Alex and Mae Keown-Boyd are celebrating their first Chinese New Year together, in Chandler’s Ford.
The happy couple just got married last year in the Philippines.
Congratulations to Alex and Mae!
Let’s meet the happy couple.
You may have already known Alex. Alex is Quality Assurance Manager & Assistant General Manager (UK) of Ahmad Tea, where I visited its brilliant Tea Museum and learned about the art of tea tasting.
A Warm Welcome to Mae to Chandler’s Ford!
Mae is Plilippina. In the Philippines there are also a lot of Chinese. The centre of the Chinese community is Binondo, Manila. Mae and her friends and family would go to the big parade and eat Chinese sticky cake called Nian Gao 年糕 during the Chinese New Year.
Alex told me that in Taiwan, where Mae worked for 6 years, the companies handed out one month’s extra salary as a New Year’s bonus in a special red envelope, together with a really tasty cake. They also arranged special tours to different beauty spots in Taiwan for all the company staff, many of whom were overseas workers, mainly from the Philippines and Thailand.
People often think Mae is Chinese. She speaks some Mandarin because she worked in Taiwan. She loved Taiwan, and she loves England too.
Alex has lived in Los Angeles for over twenty years and have been in Chandler’s Ford for 18 years.
Alex and Mae sent me some links to pictures of the Chinese New Year in Los Angeles and the Philippines – Binondo Celebrates Chinese New Year. In Los Angeles the celebrations revolve around the 10K Run.
Alex, what is your memory of the Chinese New Year in LA?
“I see they have added a bike race. We would go and run the race, then watch the Lion Parade with the fire crackers, and after that eat Dim Sum in the restaurants in Chinatown. It was always a fun day that I looked forward to every year.”
By Alex Keown-Boyd
From Alex and Mae: Kung Hei Fat Choi to everyone! 🙂
[…] Alex Keown-Boyd, Assistant General Manager (UK) of Ahmad Tea, kindly gave me a tour of the museum and factory. I was totally amazed by the calming effect of the little museum and its unusual collection from around the world: traditional tea chests, models of machines such as a Chota Sifter, a tea drier, a roll breaker and a withering trough. The tour has greatly improved my understanding of the history of tea, thanks to Alex’s passion and insightful knowledge. […]