新牛年快乐！Happy New Year of the Ox!

Are you an Ox?

Ox Years - 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997
“People born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. They tend, however, to be eccentric, and bigoted, and they anger easily. They have fierce tempers and although they speak little, when they do they are quite eloquent. Ox people are mentally and physically alert. Generally easy-going, they can be remarkably stubborn, and they hate to fail or be opposed. They are most compatible with Snake, Rooster, and Rat people.”

Another report on Oxen:

The Ox: A born leader, you inspire confidence from all around you. You are conservative, methodical, and good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your own way. The Ox would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser. Some Oxen: Napoleon Bonaparte, Walt Disney, Clark Gable, Richard Nixon, Rosa arks, Sylvia Porter, Vincent Van Gogh.


Here in Beijing, I hung out with my friend Sunny Oh and her beautiful mama who cooked up all kinds of Korean specialties for us to enjoy. We played a Korean game called Yute, which my team won! The losing team had to venture on to the cold Beijing streets to procure fireworks for set off at midnight.


Beijing felt like a war zone come midnight, minus the bloodshed of course. There were fireworks being set off EVERYWHERE! Big ones, small ones, loud ones, quiet ones. The skies were ablaze with shining shows of the celebration fireworks, the air thick with smoke and sparks.


As my taxi wove through the streets not long after midnight, we took a few fireworks hits, however driver was unfazed, driving through the chaos.


I can tell you, if the ghosts and spirits weren't scared away by these fireworks - I was!

boyle's reign in the Niu 牛 Year in China

What a family adventure! Traci, Vegen, Mom and Dad arrived in Beijing on December 21 for a once in a lifetime Christmas everyone is sure never to forget! Although I put together a rather grueling traveling schedule for the family, we were able to see and experience a few of the many aspects of modern China.

Despite a few challenges, not to mention Traci's lil bun, my mom's foot, and my dad's A.D.D, we managed to make 4 in-country flights, overcome a serious bought of Montezuma's revenge in China's SW, and travel to several municipalities and provinces including: Hebei, Beijing, Lijiang & Kunming in Yunnan, and Shanghai.

What an adventure, and what good sports, after overcoming the shocks of the squatter toilets and culinary surpris
es!