It's CRAZIER around here than when it was for Christmas...

Everything is RED and GOLD
Everyone is saying "GONG XI FA CAI!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
Everyone is eating pineapple tarts
Everyone has oranges sitting on their desks
Almost everyone has LEFT their desks!!! (the office shuts down for 2.5 days)

While Christmas was a little bit lacklustre here in Spore (as opposed to the festive spirit, it was more of a flat commercialised 'shop shop shop' feeling), now I've seen a little more of the heart and soul of Singapore. It's rather nice.

Chinese New Year Day is nigh upon us...

When I was younger and made trips back to Malaysia during early February, I always got really confused over why people were celebrating New Years again...didn't they know it was long past Jan 1st? Do Chinese live in a time warp? Or was the rest of the world that was celebrating the wrong day? Or was NZ just really really far ahead timewise?! And why was the year only 15 days long?! HUH?!

For me CNY was all about the ang paus (little red packets with money in it!), the big sales, lots of food, the big family dinner and RED RED RED everywhere. Now, it's essentially the same thing hehe but this year I've actually found out a little more about what it is...I share with you (cos sharing is caring):

The other exciting thing is that 2005 is the YEAR OF THE ROOSTER


The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. Every year is assigned an animal name or "sign" according to a repeating cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. So every 12 years the same animal name or "sign" reappears.

A cultural sidelight of the animal signs is that horoscopes have developed around the animal signs, much like monthly horoscopes for the different moon signs, Pisces, Aries, etc.


Technically I was born in 1982, however according to the Chinese Calendar I was born in the Chinese 1981...so what does this mean???

People born in the Year of the Rooster are deep thinkers, capable, and talented. They like to be busy and are devoted beyond their capabilities and are deeply disappointed if they fail. People born in the Rooster Year are often a bit eccentric, and often have rather difficult relationship with others. They always think they are right and usually are! They frequently are loners and though they give the outward impression of being adventurous, they are timid. Rooster people's emotions like their fortunes, swing very high to very low. They can be selfish and too outspoken, but are always interesting and can be extremely brave. They are most compatible with Ox, Snake, and Dragon.

Pretty interesting huh?! You can click here to find out what you are and what your animal is like (and if you're a male ox, snake or dragon feel free to drop me a line...hahahaha)

So everyone:

GONG XI FA CAI!
May your 2005 be a Prosperous and Peaceful one.

WOOH! I'm jumping in the car in approx 30 mins to drive up to Malaysia for a big family reunion dinner....and maybe some ang paus!

[Also check out Pilli's posting on CNY - she has some cool info on more of the finer details of CNY including the '12 days of xmas' equivalent]