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    Chinese Zodiac

     

    Zodiac

     

    (The 12 Animals Representing Years)

     

     

     

     

    The mouse, or rat, is the first in the cycle of 12 animals representing years. The others are chronologically, the buffalo or ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig. So how come animals designate years? Why 12, no more, no less? And why these specific animals?

    There are different explanations about their origin. A popular legend says, long ago, a certain god ordered all the animals to pay him a visit on New Year' s Day, that is the first day of the first lunar month. He said he would give the first 12 animals to come the title "King of the Animal World" and let each hold the title for one year. The New Year visit-to-the-god story explains how the unpleasant mouse managed to become the first of the 12. As the story goes, when the Ox heard of the God' s decree, he said to himself: "It’s a long journey to visit that God. I’m not a fast traveller so I'd better start early." So he set out on the eve of the Lunar New Year. The Mouse heard the Ox and jumped onto his back, without being noticed. The Ox, sweating all over, was so glad to be the first to arrive at the God's place. But just as he was about to express his New Year greetings to the God, the Mouse jumped down over the Ox's head and became the first to kowtow to the God. So he was appointed the first King of the Animals and consequently, the first of the 12 animals to designate years. Now you may be wondering why there is no Year of the Cat, especially since cats have been popular as pets for thousands of years in china as well as in many other countries. Well, in the legend, the Cat failed to be chosen because he was a day late getting to God's place. The Mouse had played a trick on him. He lied to the Cat, telling him the wrong date for the competition. The Cat was not pleased and has hated the Mouse ever since.

    A more convincing theory maintains that using animals to symbolize years began from totems of minority peoples in ancient times. Different tribes had different animals as their totems. Gradually, these animals were used as a means to remember the years. Alongside the increasing exchanges between the hinterland and the border regions, the custom of using animals to designate years made its way to the hinterland and was adopted by the Han people, the largest national group in China. At that time, the Hans were using the 10 Heavenly Stems and the 12 Earthly Branches to designate years. They took one from each series to make a pair for one year and developed a system based on a 60-year cycle. Every 60 years it is back to square one and the cycle begins again. When the method of using animals to represent years was introduced into the hinterland, the ancient Chinese married them to the 12 Earthly Branches, one to each; so 12 animals were used. Animals officially began to be used to designate years during the Later Han of the Five Dynasties Period a little more than 1, 000 years ago.

    The Earthly Branches are divided into two categories: Yin and Yang. Each of them is paired with an animal of the same "gender". The gender of the animal is determined by the number of a specific part of its body. Odd numbers are Yang and even numbers are Yin. The tiger, the dragon, the monkey and the dog all have five toes on each foot or paw, and the horse has one hoof. So we know they are Yang animals. The cloven-hoofed species such as the ox, the goat and the pig fall into the Yin category because their hoofs are divided into two parts. The rooster is also Yin since it has four toes on each foot. The rabbit has two upper lips and the snake has a two-point forked tongue. So they are Yin, too. The mouse could had been a problem as it has four toes on each fore leg and five on each hind leg. It has both Yin and Yang qualities and there seemed to be no place to put it. Fortunately, the first of the earthly Branches, Zi, can be considered both Yin and Yang. The Branches were also used to designate days and hours, and when symbolizing the hours, this branch covers a period from eleven in the evening to one o' clock in the morning. PM is Yin and Am is Yang. So the mouse goes together with this first branch. It is this double-gender feature, a kind of split personality, you might say, that makes the little mouse the leader among his colleagues.

    Your Chinese Horoscope:

    Rat
    Buffalo
    Tiger
    Rabbit
    Born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
    Born in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
    Born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
    Born in 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
    MOUSE
    You are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the person you love. However, you have a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You are also inclined to be somewhat of an opportunist. Born under this sign, you should be happy in sales or as a writer, critic, or publicist.
    BUFFALO
    A born leader, you inspire confidence from all around you. You are conservative, methodical, and good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your own way. The Buffalo would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser.
    TIGER
    You are sensitive, emotional, and capable of great love. However, you have a tendency to get carried away and be stubborn about what you think is right; often seen as a "Hothead" or rebel. Your sign shows you would be excellent as a boss, explorer, race car driver or matador.
     
    RABBIT
    You are the kind of person that people like to be around, affectionate, obliging, and always pleasant. You have a tendency, though, to get too sentimental and seem superficial. Being cautious and conservative, you are successful in business but would also make a good lawyer, diplomat, or actor.
    Dragon Snake Horse Goat
    Born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
    Born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
    Born in 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
    Born in 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
    DRAGON
    Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of being foolhardy and a 'big mouth' at times. You are intelligent, gifted, and a perfectionist but these qualities make you unduly demanding on others. You would be well-suited to be an artist, priest, or politician.
    SNAKE
    Rich in wisdom and charm, you are romantic and deep thinking and your intuition guides you strongly. Avoid procrastination and your stingy attitude towards money. Keep your sense of humour about life. The Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer, psychiatrist, or fortune-teller.
    HORSE
    Your capacity for hard work is amazing. You are your own person - very independent. While intelligent and friendly, you have a strong streak of selfishness and sharp cunning and should guard against being egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet, or politician.
    GOAT
    Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Goat can be charming company. You are elegant and artistic but the first to complain about things. Put aside your pessimism and worry, and try to be less dependent on material comforts. You would be best as an actor, gardener, or beachcomber.
    Monkey Rooster Dog Pig
    Born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016
    Born in 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017
    Born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
    Born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019
    MONKEY
    You are very intelligent and a very clever wit. Because of your extraordinary nature and magnetic personality, you are always well-liked. The Monkey, however, must guard against being an opportunist and distrustful of other people. Your sign promises success in any field you try.
    ROOSTER
    The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd and definite in decision making; often speaking his mind. Because of this, you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer, flashy dresser, and extravagent to an extreme. Born under this sign you would be happy as a restaurant owner, publicist, soldier or world-traveller.
    DOG
    The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign you are honest, and faithful to those you love. You are, however, plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to be a fault-finder. You would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher or secret-agent.
    PIG
    You are a splendid companion, an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals and carry them out. You are sincere, tolerant, and honest but by expecting the same from others, you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your downfall. The Pig would be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possibly a lawyer.
  • Although Shanhong's dad is in his 80s and mum not far behind, they surprised us this year by announcing they would not be staying in Beihai for Christmas/New Year, but would be going to Hainan island.  A bit of probing later and we discover they had bought a new apartment!

    So. after Christmas in our own place in Beihai, we joined them for the start of their new adventure, arriving in their new, but empty apartment in a small town on the island of Hainan. Within the first two days we had deliveries of furniture to be built, items ordered online, items shipped from Beihai, contractors trying to finish various bits of plumbing and electrics, internet, electricity and gas to arrange.... and hence a busy time. The pictures here, however, hopefully show all went well, and they have a beautiful place with a fantastic sea view!


  • Summer 2012 started with a one-week course in Miami, ‘Instructional Supervision – The Teaching Process’. Lots of great material, good networking, and fantastic breakfasts – but, unfortunately, no time to explore the city – I didn’t get any further than the local supermarket! A stopover in Singapore to change cases, and I was off to join Shanhong in China.

    We started with a few days in Shanghai. Shanhong’s brothers both live there and Shanhong’s mum and dad had stayed on a little longer for us to arrive, so it was a good chance to get the family together. We had a nice day out in "Thames Town" a very ‘British’ compound just outside of Shanghai and a celebration of her parent’s golden wedding anniversary followed by a posh 5-star hotel meal! I also had a chance to meet up with some of my ex-colleagues from when I worked in Shanghai.

    Then, it was back to Beihai for two lazy weeks in our own home. For those who don’t know, Beihai is on the South Coast of China, still quite undeveloped with long beaches… and home is a pretty spacious house full of teddy’s friends! Of course, one thing we always do well in Beihai, is eat well!

    After Beihai, we spent the last week in Dalian, at the home of Shanhong’s mum and dad. I hadn’t been there for six years – so we became very touristy, with visits to the Forest Zoo (just at the bottom of the hill from where they live), to Dalian Discovery Kingdom (a Disneyesque theme park), to Lao Hu Tan (a Sea World style park) and of course, to the beach, and the shops (including IKEA – a Shanhong favourite!).

     

    Dalian Forest Zoo

    Dalian Discovery Kingdom

    Lao Hu Tan

    Well, there you have it. I am already back in Singapore and back at school. Shanhong has a few more days in China before coming back and starting in her new school.

    Take Care and Keep in Touch!! Trevor, Shanhong & Teddy. xx

     

  • Christmas 2015 saw us back in the UK - a time to visit mum, catch up with family news, and take Shanhong to some new places. The first few pics are with the family

    It is always the case that when we go away on holiday, we try to see everything, and yet when at home, rarely go out. So, this year we made the conscious decision to see a couple of new places. First on the list was a drive to Shakespeare Country - Stratford upon Avon - where the Bard was born. The following pics are all from Stratford, either at Anne Hathaway's cottage or at the Shakespeare Museum.

    Having enjoyed Stratford it was time for another nice day out and a moment of realisation that although I had driven all the way to Scotland with Shanhong, we had never crossed the much nearer border into Wales! So, it was time to cross that border and see the nearest castle in Welshpool.

    After Christmas, it was back to Beihai in China for the Chinese New Year and the chance to see Shanhong's family. Oh... and... have some great food!!



    So, there you have it, another lovely festive season visiting both homes and both halves of the family. Here's wishing you all a happy and blessed 2016.
    With Love and Best Wishes,
    Trevor, Shanhong, Teddy.

  • Easter saw us back in Beihai, our China home. For those who don’t know Beihai, it is a city on the South Coast of China, not too far from Vietnam and Halong Bay, with a 25km sandy beach that stays empty most of the year. We have a lovely house here, with plenty of room for visitors! Shanhong’s parents are in the same city for the winter months, so it is a good chance to catch up, and go fly a kite! The Beihai barbecued chickens are the best in the world. Try one, and you won’t disagree! We spend quite a bit of time sorting out the overgrown back garden, and I planted some cacti – so we’ll see if they survive!



    In April, my back went again – a recurring problem, but unfortunately one that seemed to be happening more frequently. When it didn’t recover as quickly as usual, it was time to see a specialist. X-rays and MRI’s later revealed a slipped disk from years ago, that was now completely dead and impinging on a nerve. I booked the op to take out the dead disk, put in a spacer, and bolt two bits together and was in hospital for two nights. Unfortunately, a complication (leaking spinal fluid) meant I had to go back in – but I am pleased to say Singapore hospitals are good, insurance paid (over $70000), and my back is doing well! If you want to see what I had done, you can watch this video! http://www.spine-health.com/video/spine-fusion-surgery-video. It worked… in July I was kayaking for a full day, horseback riding, and did the longest zip-line over water in the world!

    We had a visit from Shanhong’s niece’s husband to be, and another musical in Singapore, and that brought us to summer. Our main holiday of the year was to be in USA, but on our way over, we did visit the UK to see Mum, to meet the newest member of the family (Scarlett, seen here with her big sis Eden, and Shanhong) and to spend a bit of time in our apartment there. Mum had unfortunately moved into a nursing home since our last visit at Christmas - not a place she loved, but there were some good days – and here she is singing along with a visiting entertainer! What she did love was getting out, and a favourite trip, given the season, was to the Rose Gardens nearby.

    As you can see, a beautiful place when all the flowers are in bloom. It was an indication of mum’s dementia however, that having gone once and spent a good few hours, when we went back two days later, mum was convinced she had never been before. Little were we to know these would be the last photos with mum.

    So, that’s all for this report – that brings us up to our departure for USA – and the next set of reports will be on that main summer holiday – hope you are looking forward to making that journey with us!

    All the best, take care and keep writing

    Love as always Trevor, Shanhong & Teddy (and friends) xx

  • Returning from America, we had the bad news of mum’s second major stroke, and although I flew back as quickly as I could, mum passed away as I was transiting in Paris. I am happy that mum is now in her new heavenly body and reunited with dad, so is in a better place – but it is still hard to lose someone you love.

    Routines have returned – life is busy at school, as always, and with my course. We did reinstate the ‘Saturday Walks’ – this is a chance to simply go out into the Singapore countryside. So, the first set of pics is from a treetop walk in one of the many national parks.



    The second, another Saturday walk, was in the Chinese Gardens, another park in Singapore, but also home to a Turtle Museum - a great place to be when the sun is shining!


    I had a mini health scare in the Autumn, blood in the urine made me go and see the local doctor, who sent me to a specialist with suspected kidney stones. Specialist was pretty sure that was not the case – but recommended an MRI to be sure. The MRI was done with a colour dye, which revealed my left kidney was completely blocked with no dye getting through the system. I was in hospital and operated on the very next day for stage 4 kidney failure.  Good news is, operation was a full success, kidney is working fine again, and all is well (and medical insurance paid!).

    Winter saw us heading back to Beihai to spend some time with Shanhong’s parents. We spent Christmas in our own home, putting up the tree and inviting friends around!, including unwrapping pressies on Christmas morning!

    The big ‘surprise’, however, was going to the island of Hainan for New Year, where it turns out Shanhong’s parents had bought a new apartment! So – we arrived, and on day 1 had contractors in fitting the shower and doing the plumbing while we put together beds and other furniture! Three days later – almost everything had arrived, been built, and they were settled in. It’s a beautiful place with a fantastic sea view – so will finish this report at their new home!

    That’s all for today – take care and keep in touch!   Love n Hugs,  Trevor, Shanhong & Teddy xxx


Thanks for checking out my blog! Please come back soon for more news and pics from our life.
I‘m Trevor
Let Me Tell You About Myself


I'm half a century old, and have been teaching for a quarter of a century! I have the most beautiful wife, and the best-behaved child ever, and life is good!

I have been living in Singapore for getting on for ten years, having also lived and worked in the UK, Europe, Middle East and other parts of Asia.

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Trevor Hughes

Hi, I'm a British teacher living in Singapore. This blog is to share my daily life and trips. Enjoy!.

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