Last in a series of photographs taken during the Chinese New Year celebration in London. The crowd was jostling to see the lion dance up-close.

When it comes to lion dances, sound travels faster than light; you always hear them first before you see them. The rhythmic percussion from the gongs and drums announces their proximity and often reminds me of the anticipation I used to have as a kid upon hearing the arrival of the lion dance. Yup, as a 5-year-old, I was a sucker for lion dances. The weird thing was, I was scared of them; those bulging eyes, the non-stop exaggerated movements, and that gaping jaw were pretty scary. So, I would often see them from a safe distance.

It was kind of like how you like a girl but you're too scared to approach her. Dumb analogy, but that's how it was.