GOOD BYE 2014 ... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

Happy New Year and Best Wishes to you ... here is to a healthy, peaceful and joyful 2015!

GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL

Hello from my corner in St. Louis …

I am sure you all have seen destructive images and enough negative news stories reportedly coming from St. Louis.  I chose not to be one of those “wannabe” reporters or those trying to post pictures on their social media to prove that they were part of the “actions” or to get a few “likes” on their webpage.  I chose these good and beautiful images (from the Missouri Botanical Garden) because I believe if you could not contribute to make it better, at least try not adding to the problems.  

Family and friends have been sending words asking about our well-being in STL.  The current situation (in North county) does not directly impact where we live which is in West county area.  However, my office building is located two blocks from the Prosecutor’s office.  It was a very tense and stressful time for all of us.  My office closed around 3pm on Monday prior to the announcement of the decision.  The next two days, I went to work and the area was quiet, different from what you might see on national news.  My husband works outside of St. Louis, so the situation does not directly impact his workplace.

Let’s pray for peaceful days ahead …

TOTA IS OK IN STL

Hello everyone!  I thought I should post today to let you, my adoring fans and faithful readers, know that we are fine.  The trouble area that you might have heard (saw on national news) is about 30 miles from our town and it does not impact where we live or work.

I will refrain from making any comments here to avoid potential accusations of taking sides or worse, being drawn into unproductive heated arguments.

 Have a good week and be cool.

This cake is on display in front of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, NOT !!!!!!

I am sure we all got tired of looking at the snow outside the window and then have to see images of snow in "blogosphere" - so I thought it would be appropriate to share these photos taken from the Lantern Festival (2012) at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Portrait in dough, "trat" is very special; all of this "crouns" represents such "practicabziity" and of great "valve" - to whoever created this banner, ever heard of spell-check?

Have a good week and remember to be "practicab" - haa haa

HAPPY PLACE (LIFE IN MINNESOTA'S 9TH LARGEST CITY)

Inspired by the "Happy Place" post from Eagan Daily Photo (www.eagandailyphoto.blogspot.com), I am sharing photos from last year Orchid's Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  For 2013, the show will run thru March 31st.  I may go to the show this weekend. 

It is very confusing this week with the temperature, it is sunny and in the upper 40s yet is rather cold without a heavy jacket.  At times, the wind makes it so much colder.  I heard we might have rain/snow showers on Friday/Saturday.  I would not be surprised if we had snow on Easter Sunday!

I spent the afternoon at an employment agency.  The process was very different compared to when I signed up with the agency for job placement when we moved to St. Louis in 1994.  This time, after being greeted by the receptionist, I was assigned to a computer and there I completed my employment application, filled out income tax withholding forms, I-9 Employment Eligibility form, took several assessment tests including computer skills, personality tests and aptitude tests.  Then an interview with the Placement Manager going over my work history and then the question, "Why did you leave ......?".  Well, I did not leave, I was "thrown off the bridge" after I "dared" to file a complaint about a 2nd incident of ..........  

I was emotionally exhausted after almost 4 hours of being at the agency, especially having to tell the "story" again.  It seemed like the wound was never completely healed.
Traffic was not too bad and I was able to make it to the evening Mass (during Lenten Season we have 5:30 p.m. Mass in addition to the morning Masses).  We already went to Confession so I tried not to wish ill on "a particularly individual" until after Easter!!!!! 
It has been a struggle since I began this journey.  I believe that things happened for a reason and something good will come out of this experience.  I have moved forward and am already in a Happy Place!

HERE COME THE BEAR (PANDA THAT IS)

Everybody recognizes the giant panda, with its round shape, black and white fur, and black patches around its eyes.  Its image appears on signs and labels that identify many endangered species, both plants and animals, and it is itself a protected species.  This bear is native to central-western and southwestern China, and the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, located in the southwest Sichuan province, are one of the few natural habitats to be protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This is Lantern #11 entitled Panda's Paradise.  You could tell which bamboo is real and which is part of the display of the lantern.  I saw the real panda at the Bronx Zoo when my godmother took me there during a visit to her home on Pelham Parkway.  That was almost 25 years when I lived in NYC.  The 2nd time I saw the panda was last November (2011) when I visited my sister in Atlanta.  My husband never saw a panda.  When we went to Memphis last May (2011), we planned to go to Memphis Zoo (they have panda there) but could not fit into our schedule.  On our recent trip, it was too hot so we did not feel like going to Atlanta Zoo.  Seeing the lantern would be the closest my husband ever come to see the real panda!  Do you have panda at the zoo in your town?

Just a reminder again that the last day of the Lantern Festival is this Sunday, August 19th.  All the exhibits will be taken down and sent back to China.  However, the dragon at the front entrance will be on display until the Japanese Festival on Labor Day Weekend.

THE FIRST EMPEROR

This lantern is about China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.  I was suprised that the night photos came out rather good.  They were actually much better than those taken during the day.

Just a reminder that the Lantern Festival will end the weekend of August 18-19.  The last day to see the lanterns is Sunday, August 19th.

The First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, unified China, enacted many economic and politial reforms, such as standardizing the currency and systems of measurement.  He also built an early version of the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army and the mausoleum they "guard", and an enormous road system.  But he was also superstitious, and as he grew older, he began to fear death, and sought a magic elixir that would offer him immortality.  For all his efforts and promises from those who took advantage of his human weakness, the emperor died at the age of 49!

DOUBLE SEVENTH (JULY 7TH)

This lantern is supposed to be about the Double Seventh Festival, but not really about July 7th.  The festival scheduled on the seventh day of the seventh month is based on the Lunar Calendar.  So in 2012, the Double Seventh Festival falls on August 23rd in the Western calendar.  Is that confusing enough for you?

The Festival is about a love story between Zhinu, a beautiful weavegirl (above) and Niulang, a young cowherd (below).

Just like any foolish young people believing that "love is all they need", Zhinu and Niulang got married without telling (in a traditional way, receiving permission) from Zhinu's mother who is the Goddess.  When the Goddess found out, not only she ordered Zhinu to return to Heaven, but also created a wide river in the sky (the Milky Way) in an attempt to separate the lovers forever.
Feeling sorry for these lovers, the magpies in the world would fly up into Heaven to form a bridge so Zhinu and Niulang could be together for a single night, once a year on the seventh night of the seventh moon.  Well, like they say, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", or there is no need to argue who should help the kids with homework and Zhinu never had to pick up dirty socks Ziuland left around the house!  

QIILIN (QQ, THIS LANTERN IS FOR YOU!)

What do you do with your leftover glass bottles?  You could construct a giant Qilin using 13,000 of Chinese medicine bottles to built one these mythical creatures.  For this lantern, a total of 40,000 colorful bottles were pieced together to create the Qilins and the giant vase with the crystal ball on top.

Qilins are rare creatures composed of different animal forms, some real and some mythical.  They look fierce, but they are peaceful creatures that can walk on grass without harming it and can even walk on water.  Qilins are said to appear in areas ruled by wise and kind leaders.  (Do you know individuals that could be considered wise and kind leaders?)   Although normally gentle, they are quick to defend the righteous against evil by spouting flames from their mouths, making them symbols of protection, success and longevity.

QQ, this lantern is for you!

HERE COMES THE BULL

There are a total of 14 lanterns lining along the path near the Spink Pavilion, adjacent to the Central Axis.  The 12 lanterns (below) represent the signs corresponds to the 12 animals in Chinese Zodiac.  On dispaly at each end was the above listing of the years the person was born and what animal would be associated with him/her characteristics. 

The animals in the Chinese Zodiac are fabled to have held a race across a river for a place among the signs.  Rat used his clever ways to be the first to get across (often at the expense of others), and is the first animal in the Zodiac.  The other eleven followed in succession.  Each Zodiac sign corresponds to a calendar year, and the cycle repeats every twelve years.  All the animals have specific characteristics associated with them, and the people are thought to assume the qualities of the animals into which year they are born.

I don't really believe that my fortune of the present and future is based on whatever Chinese or Western astrological sign occurred in the year I was born.  Of course, that did not stop people from asking me questions about Chinese Zodiac or about Asian cultures as if I was the "official representative".  At a former workplace, a manager just came back from lunch at a local Chinese buffet and wanted to know more about the astrological signs of the twelve animals.  I politely provided a brief explanation that the Dragon is the most favorable animal.  Families (especially in China) would plan their pregnancies so that the child would be born in the year of the Dragon.

He then asked about arranged marriages.  I said that today most marriages are no longer arranged and probably more thru on-line matching services.  However, most traditional Chinese families are still following certain practices such as a good match would base on the compatibility of a girl's and boy's astrological signs, birth dates, and family backgrounds.  The wedding date is determined also based on the couple's signs and birth dates to be sure of a favorable beginning.  I gave an example that if a girl was born in the year of the Tiger, she would face difficulty finding a suitor whose signs that were not also a Tiger or a Dragon.  A boy with other signs such as Dog, Sheep or even Snake would be too "afraid" to be married (overpowered or killed) by a wife that was born in the year of a Tiger.   "What kind of crap is that?" he said and walked away.  I wish I could respond to his idiotic comment, "You asked me a question about my heritage.  I was polite in my anwers and all you could say was this insulting comment.  Next time, look up on internet yourself.  You probably will find your sign was either a pig or an ass!"

GONE FISHING (TOTA, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?)

Above is a lantern entitled Jiang Tai Gong Fishing.  According to the brochure, Jiang Tai Gong was an expert in military affairs, and hoped that one day he could help overthrow the evil Shang ruler.  He waited patiently, fishing with no hook, believing that the fish would come to him of their own volition when they were ready.  (Please don't try this technique, you would be waiting for a long time!) Eventually he was made prime minister by King Wen of Zhou, who gave him the name Jiang Tai Gong.  He later helped Wen's son, King Wu, overthrow the Shang dynasty.

I am sure you know that the reasons I have not been blogging not because I have gone fishing in Montana or have gone on bass catching trip in Canada.  There is a major fundraising event coming up at my new job and by the time I got home after a hard day of working (or hardly working - haa haa), I did not have much energy left to write or even post cheesy photos (I sure have lot of those)!  Of course, some of you might be aware that the Stanley Cup Finals between the New Jersey Devils v. the Los Angeles Kings are still going on.  The Kings won the first 3 games, the Devils came back strong and won games 4 and 5 to force game 6 back to LA on Monday.  My husband said that I am probably the only person in St. Louis or the entire state of Missouri, still watching hockey.

Also from the brochure - The Shang dynasty lasted from the 16th through the 11th centuries B.C.  The Zhou dynasty lasted from 1046 to 256 B.C.

I have been working 9+ hours almost everyday.  I even worked 6+ hours last Saturday.  At the new job, I am willing to give 100% and remembered from the interview that there would be long hours as part of my responsibilities.  However, at this point in my life, I no longer get excited about the potential of being noticed for possible advancement.  My attitude is "been there done that".  That rat race no longer is part of the competition I want to spend the rest of my life reaching.  In my previous employment, there were many times I put in 60+ hours, weekends, took work home, and always trying to make things better, and after 11 years of dedication, I was thrown off the bridge!

So the lesson for today is to go fishing or do whatever brings you happiness!