The Year of the Pig… I am so glad that I was not born in the Year of the Pig.

I was born in the year of the Horse. My grandfather, JT and my little brother were born in the year of the Rat. My mother and father were born in the year of the Dragon and my children were born in the year of the Monkey.

The Horse attributes:

The horse personality is often willing to give as well as expect a lot of liberty. These people are extremely independent and confident. The horse person is very quick-witted, inquisitive and determined. They are very good at recognizing patterns: he or she is on to the thought in your mind even before you’ve expressed it. In general, these people are gifted. But in truth they are often more cunning than intelligent - and they surely know that. They adore being the centre of everyone’s attention, but they prefer to be recognized for their skills and are easily flattered. On the other hand these people have an honesty and genuine warmth which attracts lots of people and helps them make new friends. People as a rule confide in a horse person because he/she is sincerely interested in their thoughts and feelings and is able to help with both wise words and an action, but there is a small problem about it - the horse person is so excited by new discoveries that it is difficult for them to keep a secret. This is not something that arises out of malice or revenge - sometimes they just cannot help themselves.

It is easy to inspire such a person by new ideas and he/she tends to act on them without delay, carried away by the excitement of the moment. But it is also important to remember that there is a danger for a horse person to be too impulsive and it may cause some problems in the future. And if they do not see the result of their efforts, it is rather natural for them to turn their attention to a new project and head off once again, brimming with new ideas. The horse person is always ready to offer good advice and can be very persuasive, but his/her confident and carefree approach hides inner doubts. Those who know such a person will recognize this, and offer the support and reassurance he/she needs. A male that is born in the year of the horse is considered as a charming, suave person to a member of the opposite sex.

And later it goes on to say that I am the least compatible with the Rat… eek. JT was born in the year of the Rat.

Horses should beware of the Rat, as any relationship with this sign is said to be extremely trying for the horse. Of all relationships between Chinese zodiac signs, a relationship between a rat and a horse is said to be the worst… The rat is way too calculating, dictatorial and possessive for the free-spirited and independent horse. A relationship with a rat can potentially break down the horse’s free-spirit and cause rage in the rat - as neither will be willing to yield to the other.

According to ChinaDaily.com.cn:

Beijingers sent more than 400 million text messages of greetings on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, the most important festival in China.

Figures released Sunday by Beijing Mobile and Beijing Unicom, two major telecommunications operators in the Chinese capital, showed that about 5,800 text messages were sent per second Saturday in Beijing.

The Chinese Lunar New Year starts on the first day of the first lunar month, which falls on Sunday this year. Reuniting with family members, ushering in luck for the year and sending New Year greetings are usually the key themes.

Nationwide, China Mobile and China Unicom estimated on Sunday that Chinese people would send around 14 billion festival text messages during the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday.

Official statistics indicated that Chinese people sent 429.6 billion text messages through mobile phones last year, a daily average of up to 1.2 billion.

There were more than 460 million mobile phones subscribers in China at the end of 2006.

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