A new beginning, Year of the Dog

There are many stories about the origin of the 12 Chinese Zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Yes, the ordering is important. My favourite one is about a very competitive race between all these animals!

The story was set on the night before Chinese New Year, the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, called for all animals in the entire universe to participate in a race on his birthday.  The first 12 winners of the race would each win the honour of having a year named after them.  The race would be a long one, passing through a densely wooded forest and a wide river. 

Desperate to win, animals teamed up with each other and used different strategies and tricks.

• Cat and Rat vowed to race together and asked the strong Ox for a ride. But the cunning Rat pushed the Cat into the water, jumped ahead of the Ox and claimed the first place.
• Snake secretly hitched a ride on Horse’s hoof.
• Goat, Monkey and Rooster helped each other along the race and worked as a great team. They crossed the river on a raft with lots of tugging and paddling.
• The strong runner and swimmer, Dog finished as number 11 because he couldn’t resist playing in the river.

So, what happened to my favourite animal Cat?  She nearly drowned after Rat pushed her into the water and missed the festivities when she made it to the finish line. She vowed to hate the Rat forever. Now you know why Cats and Rats are natural enemies!

What does the Year of the Dog mean to me?

 Dogs represent obedient, loyal, faithful and playful beings they are mankind’s best friend and companion.  I believe they are talented and more competent than other animals in the Chinese Zodiac.  Other than being an adorable pet at home, they have so many ‘real jobs’.  You will see them serving in the military, the police force, rescue teams, and customs and border protection.  They also help the blind, act as security guards, and assist farmers and truffle hunters.  Therefore, ‘Year of Dog’ means endurance, courage, hard work and devotion to me.  Moreover, it also marks my second year at the institute and I look forward to the new challenges ahead of me.

Here is a short clip of the Lion dance, taken from the Chinese New Year ceremony at the Institute’s Hong Kong Joint Office. I wish you all a prosperous and cheerful Year of the Dog ahead!

 See you on the Asia Tour!

The Presidential Dinner in Hong Kong and Asia Tour networking dinners and cocktail party kicks-off next week. President John Evans, CEO Elayne Grace and I will be visiting Hong Kong together, then Elayne and I will continue onto Shanghai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur where we are hosting several presentation and networking sessions with the support of the local societies.  I look forward to catching up with the Asia-based members and meeting up with local stakeholders to learn about their views on Asia and their feedback for the Institute.

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