Year of the Ox

GONG XI FA CAI!

HONG PAO NA LAI?!
:D

Yup people, Chinese New Year is today, on the 26th of January.

Coincidentally the same day as Australia Day.

We are still more important, judging by the fact that there are at least a billion of us on this earth compared to Australia. :P

This is the Year of the Ox.

The Chinese calendar is based on the moon movements. Bascially, it is VERY accurate, right down to the last minute, so we never really know when CNY [Chinese New Year] is until we either check the calander, or do it the old fashioned way and track the moon ourselves.

The Chinese a long time ago decided to use animals as a way of telling the years apart.

There are twelve animals. Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, in that order.

There's a lot of legends regarding how that order came to be, but all involve a race of some kind. The way they raced and got their places also determines some kind of personality, much like a star sign. You know how we have stuff like Capricorn and Aquarius and Pisces? The Lunar Animals are the Chinese version of it. Of course, the Zodiac signs change every month and ours takes...well...twelve years to come full circle, lol.

Traits of the Ox severe bad luck and extreme gullibleness. The reason for this bad luck, I think, is because during the race of the animals, the Rat cheated by hanging onto the back of the Ox. The Ox was so powerful and big that he was ahead of everyone else, and endured all hardships and obstacles that crossed his path. But just before the Ox reached the finish line, the Rat jumped off his back and won the race. Hence the Ox's bad luck and gullible traits, lol.

So to anyone born in the Year of the Ox - may you hopefully be luckier this year!
To all Chinese around the world:

Mishy <3

Beijing Olympics '08

This one is being held in China this year. And I must say, I think the Olympic committee made a brilliant decision, deciding to host it in China this year. That, or they were bribed rather well by the Chinese.

08/08/08. Beginning at 08:08pm.
It's really interesting how they've managed to get it on what would seem to be China's luckiest day of all.

Watching the Olympics, I incredibly impressed with the idea of the scroll, and the meaning behind it. The body calligraphy amazed me [because I had no idea how the guy knew where to put down the brush] and the lighting of the cauldron [after all the useless running around] was definitely a highlight. I was also rather impressed with the drums at the beginning, although I didn't actually like the way they gradually started looking more and more like a kaleidoscope than a drumming performance. I looked forward to a dragon/lion dance and, okay, I was pretty disappointed that none came. I can honestly say that it is the highlight of my Chinese New Year, and not having it at the Olympics made me sulk a bit.
People say that China is all for precision. Nothing must be out of place. Everything must be perfect.
But in a sense, I'd say that this is what makes China, China. The precision is a sight to behold, especially in a country like Australia where no one likes to listen to authority. [the year 8s and 9s at every school are proof]

When the athletes came out, this had to be my highlight of the entire ceremony, possibly excepting the lighting of the cauldron.
And many people found it boring because, let's be serious, they only had one country to support, and most probably didn't know the flags of all the countries, much less the names.

I, on the other hand, found it extremely difficult to figure out whom I should be cheering for. After living in these places, who do you say deserves to get your support the most? South Africa, or Australia? Indonesia, or Malaysia? The Philippines, or Singapore? [not that I have lived in Singapore, but I believe they're worth supporting] And of course, should I be supporting China- the place where my roots come from, or Hong Kong- where my grand-uncle currently resides? England- to where at least a quarter of my mates have moved, or Canada- where at least a tenth have moved?
Of course, I didn't actually think about it too much, and cheered for all of them all the same.

My brother and I also stayed up the entire night, comparing team sizes [we have decided that China's is by far the biggest and the best, after having to re-evaluate our opinion of the size of the American team- both in numbers and in height] and trying to figure out where each flag came from. We didn't exactly know every country, nor did we know where they all came from either, but we figured all of them out based on the flag and the costumes they wore.

My mother, after all these years of travelling, still didn't know how to figure out if a country was from the Bahamas or Africa just based on the flag and the costumes alone. Her education has been wasted.

And according to a lot of my South African friends, plenty of people were thinking about me during the Olympic ceremony.
I had only one thought when I was told this: WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???
In St. Stithians Girls' College, I was the only Chinese girl in my grade. There were more chinese girls in the grades below. But the Boys' College had even more chinese in one grade than the girls college had put together in the whole school.
So really, why am I the one who's being thought of during the Olympic Opening Ceremony??
I know I have [or, well, HAD] a Chinese counterpart in my grade back at Saints, and my counterpart is also an actual Chinese from China. Unlike me, since I am from Malaysia. It made no sense whatsoever. He is more Chinese than I am, he's in Jo'burg at Saints where he can remind them of his presence daily, and I am the one who gets thought of? A friend from the boys college even sent me a message congratulating me on the performance in China. I was incredibly shocked.
I suppose it was a stereotype thing. I'm not concentrating on it too much and I really can't do much except to shake my head in wonder.

Although I can't help but wonder if I perhaps left my mark on Saints a little too clearly.

Mishy <3

Chinese New Year [Bring Out The Red!]

Chinese New Year. A time of celebration for all the millions of Chinese people out there, wherever they are. It's nice to think that this is probably the one thing that connects us, even after we have moved, travelled, changed and adapted to the different societies and cultures of the world.
Of course, Chinese New Year happens to be a different event for many countries. We've adapted the holiday to our own needs and our own ideals of society.
I happen to only know the Malaysian idea of Chinese New Year, but I like it. =) Besides which, There are quite a few similarities that many will recognise. =P

Hong Pao, our pride and joy. =)




Money Plant! Ahhhh!

'Love Letters', our traditional Malaysian wafer. Very crispy, crumbly and sweet.
Wow, I haven't had these in years...=S

Yee Sang! Also a Malaysia delicacy. O__O
Wahhhhhhh!!!

Lion Dance! Our favourite traditional past time. It's believed to scare bad spirits away.
I haven't seen one in two years!

So yeah, this is our Malaysian Chinese pride and joy every year. Tomorrow is the eve of Chinese New Year, and on the 7th of February, Chinese New Year comes along, so I will be incredibly spring cleaning every nook and cranny of the house, so I thought I'd better post this up before I had no time left. =P This year so happens to be the year of the Rat, so to all 'rats', Gong Xi Fa Cai, and may you have the most prosperous year of all this year!


Mishy <3