Of Superstitions and Spring

Today is Friday the 13th. Over here, we think nothing of it except that it gets mentioned in a passing conversation. Lots of us here may be superstitious to a certain degree (with different cultures believing in their own superstitions) but avoiding walking beneath a ladder is not one of them, certainly not among the Chinese. I have seen painters and home-renovators zipping back and forth beneath the ladders.

Some superstitions are really bizarre but dare we do otherwise? Do you have your own superstitions? How about sharing them?

In the meantime, let's take a look at this Friday the 13th issue. Borrowed from Wikipedia,

.. an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "It's been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day".

On the other hand,.. Despite this, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays.

Friday the 13th is so prominent that there is even a word for it:

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, a word derived from the concatenation of the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή) (meaning Friday), and dekatreís (δεκατρείς) (meaning thirteen), attached to phobía (φοβία) (meaning fear).

Several theories have been proposed about the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition. One theory states that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day.

- In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, that having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.

- Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century's The Canterbury Tales, and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects. Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s. It has also been suggested that Friday was the day that Jesus was crucified.

There you have it, Friday the 13th. Anyway, I love Fridays for many reasons, one of which is that it tells me the weekend is here and that takes away all the gloom of the week.

We just concluded the celebration of the beginning of spring (according to the lunar calendar). The 15-day celebration ended on the past Monday culminating in Chap Goh Meh, a final day of family gatherings, yee sang (tossing of raw fish/abalone and colorful salad, giving of lai see (good luck money in red envelopes given from married to unmarried juniors of relatives and friends) and kind words and decorum. Yes, the squabbles can begin all over again. Oops!

In the old days in China, this last day of celebration would entail maidens tossing oranges into a river from a bridge with the hope of securing a good man for marriage. I wonder if this is still being practised these days. If so, one would find on the orange, a contact number or perhaps an email address? I should think the town council would have a tough time fishing out the trash (oranges) from the rivers.

All said, Spring is here. Even Google is signalling it in their search engine page, I think. Happy Spring, everyone!

51st Grammy Awards...and the Grammy goes to..

Normally, due to the time-zone differences, we do not get to see live award shows (such as Emmys, Grammys and Academys) that are held in Los Angeles or anywhere else in the US, reason being we will be at work.

However, this year is different for a change, as today is a public holiday (yesterday being Thaipusam). Those with cable tv (Star World) were able to catch the 3-and-a-half hour live show from 9am onwards. In between breakfast and other unmentionables, I managed to catch a good part of it. Did you manage to catch the show? Well, below are some winners if you didn't.


Winners at the 51st Grammy Awards

SONG OF THE YEAR and BEST ROCK ALBUM - Viva la Vida, Coldplay




ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss performed this song, Gone Gone Gone




BEST RAP ALBUM - Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne (who won four awards)

BEST NEW ARTISTE - Adele, a British neo-soul singer, who beat Duffy, Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan to the award.

The Grammys is always a high-energy event with performances this year by among others, U2; Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake; Al Green; Lil Wayne; Kanye West; Radiohead (accompanied by the University of Southern California marching band; Jennifer Hudson (who won Best R&B album); Stevie Wonder and the Jonas Brothers; Paul McCartney who performed "I Saw Her Standing There"; Smokey Robinson joined by Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo as vocal accompaniment for Abdul (Duke) Fakir, (the last surviving Four Tops) performed a brisk medley of Four Tops tunes to mark the Motown group’s lifetime achievement award. Entertaining to say the least.

Whitney Houston making her biggest public appearance since leaving husband, Bobby Brown, two years ago and undergoing rehabilitation for drug addiction received a standing ovation as she stepped up to present the best R&B album award.

I think I'll stop here and let you read more about the Grammys for yourself, if you are interested, at grammy.com

Oh, by the way, I have on the sidebar a video of the Making of Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' album of the year. Just thought you would like to check it out.

Choosing Appropriate Gifts

I get friends and colleagues asking me for suggestions on gifts for various occasions. I am certainly no expert. They are just being kind. Lately, someone asked what is the best gift for a couple of elderly relatives.

She was thinking of some foodstuff, such as barbecued meat which is appropriate during this Lunar New Year time-period. Maybe some chocolates and cookies would be nice too and of course, at least a couple of mandarin oranges which are necessary to wish recipients wealth and prosperity in the year ahead.

I always believe in giving practical gifts. If I were to visit an elderly person who is ill and immobile, I should think adult diapers would be a useful gift in addition to foodstuff. What do you think? Can you suggest some others?

Friday Frolics - Jigsaw Puzzle

No quiz this week but let's try something else. When was the last time you did a jigsaw puzzle? Wanna try one online? Then try this simple Jigsaw Puzzle.



Try Personality Quizzes Here

Jobs in Marketing are Plentiful

With the current economy not showing signs of improving, more and more people are losing their jobs especially in the west. Companies here are also experiencing difficult times and those that are headquartered in the west are more affected than others. I have friends who have recently been laid off and are looking for jobs.

Here in Malaysia, there are still lots of jobs available. It is just a matter of individual job choice that vacancies are still available. There are still many jobs in marketing available as well as other jobs that may not pay as well as the former appointment but could still be enough to pay the bills and put food on the table. People just have to remember to live within their means. Probably easier said than done what with family commitments and such.

Buying Watches Online

Do you own watches like you own dresses? Seriously, this is a valid question as I have friends and colleagues who do own tons of watches, one to go with every outfit. Of course I am exaggerating but these ladies do own a very wide selection of watches of every shape and size and every colour imaginable.

Recently, I came across this website, kenmarwatches.com, and noticed that their watches cost less than if we were to buy them from the shops here, so I recommended that they check it out if they are still expanding their collection.

Kenmarwatches carries the largest selection of brand name watches from Andy Warhol to Calvin Klein, to Seiko, to Suunto watches to Pirelli to Victorinox Swiss Army, to Tissot, Dolce & Gabbana, Harley Davidson (you didn't know they have watches too, did you?), to you name it.

The site is easy to navigate with simple instructions on how to order, their pricing policy and great testimonials from happy customers. Customers can search for watches in specific style categories, such as Dive watches, Chronograph watches and sports watches.

So, if you too are into watches for yourself or as gifts, be sure to check out Kenmarwatches.com

Wine - How Much Do You Know About It?

Wine, particularly red wine, is becoming popular here in Malaysia. These days, bottomless red wine has replaced cognac in Chinese wedding dinners which partly could be due to economic reasons.

Wine is widely available in supermarkets or hypermarkets. Wine can easily be purchased online too. You can buy wine from different parts of the world. How much do we know about wine and the terms used? Here are a few common terms:

Dry
The puckering sensation that wine imparts. It is the opposite of sweet. It's often caused by tannins in the wine.

Extra Dry
A sparkling wine that is slightly sweet. This term often leads to confusion since Dry means without sweetness, but Extra Dry means slightly sweet.

Merlot
Less tannic with lower acidity than Cabernet Sauvignon, this grape makes reds that are often rounded and smooth textured. Aromas can be plums, hay, berries, and chocolate.

You can find out more about wine and its terminology or even check out a gold medal wine of the month.

Here's a little extra information about Wine and Food Pairing which is borrowed from the site:

When it comes to matching food and wine, don’t worry about always following the common “rules.” While many wine drinkers stick to popular pairings, you’ll discover that through experimentation, some white wines may compliment a steak and a robust red may add great balance to a grilled fish. So go ahead and throw out the rulebook and have some fun improvising and finding your own personality in paring food and wine.

A simple suggestion to remember is that wine should compliment the food rather than dominate it, and vice versa. Just like you wouldn’t eat a delicate, paper-thin pastry shell with thick beef stew and baked potatoes, the same holds true for wine. You don’t want one to overpower the flavors of the other. The trick to keep in mind is that lighter foods tend to compliment lighter wines, and heavier foods tend to compliment heavier wines. It’s really that easy.

Although there’s always room for experimentation in pairing food and wine, it’s sometimes best to follow the most traditional and widely accepted preferences. Take a look at the popular dishes below and choose a Gold Medal Wine Club wine to accompany your favorite meal.

So there... no hard and fast rules, really. Cheers!

Heaviest UK snow in 18 years

For us over here, the closest we ever get to getting snow is hailstones, though I have not experienced this weather condition. The few times when it happened, I was indoors and was not even aware of it.

Unusual weather is not unusual, more so these days of global warming. London yesterday saw the heaviest snow in 18 years disrupting not only air travel as buses were taken off the road.

Flights from the three London airports of Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick have either been cancelled or delayed. London's famous red buses were pulled off the roads on Sunday night as the snow got deeper. The city's subway system was also experiencing severe delays, leaving normally bustling central London something of a ghost town.

What good would a snowball be if it is that big, eh? Here is a picture of a group of men pushing a giant snowball across Kensington Gardens, west London Monday.















If you are in that part of the world, I hope you are keeping warm and staying safe. Mick, you are in my thoughts.


Source: CNN.com