The year of the Rat is coming. Like it or not, we all have to embrace it as another new year. As for the prospects, "the Year of the Rat is ruled by the cold of winter and the darkness of night. It will be marked by speculation and fluctuations in the prices of commodities and the stock market; the world economy in general will be affected one way or another starting with a weakening US economy followed by stock markets plunging into turmoils after shares nosedive in Asia".
But what is exactly the Rat, in the Chinese Zodiac?. Honestly speaking, after browsing through many websites, I become more confused about the "Virtues" of the Rat. And for what it brings for the Year to come, little specifics are highlighted but a whole lot of generalities are presented with vague exceptions and "mise en garde".
For those who were born under the sign of the Rat, it's wise to look for the right
Fengshui Master who can predict the future, but for a practical person like me, I have my own way to look at things...
Year of the Rat, Raise a Cat!. By the end of summer 2007, I suddenly felt obliged to shelter three kittens found abandoned under the deck of my veranda. I have kept them ever since to give them a home, but it was all part of my strategy: to scare away squirls which managed to sneak into our house through the kitchen window. And it works. No more squirls wandering in the back yard, but the cats got bored. As the winter was approaching, I almost refused the idea of having three cats in the house, not for the place is too small, but It was almost a full time job maintaining the kitchen clean. Rumors of Rats invading the kitchen of our neighbor's house recently had made me reconsider that decision.
The little creepers haven't made their salute yet, but the cats are on alert. At certain point in time, I thought that they had made a catch but turned out to be a cat toy mouse. There were indeed confirmed reports of rat and mouse droppings being found in some restaurants that have led city officials to order a top-to-bottom cleaning of a few restaurants in the Montreal Downtown area; but that was how far the danger seemed to be "Present and Clear". Sometimes I wondered if Tony my neighbor had overeacted when the rats which had sneaked into his house were in fact the squirls looking for refuge against the cold and the snow. The cats are still with us, watching over the kitchen for invisible rats. Constantly in action, they are conducting daily exercise with the cat mouse toy which almost lost its head. The rats are not to be found anywhere in the house, not in the closets, nor in the kitchen. They must be waiting somewhere, sometime to get into the house of course by the front door on this February the 7th, the Year of the Rat. The Rat is the first animal of the 12 year-Cycle in the Chinese Calendar, which comes to visit every household once every twelve years, with or without the Cats. So let's get alert, and for those who were born under the sign of the Cat or the Snake, You are On Call !..
Year of the Rat predictions 4:28mn [CNNVideo] Raymond Lo, a Feng Shui consultant gives his Year of the Rat predictions for global environment, finance and love:"it's Yang Earth sitting on the Rat which is massive water. So therefore that is why on the outside a Yang Earth person gives you the impression of stability and firmness but underneath the water is unstable, like tension underneath while on the ousitde it is more peaceful..." (Source CNN).
Shocking/Offbeat news about Rats. 2008 is the 'Year of the Rat' in the traditional Chinese calendar. Although rats are not everybody's favourite animals, the rodent's meat is considered, at least by some, a delicacy in rural Vietnam (AP ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Chinese Deliver Live Rats to Restaurant. "Central China, plagued with about two billion rats forced out by a flooded lake, trucks the live rodents to the south to be used in restaurant dishes. Some Guangdong Internet users have already offered rat recipes as a way to deal with the rat invasion problem. The idea to cook rat meat in restaurants was partially suggested by the lack of snakes, a popular dish in the south of China, and owls, traditionally used in Chinese medicine." (InfoNIAC).
Central-china-on-disease-alert-after-rat-invasion. Poison has also been widely used to kill the rats but that has already had side effects. In Binhu village of Lujiao town, about 1,000 cats died after eating rats killed by poison.
Giant Rat discovered in Indonesia Jungle.
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists said Monday (MSN). Group calls on China to respect rats. BEIJING - An animal rights group called Monday for China to treat rats with kindness and respect, as millions across the nation begin to celebrate the coming Year of the Rat.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, said it has asked the Chinese government to consider animal welfare laws for rats used in laboratory experiments. The group also recommended a series of guidelines for animals used in science (Yahoo News).
Year of the Rat predictions 4:28mn [CNNVideo] Raymond Lo, a Feng Shui consultant gives his Year of the Rat predictions for global environment, finance and love:"it's Yang Earth sitting on the Rat which is massive water. So therefore that is why on the outside a Yang Earth person gives you the impression of stability and firmness but underneath the water is unstable, like tension underneath while on the ousitde it is more peaceful..." (Source CNN).
Shocking/Offbeat news about Rats. 2008 is the 'Year of the Rat' in the traditional Chinese calendar. Although rats are not everybody's favourite animals, the rodent's meat is considered, at least by some, a delicacy in rural Vietnam (AP ASSOCIATED PRESS).
Central-china-on-disease-alert-after-rat-invasion. Poison has also been widely used to kill the rats but that has already had side effects. In Binhu village of Lujiao town, about 1,000 cats died after eating rats killed by poison.
Jessie Eating Rat: A daring experience
which is worth the try.
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