chinese new year
#HOROSCOPE: YOUR 2015 CHINESE NEW YEAR HOROSCOPE | WHAT’S HOT?
The Year of the Ram brings some uncertainty and mystery, but promises to be somewhat peaceful. Of course, this varies depending which Animal Sign you were born under. Let’s see together what your Year of the Ram Horoscope holds for you. If you aren’t sure, simply look-up the year you are born in to locate your Animal Sign. Although I normally rely on Singapore’s GEOMANCY HUT, this year they didn’t release a 2015 Horoscope. I did snoop around and found this Horoscope on MYSTIC SCRIPTS which is v. easy to understand, clear and straight-forward. Click here to read. Chinese New Year is celebrated this year on Thursday, February 19, 2015.
And now to share with you some things which are amazing and Chinese, because I’m proud of my People!
CHINESE MUSIC
G.E.M. (an acronym for “Get Everybody Moving”) might be pint-sized, but this adorable 23-year-old Singer/Songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist is perhaps the greatest Musical Act to come out of Asia in quite some time. Hong Kong-born Gloria Tang has become an international sensation among the Chinese Community thanks to some smart Internet-based marketing which made her a viral success. Her Vocals are phenomenal, but equally she is a magnificent Entertainer. I encourage you to check-out a couple samples of her singing below. You will be blown away and I’m extremely-proud as a Fan to see her great success. She is an absolute Standout in a Market filled with Beauty Pageant Contestants-turned-Singers, Actors-turned Singers and Children of prominent Celebs who get a recording contract by default. Literally every Song coming out of Hong Kong sounds the same right now, but G.E.M. (seen top left in collage) is different.
G.E.M. ft. Jason Mraz – LUCKY
G.E.M. – If I Were a Boy
CHINESE NEW YEAR FOODS
If you visit any Chinese Grocer (i.e. Loblaws-owned T&T) around this time of year, you will find right by the Cash, piles of Chinese New Year Candies. Growing-up, my Mom always brought home these amazing treats and I think you absolutely must try these!
Su Xin Tang (translation: Flaky Heart Candies, top-right in collage)
One-part pastry, one part-candy, these usually come in a large bag of 12 flavours including Black Sesame, Almond, Coffee, Peanut, Coconut, Mixed Nuts, Cola, etc. They are delectably sweet, firm and crispy. Kinda like the center of a Crispy Crunch! Fave.
Li Shi Tang (translation: Lucky Candies, bottom-left in collage)
They taste of strawberry and almost a bit floral-like, which is fitting in that Cherry Blossoms often signify luck during Chinese New Year. If you’ve ever had a Peach Blossom Tea Latte at Starbucks in its limited edition run, I’d equate its flavour to being similar to these hard and chewy delights. They are packaged charmingly in shiny Red Envelopes similar to those that we receive from our married Family members – an incentive to remain single as only those married have to give them out at Chinese New Year!
Yu Tou Gao (translation: Taro Cake, second from top-left in collage)
Ube quickly is catching-on in these parts as a new “it” flavour (I’ve heard of Ube-flavoured Doughnuts at some Hipster Shops) so if you’ve tried the Purple Yam in some incarnation, you’ll sorta get what to expect with Taro as they are similar. They often serve this at DimSum during Lunch, but for me it is synonymous with Chinese New Year. It is savoury, glutinous and outright delicious with small cubes of the Sweet Potato cut into the mixture; best served pan-fried.
CHINESE NEW YEAR ORNAMENTS
Although Alpacas aren’t Lambs, they are friends of the latter in that Alpacas protect baby Lambs from preying Foxes. We think these Alpaca Stuffies (bottom-center in collage) from Japan named ALPACASSO are absolutely adorable! Kelly Clarkson recently was in-town and I bought one for her Daughter River Rose and she was in love (read more)! Shop online here. Broadcast Books sells these at Pacific Mall for those of you in Toronto/Markham. Trinkets are a must to celebrate!
CHINESE FILM
From acclaimed Director Zhang Yi Mou, COMING HOME was a critical success at TIFF ’14. Although Mongrel Media won’t be releasing the Drama till later this year in Canada, here is a Preview of the heartbreaking tale of separation among a Family during the Cultural Revolution, starring Queen of Chinese Cinema, Gong Li (seen bottom-right in collage) and Chen Dao Ming.
#CHINESENEWYEAR: HAPPY YEAR OF THE HORSE | 2014 CHINESE HOROSCOPE
Happy New Year! The Year of the Horse officially begins today and here’s your annual Horoscope! Wishing all my Wongsters a year filled with prosperity, good health and the Equine energy!
Geomancy Hut, based out of Singapore I find predicts my year with great precision and I’d like to introduce you to them if you don’t know of them already. I love that if your year isn’t great, they straight-up tell you and are honest about it. They break it down really simple in a .pdf File for you. You simply look-up the year you were born and find your corresponding Animal Sign. Under each Animal you will find its Character Traits and also its respective Forecast.
Click here to download.
A Friend also sent me this Video Chinese Zodiac Forecast in Mandarin-Chinese with Subtitles by Emblems of Fortune which gives a slightly more optimistic and constructive approach. Check it out here.
Enjoy! Eagerly awaiting the celebration of one of my favourite Animals!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
CHINESE NEW YEAR: YOUR 2013 YEAR OF THE SNAKE FORECAST
With less than a month to go till Chinese New Year, I am keeping-up with my annual tradition of posting my favourite annual Chinese Horoscope Forecast. Geomancy Hut, which is based out of Singapore, as in previous years has been dead-on in predicting general trends and patterns and I wanted to give you the joys of direction and self-indulgence by sharing this.
This coming year is the Year of the Snake and that means this is the year your Family will not starve. The Snake is a symbol of mediation and self-sacrifice also, seen often as a good Omen. Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, February 10, 2013, so mark your Calendars! If you’re married, pass some of that good fortune over to your single Friends like me with some Lucky Money in a Red Envelope (above). I swear, I have no ulterior motives there! LOL
I myself am a Dragon and often that bodes well since the Dragon and Snake are compatible. Looking forward to a prosperous year ahead to make-up for some personal setbacks I had last year.
Click here to download your 2013 Year of the Snake Forecast from Geomancy Hut in .pdf format. Keep a tab, review next year and tell me it wasn’t accurate!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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