To check out the rest of this blog series, click here.
For all the time that I have spent in Taiwan, I had yet to spend Chinese/Lunar New Year properly, engaging in traditional activities and festivities, until this year. Not knowing when I would have the chance to do so again, I took up an invite to join my best friend, Lynn’s, family in Kaohsiung. I walked into the week ready for a vacation and yet as I write this the day after, I only wish the break had been longer.
Chinese/Lunar New Year festivities mark the end of the previous year (in this case, the year of the dog) and welcome the beginning of the new (the year of the pig). The pig in the Chinese Zodiac is the twelfth year and known for its laziness, as it was the last to arrive to the feast according to Chinese legend. But the pig is also associated with emotions, intuition, and with wealth. You can read more here about the Chinese Zodiac and what year you are.
Fireworks light up the skies on New Years’ Eve, families gather at home or at a restaurant and spend time together. Everyone takes time off of work to gather, pray, explore, and catch up with old friends and family members. Mahjong boards are brought out, the night markets are dressed with special games and snacks, and no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’re never alone at this time of the year. You’re among family and friends.
We did a little bit of everything: we explored the night markets, rode bikes to Cijin and watched the sunset, went shopping, prayed at two very beautiful temples, went to dinner with family, played several night market games, and played Mahjong until the late hours of the evening. I feel like each of those experiences in itself deserves a full post, but for now, let’s talk about 貴人 (guiren).
On Wednesday morning after Chinese New Year dinner and most of the family gatherings, we gathered at a temple close to Lynn’s house. We met up with nearly all of her family, including her grandma and her uncles and aunts. It is traditional to come and pray, and I was also thrilled to get my fortune told. I am not the most religious person, but I have always felt a particular connection to the spiritual and my intuition. And with a big move in the works so soon, I had some questions.
One of Lynn’s aunts offered to help me, and we went about fortune telling as I had done with every other temple. I knelt down and prayed to them silently, telling them who I was and where I was, and asked them for help. Then I dropped the red stones. I picked up a stick, found my number, asked again. The stones said no, so I picked a new number: one hundred. I dropped the stones. One yes. Two. Three. Four. On the fifth one, I finally got a no, but all I needed was three yeses. Lynn’s aunt disappeared for a moment to get my fortune, and when she came back, her words surprised me.
The first thing she did was ask me how I felt about eating meat as a kid. I’ve been a vegan now (again) for about a year almost now, but I honestly hated eating meat as a kid. Then, Lynn’s aunt said that the gods told her that in my past life I was very close to the gods, somewhat of an angel. I was skeptical until she continued on, mentioning several specific past traumas or challenges that I have experienced, explaining that they have been there because I have a mission to fulfill during this life.
Now, I found this particularly fascinating, as just the night before, Lynn’s father had read my fortune and also said something of the same thing using a different method, according to my birthday and the time I was born and where. The angel part of her fortune telling was fascinating, but what was even more intriguing was when she mentioned 貴人 (guiren).
貴人 (guiren) is someone who guides you or helps you. They are people who you meet throughout your life who show you the way, or teach you something. I couldn’t help but think of all the people who have come into my life, especially during my time in Taiwan, who fit this category. Some of them are people who have been with me for years, always supporting me. Others have come in the last couple of years and their influence has been profound when I look at how they have impacted me. I just hope in the future, I will serve as a 貴人 (guiren) for others and continue to impact people the same way they have impacted me.
The rest of my time during Chinese New Year was remarkable. I forgot about work, about how many days I had left for the most par, and spent the time with my family, my Taiwanese family. We had many laughs, late nights watching TV or playing Mahjong, and I made memories to last a lifetime. My only hope is that sometime, someday in the near future, I will be able to return and join in on the same festivities with my Taiwanese family. I’m lucky to have met you, and consider you all to be some of the 貴人 in my life. 新年快樂!
