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Over dinner tonight, I had an interesting conversations about the customs of Chinese New Year… seeing as I am Chinese, it is terribly embarassing not to be able to tell others about it. So, I present to you: Chi’s 2008 edition on Must-Knows of Chinese New Year.

1) This year is the Year of the Rat. Every year is represented by one of 12 animals. Each has its own characteristics that are quite symbolic. (http://chineseculture.about.com/library/extra/character/bls_canimalsign.htm); and you can find your own animal here.

1. Mouse, Rat
2. Ox
3. Tiger
4. Rabbit
5. Dragon
6. Snake
7. Horse
8. Sheep
9. Monkey
10. Rooster
11. Dog
12. Pig

2) Married couples give out money! These moneies come in a red envelop, called a Red Packet, and is given to the younger generation by the older generation. It is symbolic of luck; during the exchange or receiving of the Packets, you are to wish each other good health, good luck, good prosperity and the likes.

 3) Did you know that approximately 1/6th of the world’s population celebrate this lunar new year?

 4) If you visit Chinatown, you’ll often see dragon-dance and lion dance. Groups of 4-5 people would don the costumes and do a ritualized/stylized dance that mimics the movements / actions of the lion or dragon. Such dance is accompanized by rigous drumming, which drives the entire sequence rhythmically.

 5) Last but not least, there are a few famous greetings. One of them is: “Sun Lin Fai Lork”, which means Happy New Year in Cantonese. Others include wishing for good health, good prosperity, and other sayings that emphasize happiness, peace and harmony.

First off, who would’ve thought that driving a bus was so much stress. According to the Star article, nearly 200 TTC bus, streetcar and subway operators suffer from post-traumatic stress. It goes through the stories of couple drivers who have been shot at, spat at, and witnessed multiple suicides and been beaten at.  Some are even afraid to ask patrons to pay full fare in fear of being beaten. While some argue that their hourly rate of $20-30/hr to be excessive, many don’t realize the working condition that these men and women endure.  Interesting, “”They’re easy targets. They wear a uniform. They represent a form of authority but without too much power,” said Brunet, who found a “higher than expected” rate of the disorder among Montreal bus drivers in a study conducted 12 years ago.Norman Shields, a psychologist who treats combat veterans, says bus drivers might be more likely to suffer from the disorder than soldiers because of the driver’s relative inability to act – to use handcuffs, a weapon, anything to react to the adrenaline rush that comes with an assault.”

 So folks, let’s cherish our drivers with a smile next time you board the bus (even if the bus driver saw you running towards them and proceed to drive away from you.)