Harimau mari.

2010 in the Lunar calender is the year of the tiger / harimau.

There was already a film made in Malaysia starring many famous Chinese-Malaysian DJ's based on a Chinese tradition in Kuantan that every 60 years, this particular family entrusted with safekeeping the 'Tiger head' would do a ritual dance - Tiger dance (instead of lion dance) to usher in prosperity and goodness into the life of that village.

I enjoyed the film, and laughed really hard. I have to say the DJ's can act! But I was more amazed at how beautiful Malaysia (Kuantan to be more exact) was portrayed to be by the filmmakers. After watching it, I can't help but sigh at how fortunate I am to be living in a beautiful place like Malaysia. It's a good film, if you understand Chinese or don't mind reading the subtitles, go watch it :) It's called Tiger Woohoo!
(http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/6/nation/5411535&sec=nation)
Beautiful, and a very touching film.

I hear so much being said about what is good and what is not good in the year of the tiger. Here's my take on a couple of those Chinese superstitions :-

a) It's not a good year to get married.
My take: Crap. Really. Marriage is hard work no matter what and takes effort and commitment from both sides to make it work. So are you saying that if two person get married in the year of the rabbit, they would be very productive? :P It really doesn't matter which year you marry in. Please don't be bound by stupid superstitions like this! And trust me...I've done some divorce cases. None of them married in the year of the tiger.

b) Better for boys to be born in this year than girls, for they turn fierce.
My take: I know some really 'tame' girls born in the year of the tiger. My observation is that even if that girl is not firece, because she lives in an environment that expects her to be, people around her would treat her like she is a 'tiger'. The saying that 'You are what you eat' applies...though here it's more like 'You are what you eat emotionally'. Just like how you will become depress if you hangout with a depress person a lot, girls who are originally not fierce will become fierce sinply because the society expects them to be. They will be influenced by the environment what the stigmas that people attach to them.

c) Girls born in the year of the tiger won't be successful.
My take: Crap again! My aun't born in the year of the tiger. She is successful. Have two kids, a lovely family. A stable career, and big savings. Enough said.

Every year is a year overflowing with blessings and goodness, and amazing things because our God isn't One who will want otherwise for us, not even a tiny bit. Tiger or not, it won't change who God is and what He wants for us.

Happy Chinese New Year!