FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Today is the first anniversary of this blog. I started writing it on 14th January, 2007. Why did I start it? It was partly because of my friend, Lai Yoong, and also partly out of frustration. Let me explain.

You see Lai Yoong and my other friends would call me to look for auspicious dates for them from the T'ung Sing or Chinese Almanac when they want to carry out certain activities like moving house, engagements or marriages. They also like to ask me about things pertaining to Chinese culture such as the length of red cloth to be hung across the door during a Chinese marriage ceremony. It is not that I am very good at it but that I have done a lot of research on such matters. I had even written a book on auspicious occasions and managed to get a publisher for it. Unfortunately, there has been a hitch and the book has yet to be published due to some problems with the photographs. My friends and relatives who had been waiting for the book to come out got rather impatient as their daughters and sons had their own special occasions like moving into a new apartment and getting married and couldn't wait for the book to be published to be used as reference. Actually, I was rather embarassed about the whole situation as I had told them about the book and made them promise me to buy it once it was out but until today it is not published yet. And so I got the idea to do this blog so that I could share what I know and have learnt about the Chinese culture and also Feng Shui with my friends, relatives and other like-minded individuals who might be interested in the subject. My aim in writing the book was actually to share what I know of the Chinese culture and to pass it on to the future generation. I look at the youngsters nowadays and fear that they are embracing more and more of the western culture and might forget their own culture. Hopefully, this does not happen and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the publisher will finally publish my book. I took two and a half years to research it and spent a lot of time interviewing people, doing surveys, taking photographs, reading lots of materials and going to red occasions in order to write the book. I also attended feng shui classes and also studied under some masters to write it.

I named the blog Xing Fu which means happiness after giving much thought about as to naming it. To me it had to be something auspicious and I figured that above all happiness is the thing that we all want to have most. After all we'd most certainly be very happy if we have good health, lots of wealth, fame and glory. So ultimately, to me the pursuit of happiness should be the best thing in life. Don't you agree?

As for this blog, when I first started only a few of my friends and relatives visited but I notice that visitors have been slowly increasing and so it is not only those whom I know who read what I write. I am truly touched and very appreciative. There are many visitors who spend two to three hours reading all the articles that I have posted. To them, I offer my sincerest thanks.

If I could ask a favour of my visitors, then it would be to tell your other friends to come visit my blog. In this way, you will be helping me to perpetuate the Chinese cultural practices. Could you do that for me, please? That would be a great present to start the year with.

Hey! See the above picture. It was taken on Saturday afternoon at the Toyota Showroom in Ipoh. I am setting in motion one of my new year resolutions, that is, to change a new car.