Just so you all know, the Year of the Water Dragon doesn't begin until January 23rd!
So, yeah. Don't go around greeting Chinese people "happy Year of the Dragon," because it's still the Year of the Hare until then.
This article is about cultural awareness, okay?
I'm not scolding anyone. I'm just writing this so you'd all be made aware.
Have you ever taken a long placement exam with multiple sub-section tests in a single session? I bet you have. You know... tests like NCAE, NMAT, LSAT, NEAT, NSAT, UPCAT, USTET, IQAT and other pretentious acronyms ending with E's or T's. Yes, I'm talking about those. They're pretty annoying, right? And I'll be damned if a huge chunk of you reading this don't think the annoyance largely stems from the time limits. I know you feel me here.
Take this situation: You're working on a test that you know is supposed to be good for one whole hour. However, lo and behold, a seatmate of yours pokes your shoulder on the 52nd minute to tell you that your next test has begun. Even though you know he/she is wrong, you still get pretty annoyed, don't you?
Well, for Chinese people and pedantic people with Chinese descent, that's kind of how it feels when you greet them "Happy Year of the Whatever-Zodiac-Animal-Comes-Next" before the Chinese New Year actually comes.
Also, when you try to make representations of the Water Dragon, please don't give them bat-like wings and arrow tip tails. Those are European dragons. Do a little research on the appearance of Asian Dragons before you try to draw anything. And, much like the image above, the term Water Dragon doesn't refer to a dragon that dwells on water. Rather, it refers to a dragon that's actually made of water. However you draw the wateriness doesn't matter much, though. Just please make sure it's not a creature that looks like it's been pulled right out of the Welsh National Flag and recoloured blue.
Anyway, until January 23rd comes around, Happy Last Days of the Year of the Metal Hare, everyone!
