Make way......The Ox is coming

The Year of the Ox is just round the corner!

House is all painted red, relatives down from Ipoh and mum is already busy in the kitchen for Sundays big makan (25 Jan 09) - and me busy blogging all about it :o)

2009 is the Year of the Ox. A "bull run" year for some they say in the financial world...When Chinese zodiac calendar goes through a cycle, so does the stock markets. Ironically, everytime the year of the Ox arrives, things go haywire for the world market too. Chinese astrologers say due to the animals nature (slow and steady/stubborn) occurences of such world events tend to correspond to it.

Well, this is just superstition (or belief for some) but its interesting anyway. We make the best out of our own fate.

Many have asked, how do Chinese keep track of months and animal signs in sequence? Easy, there's a Hokkien poem I learnt it when I was young by heart to memorise how we actually we can gauge the year, and remarkably...accurately guess the age of a person who does not want to tell you how old they are!

Hehe... enjoy the poem below and don't blame me if someone kills you for finding out their age!

(below is the english pronunciation equivalent in colloquial terms, translation follows right after below; the last line is just the finishing verse for the poem, not part of the calculation )

Eet Choo,
Jee Goo,
Sah Haw,
See Thaw,
Goh Leng,
Lak Chuah,
Cheet Beh,
Peik Iaow,
Kao Kaao,
Chap Keh,
Chap Eet Kao,
Chap Jee Too Boh,
Tuei Lang Chao!

One - mouse,
Two - Ox,
Three - Tiger
Four - Rabbit
Five - Dragon
Six - Snake
Seven - Horse
Eight - Goat/Ram
Nine - Monkey
Ten - Chicken/Rooster
Eleven - Dog
Twelve - Pig
Follows people home!

Well, hope you enjoy your Chinese New Year weekend ahead (Chinese New Year 2009 falls on January 26 & 27 in the lunar calendar this year) and here's to a prosperous, wealthier and a healthier you. Chinese Astrologers have forecasted that a number of animal signs will enjoy a bountiful year even in the Ox year... well, or so they say in the papers just to keep everyone happy!

KEONG HEE HUAT CHYE!

Pictures are courtesy from http://www.sinopaperart.com - visit Sino Paper Art website to see some of the most beautiful ancient art of paper cuts. Sino Paper Art specialises in handcrafted Chinese folk art, based in Hackensack, New Jersey USA.