07 February 2008

Year of the Rat

Happy Chinese New Year! We are now entering the Year of the Rat — Earth Rat, if my sources are correct.

In honour of this occasion, and a pot luck dinner meeting between my Board and Staff at work, I made my contributions thematic and I must say that I am most pleased with them indeed.


Whole Wheat French Rat Bread, pre-cooking view

Black Russian Rat Bread, pre-cooking view

All the rat breads fresh from the oven

The Rat-er-torte (a sachertorte)

And, to top it all off, Rat happens to be my sign. I guess that makes me…twenty-four! ;-)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

On February 7, 2008 the Year of the Earth Rat begins as the year of the Fire Pig comes to an end. The Pig is the last sign in the Chinese Zodiac and the Rat is the first sign. Therefore we are now at the end of one 12 year Chinese Zodiac cycle and the beginning of another one. If you are looking for closure, now is the time in the last few days of the year of the Fire Pig. If you are looking for a new beginning, a fresh start approaches with the year of the Earth Rat.

After two Fire years in a row, life may seem calmer during this Earth year. That could be deceptive, however, as the Rat never stops moving, especially when it comes to mental activity.

According to the popular legend, the Rat was the first to arrive to a dinner hosted by Buddha (but only after hitching a ride on Ox’s back and then jumping over the finish line) so this is why the Rat is the first sign of the Chinese zodiac. It signifies new beginnings. 2008 is therefore an appropriate time to commence new ventures, including new ideas, directions, and ways of doing things. There will be ample time to see your projects through and opportunities for you to achieve success. However, keep in mind that your actions may have long terms effects, so be wise with your decisions.