The year of the water dragon. A watery fiery combination. A lot of expectations on board. As the celebration always associated with wordly luck and wishes, this year one could expect an exhilarating busy ventures in achieving targets and ambitions where it is considered a rare auspicious occasion to be blessed with a long-term happiness. It is for most of us who honor the event a very true thing indeed.

I can’t help being a superstitious person. I still vaguely remember the feeling of suspense listening to tales of the mysterious unknown which dwells among us. It doesn’t have to be a tangible idea as simple as a mere supernatural being, but also vague notions as taboos that would sound silly enough to some. There are predictions of the Chinese astrology, feng shui of everything that involves anything that incorporates energy, and so much more any skeptics would raised their eyebrows in disbelief. But as we grow, our perception of the world matures, this view has evolved into something that doesn’t come from merely blind faith. I always thought these things are magical. And before a movie quotes that “Magic is a science that hasn’t been discovered yet” I already perceive that concept as a fact.

I remember watching a science fiction movie in the 80′s and thought how amazing it is if we can see the face of the other person connecting with us via phone of other devices like what they were having in the movie. And there’s Skype and 3G-s mobile. And I thought again how amazing if we can play games without a joystick or any other devices, if there is some sensor capturing our body / finger / hands movement. And there’s Wii.

So I thought, all of the predictions are somehow connected with Einstein’s relativity theory involving time and space. So does Feng Shui is the extension of finer science faculty of physics, mathematics, geology, geo-physics, and bio energies that will be explained in the future. And the astrology itself are made possible by the advanced technology of astrophysics, astronomy, and bio-energy. At least that won’t make me an ignorant inquisitor from 16th century accusing a 21st century lady committing witchcraft after watching her using a flashlight.

I realize it’s a bit of an unconventional subject brought up for this event. The idea just pops into my head when reading a forecast and one can’t help but think there’s a great design/science behind every magic. One can’t dismiss it as another peculiar belief. And one shouldn’t always rely on those things too eagerly too because it hasn’t been deemed as science, Even if it has, science evolves and thus has it’s mercurial side. The only best thing to rely on is actually our conviction by seeing the nature of the world that always seeks balance and are in constant balance. So I hope I will always bear to mind that happiness, misfortunes, luck, and success derived from our self measured ideals. And everything that’s brought to our lap are both magical and explainable in the end.

Gong Xi Fat Choi, everyone! And many magical unexplainable blessings to come!

This past few months had been quite a ride. To begin with there’s the eye accident following the infection from the unsanitary hospital that took almost 3 weeks for Silas. Subsequently we only found out of this hideous mutated virulent virus until one of us were caught by it. The whole affair took another 3 to 4 weeks of all of us being almost totally invalid and almost blind as a bat minus that cool echolocation ability.

At the time all I can think of was the moment I can look at the wobbly letters on the screen clearly again without wiping both eyes every 3 minutes; unable to save those poor trees from being mutilated by having a basket full of germ infested tissue for every 4 to 6 hours a day; I should always call to mind that one could experience both wretchedness and hilarity simultaneously.

Never have we sprayed a 95% alcohol inwardly and as incapacitated as one can be we promote ourselves as disinfectors. The house smelled like a hospital I was expecting when a suster kesot will ever passed behind when somebody look at the bathroom mirror.

Whenever we went we looked like “(Wo)Men in Black” though everyone was sure that the sky has gone pretty dark. We were wearing extremely dark sunglasses in the supermarket, out of supermarket, into the same dark colored car. Everything looked so mysterious even our regular cashier almost didn’t recognize us.

One could easily predicted the light in the end of the tunnel would be clearly noticed. But to discern a lesson well learned with just another wave of shitty events is proven quite a challenge. With a condition that automatically drain one’s energy and patience. The circumstance necessarily requires one to be extra patient to be able literally see the world more clear than the present state at that time. What a task. But we made it in the end. With half sanity safely set aside and another half is used to rationalize silly assumptions.

We found out that life has her strange sense of humor. Not to mention that it had always been delivered with poor taste. And it made us perceive the unserious seriousness it bears. Which brought us to yet another challenge.

Do we struggle to beat life and try to outrun her tacky episodes or do we fight our worst enemy which is ourselves first? The answer will be laid out after we figured out whether the egg or the hen comes first.

So there is our new New Year after New Year’s resolution.

Happy New Year everyone!

PS.: And have a serious unserious one!

Art by James C. Christensen