Looking ahead to the Year of the Rooster

So here we are, it's another year, and this year it's the turn of the rooster to step forward from the zodiac and rule our lives.

I've always been interested in the Chinese zodiac－actually, it's something China shares with Vietnam, and as I have a Vietnamese wife (born in the Year of the Tiger, since you ask), that's doubled my interest.

As is my usual practice, I held a quick straw poll among my Chinese colleagues here in London and asked for one word to describe the attributes of the Rooster. Naturally, I got several words, including diligent, leadership, reliability, hardworking, frank and honest.

One of my colleagues was brave enough to admit to having been born in the Year of the Rooster, so I turned to the internet to be told that Roosters are expected to pursue the following eclectic occupation paths: sales person, restaurant owner, athlete, teacher, waiter, journalist and surgeon.

Guess what－my colleague, in his 50s, has followed all of those occupations except restaurant owner and surgeon. He's working on the restaurant bit.

One thing Roosters have to avoid is the color red, which is considered unlucky－from the point of view of a humble laowai I would have thought it very difficult to avoid the color red in China. My colleague was challenging fate by wearing a red sweater, however.

I am told that the younger generation in China takes the zodiac less seriously than, say their parents and grandparents, for whom superstition played a major role.

Certainly my Vietnamese brothers and sisters-in-law take the zodiac far less seriously than my dear mother-in-law, who after due consideration (I like to think she was just humoring me) decided it was fine that I, born in the Year of the Boar (I refuse to say pig) would be well suited to her daughter, born in the Year of the Tiger.

We Boars are, I find, compassionate, generous, easygoing, ambitious, earnest, responsible and er, modest. Not sure about the last one.

Tigers, as my wife will attest, are brave, confident, expansive, open and independent, and she's certainly an artist and a musician.

My eldest daughter was, to her initial chagrin, born in the Year of the Rat, but I have to say she's lived up to her alleged attributes-quick-witted, resourceful, kind, smart and lovely (I hope you are reading this, Kim).

Daughter two followed four years later and is a Dragon Lady－and I have to say she's lived up to her zodiac description of being enthusiastic, confident, intelligent (two master's degrees in five years from Edinburgh), ambitious, hardworking and straightforward. (Mai-Anh, I think that's you).

As for me, I delved a little further and discovered there are several subcategories of people born in the Year of the Boar. According to the zodiac information I have just found, I am a Fire Pig.

This is where it gets really serious-Fire Pigs are ambitious (yes), hardworking (yes, well, sometimes) and impatient (definitely). Just ask any of my colleagues when they ask what the deadline is on the story I've just assigned them. "Yesterday" is my stock reply.

Of course, it's all a lot of fun, and when we see the various decorations put up to greet the Year of the Rooster, whether it's in Beijing, Ho ChiMinh City, Paris or London, we'll all raise a glass while at the same time furtively checking the Chinese zodiac.

I know I will.

Contact the writer at chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com