Year of the Tiger

It's been a while...I haven't been able to write anything due to several reasons. First, things have been really hectic and overwhelming at work. Second, I have been having problems with my computer and my Internet connections. Third, I have been away from home to settle some personal business and though my sketch pad is filled with pages of my random thoughts and doodles, I haven't been able to transfer any of them to my computer or post anything in this blog for quite sometime.

     Well, today I decided that I should post something. I have just returned from my hometown in Duvanson for a very short break to celebrate the Chinese New Year with my family. Well, we didn't really have any celebration, I just want to be away from Kunak for a little while and spend some quality time with my loved ones at my kampung.

     Talking about Chinese New Year, 2010 is the year of the Tiger. Normally, I wouldn't be too much bothered about which animal represents any particular year in the Chinese calendar, but for some mysterious reasons still unknown to me, I find myself particularly interested in the Year of the Tiger. So, I browse the Internet to find out more about it and these are what I have found:

 http://www.yearofthetiger.net/ 

http://www.chinapage.com/newyear.html

http://www.lovesigns.net/resources/yearly-forecast/fortunes-2010.htm

http://www.fengshuiliving.com.au/year.asp

     Well, yeah, I don't normally bother myself with fengshui or things like that, can't say that I believe in them, but I find reading the above links quite interesting and enlightening.

     So it's the Year of the Tiger. I don't know much about tigers, but I think I can claim that I know quite a lot about cats, for my family have a dozen cats. We have been keeping cats as family pets ever since I was a little girl, and the whole family are cat lovers. Cats have always played a very important part in our life as a family, and I take it as a good sign that this year is attributed to the Big Cat.

     On a sad note, just weeks before the Chinese New Year break, we lost Cece, one of our beloved kittens. Cece was a victim of  what I would prefer to call 'a tragic accident'. People who never own a pet and love it as much as we do might not be able to understand this, but Cece's passing literally broke my heart. I couldn't be happy for days, I was in total misery and cried myself to sleep each and every night. I know, some people out there might say that it was 'just a cat', but Cece wasn't just a cat. She was family to us. But it was her fate, God loves her more and I believe in my heart that Cece is now in a much better and safer place.

My Cece, my 'Baby Tiger'

     I also find it interesting that the first day of the Year of the Tiger falls on the 14th of February, the Valentine's Day. I take it as a sign that my mission for this New Year is to devote myself to Love. Love for God, love for my family, love for my friends and my loved ones, love for myself. 

     My prayer is that the Year of the Tiger would be a more peaceful, prosperous and fulfilling year for every one. 

     Gong Xi fa Cai! ;-)