Animal instincts, the zodiac way

 

https://mystar.pressreader.com/article/281479280535637

This Chinese New Year-inspired bucket list involves travelling the world to see sculptures or statues of all the 12 characters of the Chinese zodiac.

THE Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 characters. In order, the characters are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year here), which typically falls between late January and February, the new Chinese zodiac year begins. Today is the last day of the year for the Water Tiger; the Water Rabbit will begin its cycle tomorrow.

The Chinese zodiac predates China’s Qin Dynasty (221–207BC), and the cycle of the 12 creatures was established before or during the Eastern Han Dynasty, according to ancient documents found years ago.

Each zodiac character or animal (obviously, the dragon isn’t an animal but many centuries ago, people believed in its existence on Earth) has its own unique traits. These traits are then said to be an indication of what the year will be like. For example, the rabbit is the symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture, so 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope for many.

Of course, there is no real science behind all these narratives, so many people don’t really believe in the predictions, or just take them with a pinch of salt.

By now, you have probably seen a handful of stories which recommend destinations you should travel to in 2023 based on your Chinese zodiac sign. Do remember that most of these are just articles written in jest, and should not be taken too seriously.

However, if you do wish to add some elements of the Chinese zodiac into your travel, here are some places around the world you can visit that feature sculptures or statues of the animals.

RABBIT

Locations: Japan (Miyazaki and Kyoto), Wales (Lland-udno), Germany (Friedrichshafen)

 

 

The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac and this year is its time to shine. In Friedrichshafen, a city in south Germany, there is a fountain featuring bronze sculptures of animals created by German sculptor Gernot Rumpf.

The fountain, Buchhornbrunnen, is said to be one of the city’s main tourist attractions, alongside the Zeppelin airship, which was founded there. The sculptures around the fountain feature funny-looking animals, including the water-spouting female bunny (pic) with a braid. It is said that Rumpf commonly adds braids to his sculptures of female animals.

In Japan, there are several locations in which you can find rabbit statues.

In Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu island, there is a stone rabbit statue in the Udo Shrine, which is located in the Nichinan coast. Don’t be surprised to find many coins scattered around the statue as most visitors will place them there. They will also touch or rub the rabbit’s head, as they believe that this will bring them good luck.

Meanwhile, in Kyoto there is a pair of black and white rabbit statues located within the Okazaki Shrine. Visitors who come here, especially those wishing to conceive, will splash the black rabbit’s tummy with water for good luck.

In northern Wales, there is a town called Llandudno where you can find a huge wooden statue of a rabbit. It is actually the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s famous novel. It is said that Carroll (whose real name was Charles Dodgson) based the “Alice” character on a real-life girl named Alice Liddell. The Dodgsons and Liddells were close family friends, so one summer, Charles reportedly joined Alice and her family to their summer holiday home in Llandudno.

It is speculated that Charles was inspired by Alice and her many adventures in Llandudno. Even though there are no official documents to prove this, the White Rabbit statue was put up by the local council in 1933 to support

this speculation. Visitors can also find other statues and Alice In Wonderlandthemed trails in town.

RAT

Location: Malaysia (Penang)

Located in Ayer Itam, Penang, the Kek Lok Si Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. The temple is a significant place of pilgrimage for Buddhists here, as well as those from neighbouring countries including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The complete temple complex was constructed between 1890 and 1930 thanks to an idea from the abbot at the time, Beow Lean.

Somewhere in the temple grounds, you can find a large statue of the Rat, which actually looks kind of cute.

OX

Location: Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the Wong Tai Sin Temple is not just a well-known Taoist temple but a popular tourist attraction too. It honours Wong Tai Sin, a Taoist deity known in several regions including Hong Kong as a great healer. The temple receives millions of worshippers and visitors each year as supposedly it is the best place to go to get your wishes and prayers granted, through the ancient practice of fortune telling or “kau chim”.

Once you’re done with the kau chim, take a walk around the temple to search for a statue of the human-bodied Ox holding a large sword.

TIGER

Location: Norway (Oslo)

In Oslo city, the capital of Norway, one of the first things you will see upon arrival at the train station is the statue of a tiger. Yes, this tiger at the Oslo Central Station is definitely popular not just with international tourists but with locals too.

The statue was gifted to the city by a property management company called Eiendomsspar in 2000, when Oslo celebrated its 1,000th year. The local council had requested for a tiger sculpture as the city’s nickname is “Tigerstaden”, or Tiger City.

The 4.5m-tall bronze sculpture was created by artist Elena Engelsen.

DRAGON

Location: Thailand (Nakhon Pathom province)

Wat Sam Phran in Thailand is one of those handful of amazing places of worship that you just have to visit. Located about 40km from Bangkok, in the Nakhon Pathom province, the temple is famous for the majestic red and green dragon sculpture that wraps around the building’s 80m-high cylindrical edifice.

Oh, and the edifice is pink. The temple has been around since the 1980s, and is sometimes referred to as the “Dragon Temple”.

SNAKE

Location: Thailand (Ratchaburi and Bueng Kan provinces)

Also in Thailand are two places where you can find snake statues. One is in the Khao Ngu Stone Park in Ratchaburi province. Khao Ngu means “snake mountain” in Thai, so you can pretty much figure out what you can find in abundance here. In fact, as you arrive at the park, you will walk past a large cobra statue that doubles as a water fountain.

Meanwhile, in Bueng Kan, you won’t just find a statue of a snake, but a whole cave that resembles a snake! The Phu Langka National Park, which lies in the Bueng Khong Long district, is home to the Naka Cave (also known as the Naga Cave). Naka is “snake” in Thai and it refers to the texture of some of the stones nearby, which resemble the scaly skin of a snake.

HORSE

Location: Spain (Barcelona)

At the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, you can find two bronze sculptures of a chariot being pulled by horses, made by artist Pablo Gargallo.

You can also find a similar statue at the 12ha Can Drago park. In fact, you can find many beautiful horse sculptures and statues in Barcelona and other major cities in Spain. The country has a long history in equestrian, and horses are considered an important part of the Spanish culture.

Some of the statues in Barcelona were commissioned for the Barcelona International Exposition in 1929, and the Summer Olympics in 1992.

There’s also a funny-looking black horse statue at the airport, and another one upon which Raimundo Berengario III the Great, once the count of Barcelona and other regions, rides.

GOAT

Location: Republic of Ireland (County Kerry)

Ever imagined seeing a statue of a goat wearing a crown? Well, you can if you visited a little place called Killorglin Town in County Kerry, Ireland. 

 This statue of a male goat, which is also known as a puck (the statue is nicknamed “King Puck” as the goat is wearing a crown), is the symbol of one of Ireland’s oldest festivals, the Puck Fair.

The celebration begins on Aug 10 each year, and lasts for three days. During Puck Fair, a wild puck is captured and crowned the “king of the town” for a whole three days before he is returned to his regular life in the hills. The four-legged king is brought to the town square where he is crowned by the “queen”, which, surprisingly (or maybe not) is a local girl and not a female goat.

The king is then put on his “throne”, which is basically a cage placed on a raised platform so that he can see what his “subjects” are doing at all times. Or at least for the duration of his reign.

At the end of Puck Fair, the goat is relieved of all his kingly duties, and released back into the wild.

Though this story seems unlikely, it is actually true. We definitely recommend visiting Killorglin Town in August just for the Puck Fair.

Monkey

Location: Indonesia (Bali)

Folks who have been to Bali would have probably visited the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary or Mandala Suci Wenara Wana in Ubud, home to more than 1,000 long-tailed macaques.

Commonly known to tourists as the Ubud Monkey Forest, the place is the native habitat of these macaques, which are revered by the locals. There are three temples in the sanctuary: Dalem Agung Padangtegal, Holy Spring, and Prajapati.

On each of the temples you can find several statues and sculptures of monkeys, some of which symbolise ancient stories and myths.

Look for the three monkeys holding these poses – see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil!

Rooster

Location: Turkiye (Denizli)

In Turkiye, there is a breed of rooster called the Denizli that is native to ... the city of Denizli. This rooster is known for its beautiful colourful feathers as well as its distinct crowing. It has been associated with the city since the Ottoman times and is regarded as a symbol of Denizli.

Naturally, this is also where you can find many statues and sculptures of the fowl around the city. Among the more popular ones are the glass statue (said to be the largest glass statue of a rooster in Turkiye) that’s located in the town square, and the 27m-tall iron statue situated on a hill. In 2019, the statue was still under construction and so far there has not been an update on whether it is finished or not.

However, a local report states that authorities are hoping for it to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest statue of a ... rooster. Good luck, Denizli!

Dog

Location: Japan (Tokyo)

You have probably heard or read of the story of Hachiko, the incredibly loyal Japanese Akita who waited at the train station for nine years for his owner to return.

Or maybe you saw the heartbreaking movie depicting this story starring Hollywood actor Richard Gere. 

 As the story goes, Hachiko would wait for his owner Hidesaburo Ueno to come home from work every day at Tokyo’s Shibuya Station. After Hidesaburo’s death, Hachiko continues to wait for him at the station, probably wondering what’s taking the guy so long to come home. Local commuters began to realise this, and started caring for Hachiko, but he refused to be taken in by anyone.

After nine years of living on the streets, Hachiko, too, dies.

In April 1934, a bronze statue in Hachiko’s likeness was placed permanently at Shibuya Station. But during World War II the statue was seized by the military to be repurposed – possibly melted and turned into a weapon.

A new statue was then made in 1948 by Takeshi Ando, the son of the original sculpture, Teru Ando. This statue remains at Shibuya Station to this day, and is in fact one of the top “meeting spots” in the city.

For those who are looking for more Hachiko adventure, head to the Odate Station in Odate City, Akita Prefecture, where another Hachiko statue (created in 1932) can be found. Odate is said to be Hachiko’s “hometown”.

In 2004, a separate Hachiko statue was created and placed in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Odate.

Pig

Location: Italy (Florence)

Il Porcellino, or “piglet” in Italian, is a bronze fountain of a boar in Florence, Italy that was sculpted in 1634. It is said that traditionally, visitors who wish to return to Florence or who are just looking for a bit of luck would rub the boar’s snout. Because of this, the original boar sculpture was moved to the Bardini Museum in 1998 to preserve it, and replaced with an identical bronze recast at the original site, which is the Piazza del Mercato Nuovo (the New Market) in Florence.

In addition to rubbing the snout, it is also customary to put a coin in the boar’s mouth. If the coin falls under the fence, you will have good luck, but if it falls outside of it, you should be wary of your surroundings. 

- The Star Malaysia21 Jan 2023 By CASSANDRA VICTOR and MELODY L. GOH lifestyle@thestar.com.my

Photo: MUMMELGRUMMEL/ Wikimedia Commons

https://mystar.pressreader.com/article/281479280535637

 

XI Jinping CNY MESSAGES 

 

We must let the elderly live a happy and good life at their old age. Respecting and caring for the aged is one of the virtues of the Chinese. Whether a society is happy depends very much on whether the elderly are happy." Wise CNY words from President Xi Jinping.👍👍👍

 

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 Tips from a tiger

Be sexually safe this Valentine’s

Don’t let your partner kiss you if they are recovering from a cold sore or ulcer caused by HSV-1 as they can still pass the virus on to you. — AFP

G. vaginalis is the most common bacteria in the vagina and a common cause of bacterial vaginosis. — Filepic

https://youtu.be/2iWShIc3SiI 

 Absolutely amazing video clip... I really appreciate it..... Its an eye opener for our new generation who forget their roots and traditions. That's what have made us retrogress somehow to lead to immoral aspects.... Thumbs up to sender, Sister Swa

 

Being in a monogamous relationship, or abstaining from sex, doesn't necessarily guarantee from sexually-transmitted infection.

 Valentine's day usually invokes the notions of love and romance.

Just imagine, you are on a nice dinner date with your other half and spend the night together in an almost fairytale-like evening.

But this lovely memory soon gets shattered when you or your partner discover unusual symptoms in the genital region.

Suddenly, worry – and even suspicion of each other – fills the atmosphere between the two of you.

And it doesn’t help that it is a topic many people might find difficult to bring up with their partners.

Truth be told, most men and women who are in faithful relationships or who have not had sex before do not expect any unusual symptoms in their genital region.

To suddenly discover a wart, a painful ulcer, or even a smelly and fishy discharge from the vagina, can be distressing.

Whether it’s kissing, skin to skin contact, or vaginal, oral or anal sex, each of these interactions can pose a risk of disease transmission.

But before you jump the gun and start thinking that your partner has cheated on you or lied about their sexual history, hold your horses – he or she could still be innocent!

Here are the top three sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) that one may develop even if you are in a faithful relationship OR have not had sex before.

> Herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1

HSV-1 results in an incurable viral disease commonly known as herpes, which usually causes cold sores and oral ulcers in and around the lips and gums.

These cold sores and ulcers usually cause quite a bit of discomfort, especially when eating.

However, during the recovery stage of the cold sore or ulcer, you will usually not feel anything and may not even remember that you have it.

But it is still infectious at this stage and you may inadvertently spread the virus to your partner while kissing them.

The tricky part comes if you’ve engaged in oral sex with your partner.

Your partner may then develop ulcers around their genital region.

It is a misconception that genital ulcers are exclusively caused by HSV-2 as HSV-1 can also cause such ulcers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 70% of the world’s population are carriers of HSV-1. The good news is that oral and genital herpes are often asymptomatic (do not have symptoms).

They also do not spread to your partner when there are no active ulcers.

They only flare up when your immune system is weakened and become contagious through contact when an ulcer is present.

Flare-ups can occur once every few months to once every few years, to even once every few decades.

You may experience tiredness, chills, fever and body aches before the painful ulcers emerge, often in the same place either at the genitals or mouth.

It is not all doom and gloom however, as you can get an accurate diagnosis with either a swab test of the active ulcer or a blood test two to three months after an active infection.

Getting a confirmed diagnosis can equip you with knowledge on how to prevent this infection with lysine supplements or by treating any active ulcers with antiviral medicines such as valacyclovir.

If left untreated, these ulcers often get painful, but will eventually recover by themselves after two to three weeks.

> Human papillomavirus (HPV) warts

I know it’s a lot to take in after hearing about HSV, but hang in there as we discuss our next disease: HPV warts.

These are cauliflower-like warts caused by HPV.

There are over 100 strains of HPV.

Apart from the 14 cancer-causing high-risk strains, there are also numerous low-risk strains that cause warts.

HPV warts do not turn into cancer, but are often unsightly and manifest themselves in and around the genital region.

HPV is a very common virus that can be found in a large majority of sexually-active persons.

However, it is often well-controlled by our immune system and does not cause any major symptoms.

HPV can be exchanged between you and your partner during sexual contact.

And when your body encounters a new HPV strain, it can cause the warts to develop.

The good news is that although it is unsightly, these warts are often harmless and can be treated with a variety of options, including creams, freezing with liquid nitrogen, and ablation with heat or electrocautery.

While these warts are easily treatable, a cause of greater concern are the high-risk strains like HPV 16,18 and 45.

These strains affect women more because of their ability to cause cervical cancer.

However, both women and men can protect themselves and their partners by getting vaccinated against these strains.

So fret not if you notice an unusual cauliflower-like lump or wart in the genital region; just speak to your doctor to get it assessed and treated.

> Bacterial vaginosis

Last but not least, one of the biggest causes of a fishy and foul-smelling vaginal discharge is the condition known as bacterial vaginosis.

It occurs when there is an imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in your vagina, and is often caused by the bacteria called Gardnerella vaginalis, the most common bacteria in the vagina. 

In the event of a big build-up of bacteria, it can also cause one to develop symptoms of vaginitis, i.e. inflammation of the vagina, resulting in swelling, pain, and even painful sexual intercourse.

Until now, doctors and scientists do not know the exact mechanism of how this occurs, but sex – with or without condoms – often exacerbates this condition.

This condition can be easily diagnosed with a vaginal swab and treated with a vaginal pessary or oral antibiotics.

If you have read up to here, fret not, today can still be an amazing day for you and your partner – just make sure you practise safe sex and get yourselves tested for STIs as a precaution if you haven’t already.

By Dr Julian Hong who is a general practitioner (GP) in Singapore. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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A region evolves with rising China

South-East Asia’s complex big power relations demand careful and considered understanding, where frequent complications and familiar gut reactions do not help.

WHEN countries have difficulty relating to a rising China, part of the problem lies in not understanding where China is heading and not knowing what it will become.

The sheer scale of China’s development and the weight of its trajectory mean that the impact of its rise on the rest of Asia and the world is bound to be considerable and profound.

As a frame of reference, the future of today’s China is often seen in the context of its past: a “Middle Kingdom” entity, the heart of an Asian tributary system, a regional superpower with global pretensions whose once closed-door policy is opening to the world.

Yet none of these references fits because modern China’s pace of change is as rapid as it is vast. Not only is it a post-Deng China, it is now into the fourth- and fifth-generation leadership of post-Dengist society.

A sense of a likely future China may then be deduced through elimination, by discarding what it is unlikely to be.

These include a communist superpower, a nation shaped by a distinct ideology, and one led by a powerful charismatic individual. But what of those things, admittedly few, that it will still be?

One of these is rule by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), particularly since single party rule continues to be a central bastion of the status quo. Yet even this requires qualification, if not some revision, and is already subject to much speculation.

The CCP has had to undergo some redefinition as circumstances evolve. The state socialism it championed underwent a social(ist) market phase to emerge as state capitalism.

Ideology continues to be diluted as dogma fritters away. Conservatives and reformists both within and outside China agree the trend is irreversible if not also inevitable.

Just about the only thing that a future China is still certain to be is a unitary state. But even this has to be qualified again.

What is now regarded as Greater China – the People’s Republic of China on the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan – are unlikely to be fused into one singularly cohesive whole anytime soon.

Yet they are moving together towards a unitary economy, the basis of the modern nation state. Such a trend is beyond the protestations of democrats and the comprehension of many strategists.

At the same time, provinces are slowly moving towards greater autonomy in economic matters, including in dealings with neighbouring countries. A country as large as China cannot endure too long under strict centralised rule.

And China has endured longer than all others, with the country now into its fifth millennium of continued statehood. These trends and movements take time and may seem imperceptible for other countries, but they are par for the course with China’s enormous timelines.

For decades now, Chinese authorities have also introduced elections at local levels with invited inputs from the Carter Center. Voting has been practised in village and provincial levels, and despite occasional fits and starts the trend is towards a controlled political opening with assured stability.

All of this contributes to the near-incomprehension of today’s China on the part of external observers. A survey of their attitudes, assumptions and responses in any given week attests to this reality.

Questions of whether China (meaning Beijing) can ever govern Taiwan, or even understand Hong Kong, are typical. The real risk of observers not seeing the wood for the trees is ever-present.

A debate of sorts has emerged over China’s likely reaction to a possible win by Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in next January’s election. Pessimists who fret over their own cynical pronouncements fail to realise that China is playing for bigger stakes than petty party feuding.

China’s interest in Taipei is Taiwan, not necessarily a Kuomintang (KMT) Taiwan. A lately declining KMT under President Ma Ying-jou has sufficiently energised pragmatists in Beijing to be diplomatic towards the DPP.

Another perennial issue is the presumed rivalry between the US and China. Although competition exists between them, they have more in common than at variance for now and the foreseeable future.

Their shared interests include international security and a single global economy in which both hold the largest stakes. Rivalry in these core areas compromises the interests of both without enlarging opportunities for either.

An understanding of that basic reality is shared between US and Chinese leaders, but apparently not by Japanese ones. The Abe administration is still stuck between old wartime anxieties and proudly snubbing Beijing.

However, China should also not expect anything but Abe’s cancellation of a visit on Sept 3. The occasion, with Western leaders absent, is being presented by some in China as celebrating its victory over Japan.

China: Military parade not aimed at any country

China says its upcoming September 3rd military parade is part of commemorations for the 70th anniversary of its victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, and is not specifically aimed at any country.http://t.cn/RyzoMBy

Nonetheless, the Abe government remains an activist one in provoking competition with China over military issues. Its White Paper released last month inflates China’s maritime military capabilities and even conflicts with US calculations.

Besides the US, Taiwan and Japan, the other barometer of China’s rise as seen through its foreign relations is Asean.

China regards Asean wariness of its territorial assertiveness as limited and negotiable, since not all member countries have rival claims to offshore territory. But Beijing may seriously be underestimating Asean’s sense of solidarity, given not just Asean’s community-building agenda but also its common resolve to develop community cohesiveness.

The established links between China and Asean’s newer CLMV members (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam) are both limited and fraying in places. Beijing needs to rebuild trust and good faith within Asean as much as in North-East Asia.

China has thus emphasised multi-level, multi-sectoral joint ventures both bilaterally and collectively. Its proposals for a Maritime Silk Road and a One Belt, One Road link to Europe are backed by the China-Asean Maritime Cooperation Fund, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development (Brics) Bank and China’s own solvency.

On the ground however, Asean collectively seeks enlarged trade volumes with China. However, China’s currency devaluations and the subsequent jolts to regional currencies compromise these goals.

With Indonesia, China is extending cooperation in fighting drug trafficking as Jakarta favours using the yuan for bilateral trade. With Malaysia, China is building linkages in education and industrial development.

Thailand’s post-coup government is seen as leaning towards China, thanks in part to a US snub. Now Thai-Chinese ties are growing over purchases of stockpiled Thai rice and even the prospect of a Kra Isthmus canal.

China’s relations with Vietnam and more so the Philippines will require more time and work. Ironically, Unctad trade data identifies the Philippine economy as the biggest regional beneficiary of China’s rise.

Beijing’s ties with the other Asean countries may be less complicated but still require attention and constant tending. Its record of fully understanding Asean is not impressive.

Overall, Beijing’s relations with Asean and its member nations are economic, diplomatic and socio-cultural, without political interference in their domestic matters. This contrasts with Washington’s largely military posturing and its political pressures on issues of democracy and human rights.

China’s impact on this region is likely to remain non-political and non-military – differing from US interaction. This asymmetry makes up much of South-East Asia’s strategic status quo.

Whether and how it will endure, and whether it deserves to remain, still have to be seen.

By Bunn Nagara Behind the Headlines

Bunn Nagara is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.

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Welcome Goat, may you goad us to greater heights 2015!

The sheep really gets my goat

The Horse is about to gallop off and in comes the Sheep ... or is it the Goat? Which is better?

THIS is the Year of the Yang. That’s the word in Mandarin for “a ruminant mammal, generally with horns on its head”. ( In Chinese, the goat is a homophone of yang and so represents the solar, masculine principle; it also signifies peace and the good)

To the Chinese, yang can refer to either sheep (mianyang) or goat (shanyang), so therein lies the confusion as to what animal is the eighth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. To the Japanese, it’s the Year of the Sheep, to the Vietnamese, it’s the Goat, for the Koreans, it’s the Ram. The Chinese don’t mind either one.

But after a tumultuous Year of a runaway wild Horse, which would be a better animal for the year ahead? Let’s take a look at the characteristics of both cud-chewing critters, starting with the sheep.

According to David Murray in his essay, 12 Characteristics of Sheep, this is one stupid animal.

“I don’t know what sheep would score in an animal IQ, but I think they would be close to the bottom of the scale. They seem to only know how to do one thing well – eat grass (and produce more grass-eating sheep).

“It’s possible to know little, yet not be foolish; but not if you are a sheep. They are so irrational. You watch them as they pause in front of a stream. They know they can’t jump it or swim it. So what do they do? They jump in any way!” writes Murray, a pastor who got to know the animal well after 12 years in the sheep-infested Scottish Highlands.

Another characteristic is being slow to learn. Murray cites the example of a sheep getting caught in barbed wire while trying to break through a fence. Instead of learning from that painful lesson, it will do it again and again. That’s why sheep are dependent creatures, requiring close supervision by their shepherd, he adds.

Granted, scientists say new research shows sheep to be as intelligent as monkeys. But it will take a great deal more to change the long-held perception of this creature as being not just woolly on the body but in the head, too.

After all, we think “sheep” when it comes to mindlessly following the crowd, or for imitating what others do without understanding why.

Murray describes their behaviour thus: “When one sheep decides to start running, they all decide to start running. If you were able to ask one, ‘Why did you start running?’ it would say, ‘Well, because he started running.’ The next would say the same. And the next one. And when you got to the last sheep he would just say, ‘I dunno’.”

Goats, on the other hand, are described by animals.pawnation.com as “independent, intelligent and tolerant of interaction in general”. In other words, they don’t spook easily and don’t bunch together to graze.

The goat is also seen as a nimble, agile animal who can take on hilly terrain with ease. It’s even associated with determination for its ability to climb mountains and trees.

Because they are curious creatures, goats will try out new things and explore the unfamiliar – usually with their hyper-sensitive lips and tongue – and often end up chewing and eating strange stuff.

While the male goat is a symbol of virility and stamina, the female goat is a symbol for nurturing and nourishment. Which is why someone entrusted with looking after young children is called a nanny, which is a female goat.

After all that, which animal would you prefer for the Year of the Yang? My pick is the goat, for all the reasons I have listed.

We have enough of sheep-like behaviour from people who are spooked easily by certain groups and individuals using loud and intimidating tactics. What’s more, after being spooked, these people blindly and unquestioningly accept those noisy pronouncements and exhortations.

We also don’t need people who, like sheep, stick to their own kind, or harbour irrational fears and suspicions against their fellow citizens. Being more goat-like by mixing around and interacting with others is what we need more of in our society.

Neither can we afford any sheep-like slowness to learn and respond to the ever-changing socio-economic environment within and without the nation.

We can’t forever depend on a super shepherd (aka the Government) to think for and look after us. That has led to what we know as the crutch or subsidy mentality.

Of course Billy Goat has his critics too. Among Christians, being a sheep is preferable to a goat as the latter is depicted as devious and insincere in the famous parable about separating sheep from goats in favour of the sheep. There is also the view that goats are too independent and unpredictable to be good followers, unlike the mild and meek sheep.

Indeed, a citizenry can happily be meek and mild if there is a good shepherd who takes care of all its needs.

But this is not the time for meekness and mildness, but rather for fearlessness and fortitude.

We need to have both qualities if we as a nation are to hold fast against forces bent on tearing apart our multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious fabric. And if we are to compete on the global economic front, we need the goat-like sense of inquisitiveness and boldness to be innovative and explore new possibilities and ventures.

Critically, in such challenging times, we need leaders who are like mountain goats who can nimbly guide us on the rocky path ahead, and not silly sheep that jump into water without knowing how to swim.

All this will require a lot of ram-like determination and stamina – if not virility – from leaders and citizens. So I say “Welcome, Goat”, and may you goad us to greater heights!

 So Aunty, So What? by June H.L. Wong

 Aunty discovered that a possible explanation for the idiom, “really gets my/your goat”, which means something that really infuriates you, involves the olden-day practice of using goats as companions to racing horses to keep the latter calm. Hence, taking away the goat could upset the horse and affect its performance in a race! Feedback to junewong@thestar.com.my

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