve never talked with Mak Fai – who was featured in some great drawings by Seattle Times artist Gabriel Campanario. But he’s a colorful character – he’s easy to spot in his red track suit and red hair in the video – and can be seen at restaurants and stores.

As you probably know, red is a lucky color for ethnic Chinese – particularly during Lunar New Year.

I like the fact that it was a down-home event.

Catch the guy in the video who is walking around with orange plugs in his ear to block out the thump, thump of the big drums and the clang, clang of the cymbals.

My son’s eyes lit up when he saw the colorful lions dancing before us and the long, orange-and-gold dragon swirl around.

I do like the martial arts dancers – especially the person wearing the Buddha mask. The person does a nice hand twirl and later engages in some foot or leg dancing with one of the lion performers.

Toward the end, the gold lion walked toward us. A child was a few feet away and the lion dancers decided to stoop down and send their greetings.

And the animal’s eyes and ears fluttered.

The adults near the lion piped up with hoots of joy and excitement.

You’ll also spot a television cameraman, a professional, walk through the video frame.

When I was a full-time journalist, I used to show up in the International District to cover events and dig around for interesting stories – such as an herbalist who once worked in the neighborhood.

These days, it’s safe to say, in many regards, that I’m a citizen journalist. I’m a former professional journalist.

But I am a citizen. And I do practice journalism when I can.

But I’d show up at events such as this to observe and soak up the atmosphere, regardless of whether I practiced professional, citizen or any form of journalism.

Hey, I’m Asian American. My wife and I also want our son to know the meaning of Lunar New Year – and realize that the world is a big and colorful place.

And just how colorful is Mak Fai?

Well, on his martial arts club Web site, he’s posted a photograph of himself with Gil Kerlikowske, Seattle’s former police chief who now works for the White House.

Mak Fai also calls himself – or at least his club – the “King of the Lion Dance.”

And Seattle-area residents might recognize the building in the background of the video as the American Hotel, which is the new Hostelling International building and offers affordable beds to travelers.