Growing up I always thought I was the year of the Tiger. My parent’s friends who were into Symbology/Astrology would always get me Tiger paraphernalia: figurines, stuffed animals and such. I was well into my twenties when I discovered that being an early January birthday my Chinese Zodiac birth year was actually an Ox. I adjusted accordingly and now I’m an OX.
Due to this sudden change, I am now making it my mission to learn everything I can about the Ox and to see whether I can relate to any of the personality traits and features that this zodiac has. I don’t doubt it will be too different but it will be nice to know all the same. My parent’s friends did tell me this information when we first discovered that I was actually an Ox, but I can’t remember what they told me. Oh, how I wish I loved Astrology as much as they do. Don’t get me wrong, I am interested in that sort of thing, as well as things like psychic readings and tarot card readings, so it’s a good job I can check out sites like www.heraldnet.com to be pointed in the direction of these types of professionals. I mean, who doesn’t want to learn more about what their future could hold? I definitely do, which is why I’m going to embrace the Ox as much as I can.
What’s your Chinese Zodiac? Feel free to leave me a comment!
To celebrate the Chinese New Year I decided to take a little pilgrimage to Chinatown here in New York City which even as a resident was still unchartered territory. It’s downtown and tucked in between SOHO and Little Italy and is populated with an amalgam of tourist outposts and more traditional quaint shops and cafes.
Festivities kick off on the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice, so there was lots of energy and bustling in preparation for the celebration this weekend. The holiday is based on the Ancient Chinese Calendar which dates back as far as 14th Century BC, and one sixth of the world’s population celebrates the Chinese New Year!
The dragon was out on display in every store as dragons symbolize good luck, prosperity and wisdom. The Chinese people believe they are descendants of the mythical creature and the traditional New Year’s Dragon Dance is said to ward off evil spirits.
After browsing the fish market, herb shops, and silk clad clothing stores, I got hungry and ventured down alleyways in search for good Dim Sum. Dim Sum means “a little bit of heart.” For centuries it was considered inappropriate to consume food with tea but when the trade routes were established the weary travelers on The Silk Road needed warm food after a long day’s journey and teahouses started serving “dim sum” to accommodate them.
At the end of an alley I came across an old Chinese diner from the 1920s that looked familiar and inviting: Nom Wah Tea Parlor. The restaurant has an incredible history and is know for being New York City’s first Dim Sum restaurant.
The interior wasn’t traditionally Chinese but rather very American with red vinyl booths and I learned that when it was established in 1920- over NINETY YEARS AGO!- the owners wanted to create a Chinese restaurant that attracted Americans.
I ordered a hot pot of Bo-lay tea to aid in digestion, Shrimp & Snow Pea Dumplings, and House Special Pan Fried Dumplings– as dumplings are said to bring good fortune.
After finishing my Dim Sum and polishing off the rest of my tea, I stumbled across a shop that didn’t have the normal touristy things out front or Hello Kitty kitschy things; it looked authentic… like the shops from Chinatown Los Angeles in the early 90s. The interior of the shop was warm and smelled of incense and the elderly shop owner who reminded me of a typical Grandmother was sitting down watching a daytime soap and sipping tea.
I fell in love with this little gold piggy bank and the start of a new year seems the perfect time to own one. After playing with the bamboo flutes and admiring the craftsmanship of the percussion instruments, I purchased my new piggy and left inspired. As I walked back up Mott Street I passed a crowded bakery and knew my final stop in celebration of the Chinese New Year would be traditional Chinese desert.
I was feeling adventurous and wanted to try something I’d never had before and while I was inquiring a woman stopped me and told me I had to try Red Bean Cake. I love red bean ice cream so I decided to go for it, but also got an almond cookie just in case…which is my favorite Chinese desert. According to ancient Chinese wisdom the red beans- also known as adzuki beans- are considered a source of bravery and consuming them will empower you to meet challenges and hardships in a courageous manner. Almond cookies are made to look like coins which is why they are a New Year’s tradition because eating them brings wealth and prosperity. The more almond cookies I eat the fuller my piggy bank will be–I love the Chinese culture, everything symbolizes positive life force!
As I walked back to the Subway nibbling on my gooey yet crunchy almond cookie the wind was a little chilly even through my jacket. I was completely satiated from my expedition and I couldn’t wait to get home and put change into my new piggy bank to begin the Year of the Monkey.
Hopefully by the end of the glorious Year of the Monkey, I will have enough money saved to be able to do even more amazing things in the year that follows. Depending on how much I am able to save up, I may be able to think about mining and trading cryptocurrency (here is a kd-box for sale) that my friend has recently thought about doing to increase and improve his financial situation. It has worked and he has seen amazing improvements so far. This gives me hope. But until then, any loose change that I pick up will definitely go into my lovely new piggy bank. I will let you know how my saving goes.
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