The Year of the Tiger, at the time of writing (Wed, February 2, 2011 10:00:40 PM), is about to make its exit.
I, for one, am a Tiger. Ok, a Tiger-ess. You know how they say Tiger people are magnetic, courageous, charming, yadda yadda yadda. Magnetic? I think I have one of those rare moments, most often telling something juicy and often, not very proper, to an audience.
Charming? Seriously, I think this is a generalisation. Everyone has some degree of charm in them. It is by no means a unique quality; it is just an attribute that has many different nuances; those that are acknowledged by other members of one's social circle.
Courageous, now, that is a word curious Tigers always find when zodiac writers attempt to describe them.
I wouldn't say that I am braver than the next person but to connect this to the topic of the post, any Year of the Tiger, in my personal experience, has always been marked by unexpected events and a dizzying rollercoaster of circumstances. You're up one minute, down the next, and there's no telling where or how things are going to turn out.
Drawing by Francesco 'Architetto' Rollandin - ANONYMOUS
The last time the Tiger year rolled around 12 years ago, unhealthy workplace politics made me sink -- and quickly -- in my first job, and I ended up being made redundant. But like how a Tiger manages to turn the negative to a positive (or even vice versa), I landed another gig and it changed my life for the better.
Fast forward 12 years later, this year of the Tiger has no lack of twists and turns. An interesting year would be a polite term, not just for me but for many of my friends. Reconnecting with some of them on Facebook, or talking to them in person, I've come to realise that challenges a-plenty have been faced.
For me, I've moved continents, and stepped my foot into something new -- business running -- again, and I've come to be reacquainted first hand some of the, er, lesser implications of what it means to return to Asia, and how some of the closest people to you, friends and family, can show either their best side or their uglier side.
More than that, how perfect strangers can turn out to be good mates, while some other perfect strangers attempt to be the banes of other people's lives for no reason other than just to hate. Trust me, this Tiger year is one that many including me, would not care to repeat.
I've also seen schoolmates (Tigers, all of us) face health problems, family problems, relationship problems, career problems and we've faced them head-on. Even non-Tiger friends reported a challenging period for most of 2010. There is some truth to the term 'self-fulfilling prophecy', and I believe 2010 offered ample proof of what astrologers galore said. I don't need to name names or circumstances, but at this point, yours truly is fairly sure that this paragraph might have struck a note as you read this and reflect back.
Fast forward 12 years later, this year of the Tiger has no lack of twists and turns. An interesting year would be a polite term, not just for me but for many of my friends. Reconnecting with some of them on Facebook, or talking to them in person, I've come to realise that challenges a-plenty have been faced.
For me, I've moved continents, and stepped my foot into something new -- business running -- again, and I've come to be reacquainted first hand some of the, er, lesser implications of what it means to return to Asia, and how some of the closest people to you, friends and family, can show either their best side or their uglier side.
More than that, how perfect strangers can turn out to be good mates, while some other perfect strangers attempt to be the banes of other people's lives for no reason other than just to hate. Trust me, this Tiger year is one that many including me, would not care to repeat.
I've also seen schoolmates (Tigers, all of us) face health problems, family problems, relationship problems, career problems and we've faced them head-on. Even non-Tiger friends reported a challenging period for most of 2010. There is some truth to the term 'self-fulfilling prophecy', and I believe 2010 offered ample proof of what astrologers galore said. I don't need to name names or circumstances, but at this point, yours truly is fairly sure that this paragraph might have struck a note as you read this and reflect back.
Drawing by Francesco 'Architetto' Rollandin - ANONYMOUS
But back to courage. While Tigers are said to be courageous, I also truly believe the Year of the Tiger is in its own perverse way, a catalyst for courage for many people.
Among my circle of friends, I have not seen anyone not decide to face their challenges and triumph over them. In some cases, they are still working hard to surmount them. In others, the challenges have been met and these people have become stronger, wiser and more tenacious...and better prepared to face the future.
But key to this is that, the only way to meet and overcome challenges, is never to give up and have both the (haha!) courage to fight them, and the perseverance to continue.
So yes, even if the crap hits the fan and flings it all around you and you think that this has been an amply crappy year (if it hasn't, well, consider yourself jolly lucky!), the Tiger has taught us to be strong, to be brave and never give up the good fight.
While many look forward with eagerness and relief to the year of the Rabbit, let's not forget the lessons the Tiger has taught us. And with that, I paraphrase that gloomy old codger Dylan Thomas:
"Rage, rage against the dying light,
Do not go gentle into the good night"
Happy Chinese New Year!
But key to this is that, the only way to meet and overcome challenges, is never to give up and have both the (haha!) courage to fight them, and the perseverance to continue.
So yes, even if the crap hits the fan and flings it all around you and you think that this has been an amply crappy year (if it hasn't, well, consider yourself jolly lucky!), the Tiger has taught us to be strong, to be brave and never give up the good fight.
While many look forward with eagerness and relief to the year of the Rabbit, let's not forget the lessons the Tiger has taught us. And with that, I paraphrase that gloomy old codger Dylan Thomas:
"Rage, rage against the dying light,
Do not go gentle into the good night"
Happy Chinese New Year!
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