J. F. Stueck of Balcarres, Sask., tells me I’m in trouble with at least a quarter of the world’s people as a result of my Jan. 4 Fringe column.
He says 1996 is not the Chinese lunar Year of the Boar, as I so blithely claimed. It’s the Year of the Rat. Last year was when we should have contemplated the superior qualities of pigs. (I never had the same fellow feeling for rats as for pigs but the ancient Chinese regarded them as of symbolic importance.)
The Chinese New Year begins is at the first new moon after the sun enters Aquarius. Another dandy excuse for a party.
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When some folks make errors they are able to say: “Oh, well, I was close.” I missed by a lunar year. The basis for the boo-boo was a magazine article, also obviously in error.
However, that is no excuse as the readily available World Almanac has the correct information in some detail.
I do appreciate the Stueck correction. He’s a fellow who has made an interesting sideline of bringing young people to Saskatchewan from Hong Kong and China at his expense to benefit from a Canadian education. They’ve all done well and have adapted to the Canadian calendar. He likes their ambitious work ethic.
Work ethics seem to be changing in Canada. It used to be said that young Canadians who had graduated from university felt the country owed them a living. Not any more. I’ve been most impressed with the current crop, who seem prepared to go the extra mile to ensure they are employed. If I make any more embarrassing errors maybe that will create another opening in the job market.
