My red Year of the Rabbit

Looks like it is going to be an interesting new Year of the Rabbit for me.

For a start, it will be my year - I was born under this Chinese zodiac sign.

According to some astrologers, this means 2011 will be "a stunning and most memorable year for the Rabbit, especially in work". I will also have "a truly wonderful time in love, art and just about everything else".

But wait, the soothsayers also portend that inauspicious events could occur during my ben ming nian or the year of my zodiac sign. Rabbits will have to go through some tough times, with "unlucky and evil stars lurking to present many obstacles".

That means I'll have to stock up on red socks, shirts, underwear and other attire or similar paraphernalia to help ward off bad luck.

Being in Beijing and away from my home and ethnic Chinese family in sunny Singapore during Spring Festival also means I will still be able to enjoy a multitude of festivities to further ensure that the new year is a great one, even if I miss out on memorable family reunions and the lucky hongbao red money packets so important to Chinese people worldwide.

Once again, I can expect Bejiingers to begin the year with a bang - the whole city will be roaring away with lucky fireworks that will light up the cold winter nights. From bundled up children twirling simple handheld sparklers in fast-disappearing traditional hutong courtyard houses to brazen adults setting off deluxe barrels of pyrotechnics that cost an arm and a leg next to modern high-rise apartments, any bad vibes lingering in the air will most certainly be blown away by the sound and fury of the fireworks.

Many people say the capital will be empty from the multitude of migrant workers going back to their hometowns countrywide to celebrate the festival, but temple fairs such as the one in the Temple of Earth offering traditional snacks and sweets as well as folk performances will help add some color and revelry to alleviate the homesickness of those like myself who have chosen to stay put for the holidays.

The Spring Festival galas and other festive programs will also give good reason to vegetate in front of the TV set and provide enough fodder for post-holiday chats with colleagues on the latest social trends and celebrity gossip.

For those looking for more active outdoor fun, bracing hikes up the Great Wall or working out at nearby ski resorts like Nanshan just an hour's drive from Beijing offer a convenient day-trip option to shake off the winter chills.

But like many others who choose to avoid the crazy crowds at tourist attractions across the country by spending their vacation in Beijing, my weeklong break will gradually tone down to late mornings, lazy afternoons and long quiet nights at home - providing me with ample rest to deal with what lies ahead in the new year.

(China Daily 02/08/2011 page5)