Speaking of the Lunar New Year... I want to talk a little about culture. Last year, I remember talking about Chinese Astrology during Cultural Diversity, my very first OT elective. We had to bring one specific item that represented our culture to class for "show-and-tell," I couldn't decide what to bring, so I ended up bringing three items: 1) chopsticks, 2) a red envelope, and 3) the little book on Chinese Astrology.
A classmate brought his red envelope and spoke about it, so the Chinese Astrology book came in handy. I explained that astrology was important in my culture because they would use this to interpret their lives. They would use the person's date of birth to determine auspicious times to marry, give birth, or make other major life decisions. Also, I spoke about Yin (dark) and Yang (light), the five elements, and the 12 Chinese Zodiac animal signs and how each had its set of attributes.
I was born in the year of the Rat, the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac. The Rat is a Yang animal, and its main element is water. Some positive attributes which apply to me are: intelligent, passionate, and practical. However, my negative attributes are: quick-tempered, nit-picky, and overly-ambitious at times.
I believe that we would be happier if we learned how to truly embrace our differences and celebrate the incredibly diverse world we live in.
