New Year, Old Symbol

The Year of the Tiger is here, knocking on our doors.

The Lunar and Western Calendars are having an “eclipse” : Lunar New Year  and Valentine’s Day both on Sunday (Christian Calendar).

While Valentine’s Day barely takes hold of Vietnamese youth culture, in other years, this year old tradition overshadows young hearts. Red lucky envelopes and fire crackers replace chocolate and bouquet. The personal and private give way to communal and traditional, horizontal to the vertical flow of history.

Here in the US, we see other seasonal calendars at work: President Day (political) Sports Illustrated Swim Suit issue (cultural). The Church will have its Ash Wednesday (religious).

Have your pick of what day means more to you.

I have another calendar: the automated bank payment calendar. E-billing and E-payment.

The Asian mindset is such that, however bad the old was, let it pass. Very stoic. Can’t do much about it.

The important thing is on new year’s eve, people don’t go out to the village square to scream the “count down”.  (ain’t New York).

Instead, the house must be cleanly swept, and the door wide open. To bring in good spirits and air out past bad luck.

This year, I will open my door twice as wide, and a day early. Just to make room for the New New thing.

One cannot get hold of the new when busy holding on to the old.

Malone’s Law states that: “all technological solutions arrive later than we expect, but sooner that we are prepared for”.

It takes vision and courage to change, especially one’s self.

We can beat to dead the already dead horse: are we products of nature or nurture?

But somehow, deep inside us, the preferences and prejudices, early imprints and impressions still skew our choices.

They make us feel regretful or even remorseful (ever heard of buyer’s remorse?).

Can’t help but thinking of the used-car salesman who pretends not to recognize his yesterday’s prospect, who already is today’s customer.

There is no need for him to spend time with need-discovery phase. He did not think about positive word-of-mouth or reputational currency.

None of that. SOLD, says the sign on the dash board.

Good thing, in the East, we have a return of the same Symbol, every twelve years. You miss the last Tiger (1998), you can catch this year’s.

The belief in the next life arises from this cyclical mind-set: we can always settle the scores later, or next life. There is no need to play zero-sum game.

It may be a new year on the Western Calendar, but it’s an old symbol in the East. Everyone loves a Tiger, as long as it is already fed and well-stroked.

Happy New Year, my Chinese and Vietnamese friends.

Happy Valentines to the rest.

Wish you Tiger-size success.