Portland, Tennessee Blog

Michelle, thanks for the warning....I won't be watching that video !! You're right about the catfish ! ( any chance, catfish could have been raised in clean or purified water in the catfish farm ? I don't know how they are raised....I just know they are UGLY to look at....LOL LOL )
Regular catfish are scavengers, aren't they ?

If that turned you off, you should have seen the video I just watched. It seems that in Taiwan, there is a restarant that has been serving rat meat (which is considered a delicacy) for over 60 years, but it is serving considerably more now because it is considered good luck to eat it in the "year of the rat". The disclaimer was that all the rats were raised in clean sugar fields and NOT in dirty stores. lol

It reminds me of how we try to make catfish more appealing by labeling it "farm raised catfish" only we don't add "NOT from the dirty, polluted river".

Grateful...I think it was the sight of the rat in the hand that turned me off...LOL LOL

Chinese horoscopes are indeed interesting and while most would agree that psychics and horoscopes are so broadly worded and generalized that anyone can see themselves in it, it is my personal belief that there are true psychics out there. I myself will dream of things to come, occasionally, and can sense spirits when they are present. I don't have magical psychic powers, and I can't make it happen, but when it does happen, there's nothing false about it.

And, to be quite frank, Christians who cannot at least respect other cultures and religions aren't being very Christian. You don't have to agree with Wiccans to accept that they have a separate set of beliefs and belief practices that they feel just as strongly about as Christians feel about the bible and other holy relics.

Christianity has bases in paganism, you know. Christmas and Easter? Suspiciously close to two pagan holidays around the same time. Just a little food for thought.

I think many people would also say get a life for listening to weather forcasters and believing their predictions.

Come on people, I don't know Brian, but I think he was just trying to share some interesting tidbits of information. The Chinese culture may put a little more emphasis on these things, but there are many in the American culture who enjoy reading their daily horoscope as well. And beleive it or not, many are also Christians.

It is just another way humans over the centuries have tried to make sense of the chaos and the unknown. The Chinese, even after about 60 years of Communist rule with the official religion being atheism, still are very superstitious. Especially the older generation.
During a wedding I went to, a Polish girl had to lie about which year she was born in because it was bad luck for someone born in the year of the horse to be around the bride who was born in the year of the snake.
There are people (and I'm not one of them) Chuck who would say you are being superstitious and absurd for going to church and believing that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on the water, was resurrected and that there is an afterlife. You know, "get a life." Many Chinese do believe Christianity is based on tales. But Christianity has real meaning for people in our culture and without it many would not live with the hope that they do.
Likewise, these traditional beliefs have meaning for the Chinese. These superstitious Chinese beliefs aren't rational from our perspective, but that doesn't mean they don't have value in their culture.

Seriously if you believe in this stuff and in zodiac signs and psychics you need to get a life. Yeah I'll admit there are some amazing coincidences but seriously, it's all fake and scams. Test it for real and it doesn't work, never does.

Well, how can we miss ? It's an election year...there's sure to be tension,disaster and turbulence......Oh, not to mention, we are at war.

Otherwise...Happy New Year ! :)

Today is the first day of the lunar new year.

In Chinese culture, the year you are born in is supposed to tell you something about you, just like the Western zodiac. According to one website:

"People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and attraction for the opposite sex. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and are likely to be perfectionists. They are basically thrifty with money. Rat people are easily angered and love to gossip. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox."

I was born during the Year of the Rat and my wife was born during the Year of the Snake. They warned me that "snakes eat rats" before I got married. I've survived so far.

Chinese soothsayers also give annual predictions based on the animal year and which of the five elements the year corresponds to: earth, fire, wood, metal and water. According to the linked article, there is supposed to be "Tension, disaster, and turbulence" in 2008.

Last year was the year of the Golden Pig and was supposed to be a lucky year to have a baby. As a result, many couples planned to have a child last year and the country experienced a sizable baby boom. The year of the sheep is an unlucky year to have a baby unless both parents are sheep.

Sumner county has experienced devastating tornadoes in 2006 and earlier this week. All I was saying is that I hope Portland doesn't experience the bad stuff that is predicted for the year.

Uh-huh......just what I want to check my forecast with...a rat ! I don't mean any disrespect, Brian, but .........do ya think Lafayette got the tornado because people there were born in those years of the rat ??? And we escaped, because we weren't ??? Please.

Hey Brian,

Wasn't sure of how to get a hold of you except through this blog. My Social Studies classes at Portland Middle is in the middle of a unit on Ancient China, and I was wondering if I might get you to come and talk to them about some of your experiences. I'm listed in the book, call me up and let me know.