This post was created for the January edition of the Clear Water RoundUp #082
This month, cultures who celebrate the Lunar New Year did just that. In Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, some groups in Malaysia, Singapore, and other locations that follow the Chinese Zodiac, we welcomed the year of the Rabbit on January 22, specifically the Water Rabbit, as each Zodiac cycle also associates with one of the five elements - water, metal, earth, wood, and fire.
According to an interview with Feng Shui Master Dato Joey Yap in Tatler Asia, one of Southeast Asia’s most popular English language lifestyle magazine, “the Rabbit symbolises good luck, patience, prosperity, and vigour while the Yin Water element represents sensitivity, intuition, and inner peace. Combined, we can expect to move into a more patient and gentle 2023, with some lucky breaks.”
Online, you’ll find a buffet of fortunes for specific combinations of animals, elements, and actual birth year - the luckiest according to some sources can be the unluckiest in other sources.
In general, the rabbit is considered to symbolize good luck, and luckily, we possess powers to discern lucky moments without online aid.
What luck have you seen so far in the year of the rabbit?
Two days ago, I left my village in a taxi with a companion, when we began walking away from the taxi at our destination, I patted my jacket then purse, then said to my companion "Can you call my phone?" He began dialing and said "you better run after that cab." I did, then stopped, knowing that a couple had entered the taxi right after we alighted and rode off by then.
"Go catch your boat," I said, knowing he had a timeline to see to some responsibilities. By then, he dialed my number several times with no answer. He said, "No, let's go sort this out first. Might you have left it on the table at home after you called the taxi?"
"Maybe," I said.
"OK, let's sort this out then go check," he said, as he kept dialing.
Then I insisted that I backtrack home to check by myself.
"No," he said, "because if you don't have your phone I don't have a way to reach you."
"And how does you missing your boat help?" I said.
He didn't budge. We hailed the next taxi available while my friend continued dialing my number. Moments later, "Wei, Si Fu?" My phone was in the previous taxi driver's hand.
We found out he was coming from the village neighboring mine and told him we were in a taxi heading that direction and negotiated to meet him by a landmark midway.
We alighted the taxi there, then crossed the street to intercept the previous driver heading our way. Minutes later, the driver pulled up in his taxi with the sign blocking the 'for hire' sign signaling he was unavailable for guests. He opened the back door and held my phone with his stretched-out arm. I took it outpouring words of gratitude, then asked if we could ride with him back to the same destination he drove us to before.
"Ho ah!" he said. That means “good!”
In the happy chatter among the three of us, I said, "Gum nin zen hai ho dai wun," I said, which means literally - this year certainly very big luck.
We pulled into our destination, again, I paid the fare along with a gratuity, checked my phone, and saw 14 missed calls over
How was this a water rabbit moment?
This month, cultures who celebrate the Lunar New Year did just that. In Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, some groups in Malaysia, Singapore, and other locations that follow the Chinese Zodiac, we welcomed the year of the Rabbit on January 22, specifically the Water Rabbit, as each Zodiac cycle also associates with one of the five elements - water, metal, earth, wood, and fire.
According to an interview with Feng Shui Master Dato Joey Yap in Tatler Asia, one of Southeast Asia’s most popular English language lifestyle magazine, “the Rabbit symbolises good luck, patience, prosperity, and vigour while the Yin Water element represents sensitivity, intuition, and inner peace. Combined, we can expect to move into a more patient and gentle 2023, with some lucky breaks.”
Online, you’ll find a buffet of fortunes for specific combinations of animals, elements, and actual birth year - the luckiest according to some sources can be the unluckiest in other sources.
In general, the rabbit is considered to symbolize good luck, and luckily, we possess powers to discern lucky moments without online aid.
What luck have you seen so far in the year of the rabbit?
Two days ago, I left my village in a taxi with a companion, when we began walking away from the taxi at our destination, I patted my jacket then purse, then said to my companion "Can you call my phone?" He began dialing and said "you better run after that cab." I did, then stopped, knowing that a couple had entered the taxi right after we alighted and rode off by then.
"Go catch your boat," I said, knowing he had a timeline to see to some responsibilities. By then, he dialed my number several times with no answer. He said, "No, let's go sort this out first. Might you have left it on the table at home after you called the taxi?"
"Maybe," I said.
"OK, let's sort this out then go check," he said, as he kept dialing.
Then I insisted that I backtrack home to check by myself.
"No," he said, "because if you don't have your phone I don't have a way to reach you."
"And how does you missing your boat help?" I said.
He didn't budge. We hailed the next taxi available while my friend continued dialing my number. Moments later, "Wei, Si Fu?" My phone was in the previous taxi driver's hand.
We found out he was coming from the village neighboring mine and told him we were in a taxi heading that direction and negotiated to meet him by a landmark midway.
We alighted the taxi there, then crossed the street to intercept the previous driver heading our way. Minutes later, the driver pulled up in his taxi with the sign blocking the 'for hire' sign signaling he was unavailable for guests. He opened the back door and held my phone with his stretched-out arm. I took it outpouring words of gratitude, then asked if we could ride with him back to the same destination he drove us to before.
"Ho ah!" he said. That means “good!”
In the happy chatter among the three of us, I said, "Gum nin zen hai ho dai wun," I said, which means literally - this year certainly very big luck.
We pulled into our destination, again, I paid the fare along with a gratuity, checked my phone, and saw 14 missed calls over
How was this a water rabbit moment?
- A persistent and quick-thinking friend. Intuitively, he directed us home to see if my phone was there and stayed with me calling my phone over and over until the driver answered it. The driver said that the couple he drove after us had found the phone. It hadn't rung, it was on silent, as I usually keep my phone. Somehow, he picked it up at one of the calls. Had we gone our separate ways as I suggested, there’d be no way to contact me to arrange its return.
- Lucky circumstances - The couple noticed the phone and handed it to the driver. The driver happened to be nearby and just completed a short trip near our origin in Clear Water Bay. Just about anywhere else a green taxi (different colored taxis have regional restrictions) can go would have been more inconvenient - Sai Kung, Ma On Shan, Tai Po, Yuen Long, Sheung Shui, anywhere else in the New Territories – even the airport, 45 kilometers (almost 30 miles) away.
- Good-willed people - The couple handed the phone to the driver. The driver picked up the call and blocked himself off from any more business until he returned it. Seemingly, no one intended to profit off my lost phone.
What are some lucky moments for you since the Water Rabbit year started?