FRIENDSHIP DINNER: Chinese New Year with Lilian

Come and celebrate Chinese New Year with Lilian Tsi-Stielstra in her home in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood.

2016 is the Year of the Monkey, a clever and creative mind. The Monkey is always interested in learning and new experiences. Famous people born in the year of the Monkey are Omar Sharif, Elizabeth Taylor and George Lucas.

There are 15 days in Chinese New Year, and traditionally, families gather for a reunion meal before the new year, and welcome the new year with firecrackers to scare away evil spirits of the old year. We will enjoy a buffet of Singaporean style food - a melting pot of South Asian flavors, and not a purist Chinese approach.

What to wear or bring?

• Wear red, as it is the color of celebration.
• Bring your favorite beverage or a dessert to share, and a pair of oranges or tangerines to trade. Oranges / Mandarins / Tangerines are exchanged between visitors to wish each other good fortune in the new year as the word for orange sounds like "gold" in some dialects.

Club members and their guests are welcome!