Back in 2004, during the first group tour I took to China, I discovered surprisingly that the abacus was still being used in some stores. I was having a jacket made for me in Shanghai, so the seamstress used her abacus to figure out how...
If you’ve ever walked into a Chinese restaurant or grocery store or even a Feng Shui advocate’s home, you will find a ceramic figurine of a cat sitting prominently near the entry. One paw is typically movable. The idea of a Lucky Cat originated first in...
We’re in the midst of a tumultuous time – globally, nationally, and for many of us, locally. We’re being updated with news constantly on what is happening with the current issue: COVID-19, now classified as a pandemic. It seems that there are major fluctuations in...
Feng Shui is applied to alleviate many problems, from money issues to fertility issues to allergies. So the question is: Can Feng Shui play a preventative, as well as supporting, role in our present situation with the Coronavirus? The answer: Yes. Yes, it can. In the...
For many of us, we are happy to say good-bye to 2019 for a number of reasons----illness, disappointments, betrayals, losses. Of course, these occurrences happen every year, but there seemed to be a heaviness specific to the Year of the Pig. For some, it’s a relief...
Preparing your kitchen - and your life - for the New Year One of the most popular gods in Chinese culture is Zao Jun, the Kitchen God. The story goes that Zao Jun was assigned by the emperor of heaven to watch over families and take...
There’s a tradition in China that involves the exchange of red envelopes when someone wants to express gratitude toward another person or wish them well. They would put money in the red envelope and give it to them. No one really knows how the red envelope...
The Forbidden City, today called the Palace Museum, is located in the northern city of Beijing (bei means north; jing means capitol). The capitol was moved there from Nanjing (nan= south) in 1403 to provide better protection against northern invaders. In 1421, the Forbidden City was completed. It...
Chinese gardens were always arranged in accordance with a set of Feng Shui or geomantic principles. A geomancy master would be engaged to find a location and to determine directional placement of the garden or the buildings within the garden....
As of February 4th we have moved into the Year of the Pig. Due to the make-up of Pig nature, we might be able to expect a year that is a bit more mellow, more laid back and relaxed....
