(Happy New Year!)

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the new lunar year. The notable thing about the new year is that whereas it’s the Year of the Sheep on the Chinese calendar, it’s the Year of the Goat on the Vietnamese. The only other year that I know of where this discrepancy exists is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, which is the Year of the Cat to the Vietnamese.

As I understand it, astrologers (to whom I’ve never given much heed) believe the animal influences the traits of a person born on that year. Now, I was born on in the Year of the Tiger, so I’m all set (“Gr-r-reat!®”), but I think it would kinda suck to be born in the Year of the Sheep. (No offense to all you Sheep Year people out there…) I’d rather be born in the Year of the Goat, though come to think of it neither animal has traits that I would consider very flattering.