Christmas party!

[altivo]

As we've done for the last several years, the library staff had a holiday party last night. No, we weren't just procrastinating. It's deliberate, getting the event out of the time when everyone is so busy that you can't find a suitable date.

At first it was set for the Chinese restaurant in town, but then they called and said they couldn't do it that day because they'd be closed. When asked how long they were going to be closed, the answer was "Forever." The owner decided to retire, and the place is sold. A flurry of discussion about alternate venues focused on other Chinese places, but all were farther afield so we ended up at the German-American style place, which is really quite excellent.

However, when we all arrived, we found the director laying out Chinese horoscope place mats over the top of the ones provided by the restaurant. It turns out that the theme of the party had been planned for Chinese new year (all right, a little early rather than late, but hey) and we went ahead with that anyway. Each of us received a party favor, a tiny knitted sweater or mitten that contained a little card describing our sign in the Chinese zodiac and a miniature charm of the animal in question. She had researched carefully, so that people with birthdays in the crucial time frame where new year might have fallen before or after their birth date in that particular year were properly assigned.

I was the only ox. "You are logical and prefer peace and quiet. May take on the problems of the world and be downhearted. The sheep will bring trouble. Join with the snake or rooster." (Actually my mate and partner is a rabbit.)

We had two dragons, two rats, a snake, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a horse, a boar, and an ox. Rather more diverse than our western signs, which have nearly half of us in Sagittarius. Rabbit, tiger, and dog were missing.

Forecast last night said three inches of snow today. I see now they've cut it back to one inch during the day and another tonight. At the moment it's too cold (10°F) to snow. Usually we get the heaviest snows when the temperature is just below freezing.

Comments

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

I had a social event for my staff on Saturday January 7. Worked out really well as it didn't become something one had to fit in over the busy holidays. I gave them a gift basket on Christmas.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Baskets are nice. And I approve of keeping the party outside the traditional holiday period, though the 7th is still in range. You just call it a Boar's Head feast, or Epiphany, or even Orthodox Christmas.

[drelonek.livejournal.com]

I'm a bore. Er.. a boar, rather.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Just try not to be a boor about it. ;p

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

Next time my brother (Tiger) and I will have to come along to help. :D

Our company's holding its Christmas party in February - again because of venue booking. The theme's 'Venetian masked ball'. I'm rather keen on that, though I don't think I'm brave enough to attend...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You should go, of course. These are people you know, right? At least, a good part of them. It would be fun.

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

Nah, I hardly know anyone here - seriously. It's a bit of a big building and I'm a lot of a shy individual. We had our team party in December, though.

[felder.livejournal.com]

I'm actually a Horse ;) a Fire horse at that if you probe a little more into the Chinese horoscope ;)

*whuffle!*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

So now I have an image of you in harness and hauling an old fashioned pumper wagon to a blaze. ;p

[atomicat.livejournal.com]

AHA! Fellow Fire-horse! I'm a double actually, born in the time of the year of the fire-horse (six day window). Most chaotic and hell-raising mofos ever! When I went to Berlin, the government fell.
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But of course, it's just too bad that all astrology is bullshit. *sigh*

[corelog.livejournal.com]

Actually, the Chinese zodiac is more complex than that. The animal determined by year is just the perceived sign as seen by others. There are two more--the internal sign (determined by month, governs love life, inner persona, and compatibility with other signs) and the secret sign (determined by hour, is your own true sign which determines personality).

Also, these are just the three "earthly branches." There are two other components to the zodiac, the two "heavenly stems." (These are Yin/Yang, and Metal/Wood/Water/Earth/Fire.)

Put all together, I am a Yang Wood Rat Horse Tiger. Hmm...think I'll go into more detail on my own journal. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I knew about these details but I've never seen it laid out completely. Is there a web site or something that will calculate the whole thing?

[corelog.livejournal.com]

I just used the details on Wikipedia, really. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology)

You would be a Yin Earth Ox Rat, I think...except I don't know your birth hour, so you'd have to figure that out yourself.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check on solar longitude. I have that information. My estimate would be about 266° which means you're right about the rat as my "inner" animal.

The hour probably should be mean local time, rather than standard time. I was born at 22:54 standard time in Detroit, which is quite off from the prime meridian for the Eastern time zone. I can look up the correction for that when I get home, but I know it moves the actual time backwards, so that should make my "secretive" animal the boar.

The yin yang thing is confusing though because I'm sure it should go by the Chinese year, not the western Gregorian year. In that case, depending on which counting point you use, I was born in Chinese year 4586 or 4646, which would make me "yang fire" rather than "yin earth". The Wikipedia article doesn't clearly state whether its table uses western years or Chinese years. ;p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm an "Earth Ox" by the way. I do know that much.

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

As it turns out, I'm a Metal Dog. What I read on a site this morning fits me pretty well, but the way most of those are written fit a lot of people at least reasonably well (or so it seems).

Perhaps I should be ChromeCoyote?

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Chrome is pretty toxic stuff. How about stainless steel? ;p

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

Bleah! No toxicity for me, thanks. And there's already a Stainless Steel Rat who does just fine at it ;)

Hmmm... PlatinumCoyote? GoldCoyote? NiobiumCoyote? DarmstadtiumCoyote?

Nah... not the last one; I'm not particularly radioactive :P

Light and laughter,
SongCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

How about elektrum, that alloy of gold and silver beloved of the classical world? Actually, I'm partial to silver because I associate it with night and the moon, both of which seem appropriate for you. Silver with a heart of gold? That will do nicely.

[songcoyote.livejournal.com]

Ah, elektrum! An excellent choice - thankee kindly. I have it in my head (and via Dictionary.com) as electrum, but your spelling is closer to the greek from which the words springs.

ElectrumKoyote lays an odd cast on the tongue, though... but I do blushingly appreciate the poetic description it brought from you.

Thank you, lovely pony.

Light and laughter,
songCoyote

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*nuzzle* All I did was speak the truth.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

Fire Dragon here. Need anything toasted? :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

If you could just start the woodstove up for me I'd appreciate it muchly. Hot tea and a slice of cheesecake waiting for you as soon as you've done that.

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

The chinese mats on the tables usually say I'm
a Horse.

@.@

But...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFf33_TRfCA

[altivo.livejournal.com]

All the details depend on the month, and time of day. See Wikipedia for the complete lowdown on the Chinese zodiac and how it is applied.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Ahm a monkey :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You know, of course, why there's no kitty-cat (tigers don't count) among the Chinese signs? Even though the dog is there? It's because the animals were all summoned to a meeting where the sections of the zodiac were to be passed out, but the cat forgot when it was and asked the rat. The rat told the cat the wrong date and as a result, the cat overslept and missed the meeting and his place in the immortal zodiac. Ever since then, the cat and the rat have been deadly enemies. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Tigers do count :P

Rat's have a bad rep, I've met some very nice ones :)
I'm starting to think you horses are very devious creatures.