Chinese Zodiac, Getting Ahead of Myself- Niu: The Ox
In an instance of weird timing, in honour of Chinese New Year, Year of the Rat, I bring you the animal the Rat used to hitch a ride and jump the queue. The second animal in the Chinese Zodiac is the Ox. The character niu, branded on this ox, can mean ox, cow or bull. The ox is of course, a symbol of virility, but it is also, like the Western zodiac Taurus, associated with dependable, calm, unswerving (not to say stubborn) people. Today is Chinese New Year- Kung Hei Fat Choi! as they say in Cantonese, here in Toronto. faunalia has a nice post for Tigers. [Free dumplings in the Physics Department! Aw... sweet.]
The Chinese calendar is apparently lunisolar (using both sun and moon) and as such the new year varies from late January to early February on the Western Calendar. Those born after Chinese New Year in 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009 were or will be born in the Year of the Ox.
I like him, if I do say so myself. He looks massive, which is apt. He is printed on very nice, handmade kozo paper, 9" (22.9 cm) by 13" (31.8 cm).
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In other news, I made it to work today- did you? That's the third time in as many days that a College car has spontaneously changed directions on me. It looks pretty, but it's treacherous out there. They haven't even ploughed Spadina! Our neighbour S fell down the fire escape and dislocated her shoulder yesterday.
The Chinese calendar is apparently lunisolar (using both sun and moon) and as such the new year varies from late January to early February on the Western Calendar. Those born after Chinese New Year in 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009 were or will be born in the Year of the Ox.
I like him, if I do say so myself. He looks massive, which is apt. He is printed on very nice, handmade kozo paper, 9" (22.9 cm) by 13" (31.8 cm).
____________________________________
In other news, I made it to work today- did you? That's the third time in as many days that a College car has spontaneously changed directions on me. It looks pretty, but it's treacherous out there. They haven't even ploughed Spadina! Our neighbour S fell down the fire escape and dislocated her shoulder yesterday.