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Here's me in my cheongsam.
Hehe, okay I lied. I took out the pic this morning, looked at it, and decided Chinese New Year Barbie looked much, much cuter. My cheongsam was tailored to my figure prior to my roofing days. Today, when I try to heave myself into it, my arms bulge out obscenely. And let's not talk about the hip area, shall we?
Sigh.
It's Chinese New Year. We will not dwell on the bad today!
This year is the Year of the Earth Rat. That means all things pertaining to karma, earned-wealth (inner and outer), mental acumen, and changes, especially new beginnings, since the Rat starts the 12-year cycle in Chinese astrology. The last Year of the Earth Rat was 1948, when the transistor was invented and TV made its first broadcast. Communications and changes, baby!
Renewal is important and changes, necessary, but I think it's important to be mentally prepared for it. For myself, with the construction business going south, I've been, and am still, preparing myself for some tight days ahead because that's how I pay my bills. I'm focusing on my writing and hoping that the change means expansion of my desires. It's always important to focus on the positive and not fear change when one sees it coming, you know?
During Chinese New Year, words and greetings are very important because they bring luck and expectations of the year ahead. One of the traditions is to make Chun Liang which is a Chinese couplet. As an illustration, this is taken from
http://www.chinapage.com/duilian/chunlian0.html
"Chun lian is a special type of Duilian, or couplet. It is used only during the Chinese New Year as part of its celebration. While duilian is permanent, chunlian is a temporary decoration to be placed on the entrance of the house, somewhat akin to Halloween and Christmas decorations."
Typically, a chun lian is a positive, uplifting message (imagery) about the coming year, such as this one:
......................
..................................
Word-for-word translation of above:
"Top (Horizontal across) : Whole Earth Returns Spring
Left (Vertical) line : winter gone mountain clear water sparkles
Right (Vertical) line: Spring comes bird sings flower fragrant
Note that word for word, the upper and lower lines are antithetical, yet the meanings are complementary and content of the message is hopeful and uplifting. The words in the horizontal are written from left to right."
I thought it would be a fun exercise to do a personal chun lian for my "inner" entrance.
Top horizontal: Big Print Big Numbers
Left verticle: Valley below Mountain high flying Sky
Right verticle: Rain gone Sun warms Rainbow smiles
Or a funny, hopeful one:
Top horizontal: Bad Puppy Good Puppy
Left verticle: More Fun Less Housework Good Coffee
Right verticle: Flowing Ideas Alpha Males Happy Writer
;-)
It's not easy. Try writing your own hopeful couplet!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
If Wishes Were Chun Lians
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4 comments:
Happy New Year, Jenn!
My Chun lian will have More Jed More Jed on top. Sheesh, make it more Jed More Jed on the sides too. That way, he'd know my wishes for sure.
happy chinese new
may it be great and healthy.
kim h
Gung Hay Fat Choy! said the sheep to the rabbit.
I haven't had to wear a chongsaam since I was 7 and doing Chinese folk dancing. It wasn't voluntary.
May you receive big oranges and lucky money. And may your lucky money be filled with LARGE bills.
Bwahahaha. I'm avoiding Chinatown (Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn versions) like the plague. I'm Chinese, not suicidal.
Mine would involve Heath & Cumber babies, Godiva and more leather, or something along those lines.
On a side note barbie needs more curves and a bigger waist.
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