Got Your
Red Envelope?
The Chinese New Year is greeted
with the phrase: Gung hay fat choy? It
means: Wishing you happiness and
prosperity.
Its festivities, both public and pri
vate, last anywhere from a week to a
month, and are celebrated on the sec
ond new moon after the winter sol
stice, which can arrive anytime be
tween January 21 and February 19. In
public, there are parades with drag
ons, dancers, fireworks, floats, and
marching bands. Privately, this new
beginning means debts are paid,
houses are thoroughly cleaned, and
time is taken both to philosophize and
relax. Gifts are also exchanged, often
as money put in red envelopes (lei-see)
for good luck.
Each year of the Chinese calendar is
symbolized by an animal as well. The
animals run in a cycle of 12. Why?
According to legend, an emperor in
ancient times invited all the animals to
a feast, but only the rat, ox, tiger, hare,
dragon, serpent, horse, ram, monkey,
rooster, dog and boar came. So to
honor them, he established a year for
each one.
This year, 4691 according to the
ancient lunar calendar, is the year of
the rooster. People born during the
20th century’s rooster years (1909,
1921,1933,1945,1957,1969,1981)
are said to have the rooster’s attrib
utes. That means they are outspoken,
ambitious, honest, and determined.
However, they distrust other people
and, together with their candidness,
they may also offend people. Thus
they are often loners, although they
still maintain some loyal and close
friendships.
Mama exhorted her children at
every opportunity to "jump at de
sun.” We might not land on the
sun, but at least we would get off
the ground.
Zora Neale Hurston
Whiz Quiz
Presenting the world’s easiest quiz.
(If you do manage to miss any, please
don’t tell anyone.)
1. What did the characters do in
the film Around the World in 8o Days?
2. A goose down pilloui is stuffed uiith
what?
3. Whom do we honor on President’s
Day?
4. The dog paddle swimming stroke
was named after the water behavior of
what animal?
5. Where was the Korean War
fought?
ANSWERS
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Daniel Hall
What Price Beauty?
In Caesar’s Rome, a sculptor froze in stone
Nude Venus’ form, curvaceously full-grown.
Though lifeless cold, its beauty all admired;
Some even aped its pose for grace desired.
To Venus came a maid of common mien
As plain as useless weeds oft pulled when seen;
And, too, her scrawny, scraggly limbs hung loose
As if from toga sprung for scarecrow use.
Despite such flaws foredoomed by unfair fate.
She lived a gentle lass in gentle state
With decent friends who loved her humane heart;
Her kindness, goodness served as counterpart.
Alas, she craved what gods alone provide:
That Venus look, self-pride her mind denied.
Instead, she dreamt "If only .. .” every night.
If only lifelong love she could invite;
And "What if. .visions played behind her eyes
Of Cupid’s choice to tame or tantalize.
By day, the maid surveyed the Venus mold
To fully sense its wondrous wiles unfold.
She felt, digested each enticing line.
Aesthetic loveliness designed divine.
She touched the statue’s arms and legs and head.
Embraced its female form, though marble bred.
For hours, she scanned and stared again agape;
At other times, her hands inched o’er its shape.
The maid stood rooted there to touch and stare.
Obsessed by beauty; that, her only care.
For weeks — nay, months — the statue caged her mind,
As she submerged her soul in Venus-kind.
One day, her head in dainty ringlets crowned
Reflected Venus’ face; so, too, her round,
proud breasts and lithesome limbs within taut skin,
sleek smooth and sensate soft — most genuine.
"I’m like the statue: beautiful!” she crowed;
But tragedy must end this episode.
The maid’s once heart, now twin to Venus’ own.
Rejected blood and froze to solid stone.
Stone cold, but beautiful, she died.
Rime Time
7. Small corner in a library
8. Violence
9. Describing Les Brown’s band .
10. Wily scam
Learning
Takes Time
Remember the first time you tried
to skate, to ride a bicycle, to use a
typewriter, to swim, to drive a car, to
square dance, to speak a foreign lan
guage, to . . . you name it.
That first time is usually horrend
ous because any new skill takes time
to learn. Once learned, however, that
skill is yours for keeps.
Study — Study!
Heart Opens
From Within
First assignment to the advanced art
class: Paint a picture with a moral.
Time limit: two weeks.
At the end of two weeks, the stu
dents submitted their paintings, and
the teacher inspected and commented
on each. One, however, was that of an
oversized door superimposed on a
human heart.
"I don’t quite understand this,”
said the teacher. "We all have doors
to our hearts, but this one cannot be
opened. It has no knob or latch.”
"That was done on purpose,” ex
plained the student who had painted
it. "The door to a person’s heart can
only be opened from the inside.”
Terse Verse
Be wary of the words you speak:
Just keep ’em kind and sweet.
For angry words that just critique.
You’ll later have to eat.
Words that rhyme can paint "sound” pictures that just roll off the tongue. For
example: a large porker is a big pig. Now try these:
1. Less than bright archer of fame
2. Kind rodents
3. Enormous truck
4. Counterfeit bills
5. Nectar of a god
6. Rubber reptile
11. Proverbial insect in rug
12. Natural setting.
13. Noah’s ship before electricity .
Any heart shaped like a valentine
requires immediate medical investigation.
* ★ * ★
All humans, no matter what race,
religion, or color, always bleed in a red
hue.
* * * *
The aim of a good education is not
more good books, but more good living.
* ★ * *
All things come to those who strive
for things other people wait for.
* * * *
Blessed are those who refuse to leave
well enough alone, for through them there
is progress.
* * * *
Know thyselfl And if thou really
dost, thou wil be appreciated if thou
keepest it to thyself.
* * * *
Little things done are far more impor
tant than big t/iings planned.
ANSWERS TO RIME TIME
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