the year of the rat

Xin Nian Kuai Le!
or as I hear more commonly in Singapore: Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Yes, that's right it's Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year to be sensitive to all those non-Chinese who also celebrate the lunar calender)! Happy new year.

(some nice music to listen to for the year of the rat)

So, it's now the year of the Rat and what is in stall for me this coming year? Well, imagine my shock while reading the Chinese horoscopes, finding out it's going to be a duzy for me (born in the year of the Horse) this coming year!

This does not look like a very good year for the Horse in the year of the Rat.
The list of things to look forward to over the next 12 months:
-Obstacles in my career path
-Replacement by a junior member of the staff if I'm not careful
-A complicated love life
-Experience turbulence and lack of self control

And the advice for the coming year (amazingly succinct and vague at the same time):
-Beware of villains
-Don't drink and drive
-Take precaution with spending
-Don't enter investments
-Don't gamble because I'll suffer great loss
-Avoid both auspicious and inauspicious events

I was born in the year of the horse

The giant fortune god. He's so cavalier about passing the news of my bad fortune. He's also about 3 stories high so I won't argue with him.

Chinatown gets very crowded and is covered in lights and decorations for the celebration.

Mickey Mouse!? I was told that mouse and rat are the same thing in China. So there are a lot of decorations that look like mickey mouse (or mini mouse?)