Full Circle

I arrived in Taiwan in the year 2000.  

It was the year of the Dragon.

The past 11 years of my life have been...

well I can't really find apt words.

Absolutely Amazing Awesome

Beautiful Brilliant

Chinese.

You know the alphabet.  You can complete the list.

There are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac.

I have lived through all of them, and

been exposed to all the elements

from water to metal.

7 years in Taiwan and 4 years in Hong Kong.

I always wanted to see the Dragon Dance in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year.

This is my year!

The Christmas trees go down and the next day the CNY decorations are up.

The music in the stores change from Christmas carols to Gong xi, gong xi, 

gong xi ni!

Year	Chinese New Year Day	Zodiac Color Animal Sign	First Day of Animal Year
1900	January, 31 1900	1900 White Metal Rat Year	February 4, 1900
1901	February, 19 1901	1901 White Metal Cow Year	February 4, 1901
1902	February,  8 1902	1902 Black Water Tiger Year	February 5, 1902
1903	January, 29 1903	1903 Black Water Rabbit Year	February 5, 1903
1904	February, 16 1904	1904 Green Wood Dragon Year	February 5, 1904
1905	February,  4 1905	1905 Green Wood Snake Year	February 4, 1905
1906	January, 25 1906	1906 Red Fire Horse Year	February 5, 1906
1907	February, 13 1907	1907 Red Fire Sheep Year	February 5, 1907
1908	February,  2 1908	1908 Brown Earth Monkey Year	February 5, 1908
1909	January, 22 1909	1909 Brown Earth Chicken Year	February 4, 1909
1910	February, 10 1910	1910 White Metal Dog Year	February 5, 1910
1911	January, 30 1911	1911 White Metal Pig Year	February 5, 1911
1912	February, 18 1912	1912 Black Water Rat Year	February 5, 1912
1913	February,  6 1913	1913 Black Water Cow Year	February 4, 1913
1914	January, 26 1914	1914 Green Wood Tiger Year	February 4, 1914
1915	February, 14 1915	1915 Green Wood Rabbit Year	February 5, 1915
1916	February,  4 1916	1916 Red Fire Dragon Year	February 5, 1916
1917	January, 23 1917	1917 Red Fire Snake Year	February 4, 1917
1918	February, 11 1918	1918 Brown Earth Horse Year	February 4, 1918
1919	February,  1 1919	1919 Brown Earth Sheep Year	February 5, 1919
1920	February, 20 1920	1920 White Metal Monkey Year	February 5, 1920
1921	February,  8 1921	1921 White Metal Chicken Year	February 4, 1921
1922	January, 28 1922	1922 Black Water Dog Year	February 4, 1922
1923	February, 16 1923	1923 Black Water Pig Year	February 5, 1923
1924	February,  5 1924	1924 Green Wood Rat Year	February 5, 1924
1925	January, 24 1925	1925 Green Wood Cow Year	February 4, 1925
1926	February, 13 1926	1926 Red Fire Tiger Year	February 4, 1926
1927	February,  2 1927	1927 Red Fire Rabbit Year	February 5, 1927
1928	January, 23 1928	1928 Brown Earth Dragon Year	February 5, 1928
1929	February, 10 1929	1929 Brown Earth Snake Year	February 4, 1929
1930	January, 30 1930	1930 White Metal Horse Year	February 4, 1930
1931	February, 17 1931	1931 White Metal Sheep Year	February 5, 1931
1932	February,  6 1932	1932 Black Water Monkey Year	February 5, 1932
1933	January, 26 1933	1933 Black Water Chicken Year	February 4, 1933
1934	February, 14 1934	1934 Green Wood Dog Year	February 4, 1934
1935	February,  4 1935	1935 Green Wood Pig Year	February 5, 1935
1936	January, 24 1936	1936 Red Fire Rat Year	February 5, 1936
1937	February, 11 1937	1937 Red Fire Cow Year	February 4, 1937
1938	January, 31 1938	1938 Brown Earth Tiger Year	February 4, 1938
1939	February, 19 1939	1939 Brown Earth Rabbit Year	February 5, 1939
1940	February,  8 1940	1940 White Metal Dragon Year	February 5, 1940
1941	January, 27 1941	1941 White Metal Snake Year	February 4, 1941
1942	February, 15 1942	1942 Black Water Horse Year	February 4, 1942
1943	February,  5 1943	1943 Black Water Sheep Year	February 5, 1943
1944	January, 25 1944	1944 Green Wood Monkey Year	February 5, 1944
1945	February, 13 1945	1945 Green Wood Chicken Year	February 4, 1945
1946	February,  2 1946	1946 Red Fire Dog Year	February 4, 1946
1947	January, 22 1947	1947 Red Fire Pig Year	February 4, 1947
1948	February, 10 1948	1948 Brown Earth Rat Year	February 5, 1948
1949	January, 29 1949	1949 Brown Earth Cow Year	February 4, 1949
1950	February, 17 1950	1950 White Metal Tiger Year	February 4, 1950
1951	February,  6 1951	1951 White Metal Rabbit Year	February 4, 1951
1952	January, 27 1952	1952 Black Water Dragon Year	February 5, 1952
1953	February, 14 1953	1953 Black Water Snake Year	February 4, 1953
1954	February,  3 1954	1954 Green Wood Horse Year	February 4, 1954
1955	January, 24 1955	1955 Green Wood Sheep Year	February 4, 1955
1956	February, 12 1956	1956 Red Fire Monkey Year	February 5, 1956
1957	January, 31 1957	1957 Red Fire Chicken Year	February 4, 1957
1958	February, 18 1958	1958 Brown Earth Dog Year	February 4, 1958
1959	February,  8 1959	1959 Brown Earth Pig Year	February 4, 1959
1960	January, 28 1960	1960 White Metal Rat Year	February 5, 1960
1961	February, 15 1961	1961 White Metal Cow Year	February 4, 1961
1962	February,  5 1962	1962 Black Water Tiger Year	February 4, 1962
1963	January, 25 1963	1963 Black Water Rabbit Year	February 4, 1963
1964	February, 13 1964	1964 Green Wood Dragon Year	February 5, 1964
1965	February,  2 1965	1965 Green Wood Snake Year	February 4, 1965
1966	January, 21 1966	1966 Red Fire Horse Year	February 4, 1966
1967	February,  9 1967	1967 Red Fire Sheep Year	February 4, 1967
1968	January, 30 1968	1968 Brown Earth Monkey Year	February 5, 1968
1969	February, 17 1969	1969 Brown Earth Chicken Year	February 4, 1969
1970	February,  6 1970	1970 White Metal Dog Year	February 4, 1970
1971	January, 27 1971	1971 White Metal Pig Year	February 4, 1971
1972	February, 15 1972	1972 Black Water Rat Year	February 5, 1972
1973	February,  3 1973	1973 Black Water Cow Year	February 4, 1973
1974	January, 23 1974	1974 Green Wood Tiger Year	February 4, 1974
1975	February, 11 1975	1975 Green Wood Rabbit Year	February 4, 1975
1976	January, 31 1976	1976 Red Fire Dragon Year	February 5, 1976
1977	February, 18 1977	1977 Red Fire Snake Year	February 4, 1977
1978	February,  7 1978	1978 Brown Earth Horse Year	February 4, 1978
1979	January, 28 1979	1979 Brown Earth Sheep Year	February 4, 1979
1980	February, 16 1980	1980 White Metal Monkey Year	February 5, 1980
1981	February,  5 1981	1981 White Metal Chicken Year	February 4, 1981
1982	January, 25 1982	1982 Black Water Dog Year	February 4, 1982
1983	February, 13 1983	1983 Black Water Pig Year	February 4, 1983
1984	February,  2 1984	1984 Green Wood Rat Year	February 4, 1984
1985	February, 20 1985	1985 Green Wood Cow Year	February 4, 1985
1986	February,  9 1986	1986 Red Fire Tiger Year	February 4, 1986
1987	January, 29 1987	1987 Red Fire Rabbit Year	February 4, 1987
1988	February, 17 1988	1988 Brown Earth Dragon Year	February 4, 1988
1989	February,  6 1989	1989 Brown Earth Snake Year	February 4, 1989
1990	January, 27 1990	1990 White Metal Horse Year	February 4, 1990
1991	February, 15 1991	1991 White Metal Sheep Year	February 4, 1991
1992	February,  4 1992	1992 Black Water Monkey Year	February 4, 1992
1993	January, 23 1993	1993 Black Water Chicken Year	February 4, 1993
1994	February, 10 1994	1994 Green Wood Dog Year	February 4, 1994
1995	January, 31 1995	1995 Green Wood Pig Year	February 4, 1995
1996	February, 19 1996	1996 Red Fire Rat Year	February 4, 1996
1997	February,  7 1997	1997 Red Fire Cow Year	February 4, 1997
1998	January, 28 1998	1998 Brown Earth Tiger Year	February 4, 1998
1999	February, 16 1999	1999 Brown Earth Rabbit Year	February 4, 1999
2000	February,  5 2000	2000 White Metal Dragon Year	February 4, 2000
2001	January, 24 2001	2001 White Metal Snake Year	February 4, 2001
2002	February, 12 2002	2002 Black Water Horse Year	February 4, 2002
2003	February,  1 2003	2003 Black Water Sheep Year	February 4, 2003
2004	January, 22 2004	2004 Green Wood Monkey Year	February 4, 2004
2005	February,  9 2005	2005 Green Wood Chicken Year	February 4, 2005
2006	January, 29 2006	2006 Red Fire Dog Year	February 4, 2006
2007	February, 18 2007	2007 Red Fire Pig Year	February 4, 2007
2008	February,  7 2008	2008 Brown Earth Rat Year	February 4, 2008
2009	January, 26 2009	2009 Brown Earth Cow Year	February 4, 2009
2010	February, 14 2010	2010 White Metal Tiger Year	February 4, 2010
2011	February,  3 2011	2011 White Metal Rabbit Year	February 4, 2011
2012	January, 23 2012	2012 Black Water Dragon Year	February 4, 2012
2013	February, 10 2013	2013 Black Water Snake Year	February 4, 2013
2014	January, 31 2014	2014 Green Wood Horse Year	February 4, 2014
2015	February, 19 2015	2015 Green Wood Sheep Year	February 4, 2015
2016	February,  8 2016	2016 Red Fire Monkey Year	February 4, 2016
2017	January, 28 2017	2017 Red Fire Chicken Year	February 3, 2017
2018	February, 16 2018	2018 Brown Earth Dog Year	February 4, 2018
2019	February,  5 2019	2019 Brown Earth Pig Year	February 4, 2019
2020	January, 25 2020	2020 White Metal Rat Year	February 4, 2020

But the first major sign that the new year is approaching, is the full moon, as I

saw it from my bedroom window on January 9th, 2012.

Exactly 14 days later, with New Moon, on January 23rd 2012,

it will be Chinese New Year.

Traditional CNY flowers include

Chrysanthemum

and Pussy Willow.

Peach and Plum Blossoms.

Mandarin Orange trees and Money trees.

Yes.  Money DOES grow on trees here in Hong Kong.

That is the religion.

Chinese New Year is all about money.

They call it prosperity and good luck

but it all translates to $.

Magnificent Dragons are appearing all over the city.

I will keep you posted!