새해 복 많이 받으세요

Happy New Year!  새해 복 많이 받으세요 is pronounced  saehae bogk ma-nhi ba-du saeyo and today is the official beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, specifically a Metal Rabbit year.  This year is supposed to be positive but tricky.  "Those born under the sign of the Rabbit will have a good year this year, and, in addition, the lucky sign of the rabbit will bring luck to everybody else as well."  Thus speaks the Chinese Zodiac Horoscope. According to the Chinese Zodiac, "Rabbits, are refined, gracious, quiet, well-mannered, intellectual, homebodies who enjoy their privacy. Specifically, though, 2011 is the year of the metal rabbit, reflecting those rabbits born in 1951. Rabbits generally hate confrontation, although the metal rabbit is a bit more assertive than other rabbits. Rabbits are also very lucky.

Many countries, heavily in debt, will continue to be heavily in debt, not wanting to resolve the issues as the issues are too intense. Rabbits are pacifists and countries will lean towards inaction rather than action. This will lead, in the longer run, to things being more difficult in 2012. Corporate business will continue to look after its own interests in the same way that the rabbit will be concerned look after its own creature comforts. 
As the rabbit protects its home from other elements, so countries will begin to withdraw from the global community and be more concerned with what is happening in their own backyards. With this in mind, there’s going to be a lot more talk about different standards in currencies and increased barriers to trade.
The home is extremely important to the rabbit and so more attention will be paid to the mortgage market, although it is not certain how this will play out. It will be an important issue, though.
As the rabbit has a deep and abiding love of art, so 2011 will bring increased interests in the arts. As the rabbit hates war, so there’s be increasing resistance to current wars being fought."

So, now you know. 

 Wear red today - wearing red on the first day of the new year will bring you luck!

These rabbits are dressed in traditional Korean costumes and are really cute!  (I notice they made no attempt to dress the tigers up last year...)  Here is a video of the rabbits:

http://english.cntv.cn/program/bizasia/20101217/106330.shtml

Now for a different subject.  My sister-in-law recently sent us a package (she does that from time to time and it is really fun) and tucked inside, probably inadvertently, was this list scribbled on the back of a receipt.  I found it was interesting, and here is what I thought when I read it.

Library:  Ooooh - I LIKE libraries. One of the best features of living on-post in a foreign country is a library with books in English. I hope, when she went to the library, she checked out this book:

"If you look at satellite photographs of the Far East by night, you'll see a large splotch curiously lacking in light," writes Barbara Demick on the first page of "Nothing to Envy." "This area of darkness is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."   This was a riveting, sad, and thought-provoking book.  Well-written, too.  Definitely a must-read.

Kinko's:  Kinko's?  You mean like a place where you can get copies?  Or fax things? What a concept!  How convenient!  America is a wonderful place!!

WinCo:  WinCo is a grocery store.  I assume the rest of the items on her list are related to WinCo - look at all the stuff you can get there - amazing.

Wall Anchor:  You mean you are ALLOWED to hang things on your wall?  Without getting clearance from the Housing Office first?  What a concept!  I wonder what she will hang - maybe a quilt.  She makes great quilts.  Or maybe a photograph.  She also is a good photographer and has some really good pictures that ought to be displayed. 

Pizza dough and sauce:  Yummy!  Sounds like a good dinner.  Maybe she will invite our Italian mother-in-law over.  She does that a lot - how nice to be near family.  But it is also extra work and effort.

Fruit:  Imagine - buying fruit in the Rocky Mountains in the middle of winter.  What a blessing!

Broccoli:  I happen to like broccoli.  We don't get such good broccoli here in the winter.

Peppers x 3:  Wonder what she will do with those.  Probably use them to make something else for her family to eat.  Lucky them.

This is just a little slice of the life of a busy Mom who takes care of husband, family, house, and also runs a pre-school.  Like so many of us, she probably doesn't think what she does matters very much, but it does matter to all the lives that are touched each day by what we do, even if it seems ordinary.  Thanks to each of you who work hard to make life better for someone else, all year long.

A most prosperous and happy Year of the Rabbit to all.