Translations/interpretations:

Friendliness is conducive to business success.; Amiability attracts riches.; An even temper brings wealth.; Good-naturedness is a source of wealth; Harmony brings wealth.; Peace breeds wealth.

A even temper brings wealth. This is my favourite. It doesn’t matter if some ignorant, impulsive, impatient and bad tempered brats don’t believe in it. The key to business success is not really “smartness” but good and bold strategy, hardwork, discipline, patience and an even temper. These beliefs are part and parcel of Chinese culture, especially during Chinese New Year.

During this festive season, there is plenty of buying and selling, cleaning and renewing. Demand for goodies like seafood, meat, vegetables go up. Prices follow suit. Schedules may get disrupted as people postpone major undertakings to after the new year. Along with all that, comes a bit of stress. But the party is about to start. We cast our worries aside, put on our finest attire and behaviour and greet the new year with a big smile.

When I was a kid, I was often admonished not to speak of anything negative during Chinese New Year. It doesn’t mean that we bury our heads in the sand. It simply means that we don’t spoil the festive mood which we remembered so well as kids. And I really enjoyed my Chinese New Year back then. All the sweets and good food. Catching up with relatives and friends. And of course, those red packets.

When I was a swinging single, I’ve called home from Thailand, Myanmar, India, Nepal and various other exotic destinations during Chinese New Year. Many people couldn’t understand why I would want to do something like that. Have I forgotten all the fun I had as a child? I guess like many other singles whose marriage was long overdue, I packed up and flew off to escape the irritating “so when are you getting married?” from my elders.

With my own family and kids now, Chinese New Year ought to be a lot more meaningful than before. Many people can’t understand why I still want to escape. Because one hand can never clap. I’m the only real Chinese at home who understands that Chinese New Year is not just about hanging red decorations. It’s not just about eating pineapple tarts, prawn rolls, love letters and kueh bangkit. It’s also about visiting, mingling, forgiving, forgetting and looking beyond the minor disputes and irritations around us.

Ironically, it is during this period that people who are either unfamiliar with the culture or who were not properly brought up would take the opportunity of reunion to rake up the past, reopen old wounds and pick fights. What is the point of hanging joyous couplets, keeping the brooms locked up or even praying to the god of fortune? To me, those are just superstitions. What really helps us prosper is to make peace with as many people who matter as possible, so we can focus on business and not fighting and grumbling.

There is no way I can impart values of even temper, tolerance, making do with less, patience and harmony when negative demonstrations fill the house. Year after year, there has been no exception. If anything, I have more reason to escape Chinese New Year now than ever before.

Happy New Year, everybody. Signing off until I come home from my trip.

To facilitate bonafide foreign tourists who plan their tours at a short notice, Government of India has decided to introduce “Tourist Visa-on-Arrival” for a period of one year for citizens of five countries viz. Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore on an experimental basis w.e.f. 1.1.2010. Tourists from the said countries can also procure their visas from the Missions / Posts in the normal course.

2. The said “Tourist Visa-on-Arrival” with a maximum validity of 30 days with single entry facility shall be granted by the Immigration Officers at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports to start with.

3. The grant of a “Tourist Visa-on-Arrival” shall be regulated as per the guidelines prescribed in the Visa Manual.

New Delhi
January 1, 2010

I’ll be leaving for Hanoi on the 11th of February 2010 for a very short Chinese New Year holiday. I’ll be heading for Guangxi and then I’ll be returning to Hanoi to fly back to Singapore on 19th February.

Given the limited time, I need to be very selective with where I’ll go and what I’ll see. Top on my list will be Detian Waterfall and the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo.

I’ll continue to research my destination and post some information I’ve discovered over here. Feel free to comment. Of course, I’ll try to post trip reports here after the trip. Watch this spot.

The trains in Thailand are quite OK. But as usual, the casues are human factors. The real problem lies with extreme complacency and a lack of discipline. “Ratchaphruek” is a royal flower festival hosted by the Thai government held in Chiangmai. I’m very doubtful how the State Railway of Thailand’s promise to “urgently seek measures to prevent such accidents occurring again” can ever be translated into action.

There are too many sticks in the mud occupying important positions in Thailand. The country had an excellent opportunity to rid itself of these pieces of deadwood earlier on - in the form of a heavy-handed PM ready to make radical reforms. It’s back to the good old days, I guess. Long live the old Thailand.

From The Nation

A special “Ratchaphruek” train ferrying passengers from Bangkok to the flora expo in Chiang Mai was hit by another train, which caused three carriages and a rear engine to be derailed.