Good Year for Having a Baby

I just found out that some friends of mine, a just married couple, are expecting already. And last month, another couple friend of mine also found out that they were pregnant. They were also recently married. Hmmm…I’m beginning to see a trend here.

(Sidenote: This month alone, three of my colleagues have delivered. Next month, there’s going to be another two. And this is a small office with less than twenty people. There’s another trend forming. End of sidenote)

This year seems to be a good year to have a kid. I dunno, maybe it isn’t. Some years ago, in 2000, they said it was a good year – year of the golden millennium dragon it seems. Then in 2001, it was even better. They said so, because there would too many golden dragon kids around, and a kid after that year would be good because this kid wouldn’t have to compete with all those other kids. Especially when it comes to Toys’R’Us sale time. You won’t believe the nightmare when your kid drags you to that event. Don’t even start when the circus comes to town.

Yeah, okay, 2000 and 2001 came and went. Okay, I thought 2002 would give me a relief in terms of baby presents and ang pows for newborn kids. Phooey.

You know that saying in Chinese, ‘long ma jing sun’? Translated it means ‘funny boy speak no Cantonese’, no wait, ‘eat less pork dumpling, tubby’… no seriously, it means ‘Dragon Horse Energetic’. I’ve no idea what it means, but old Chinese aunties always say that to encourage couples to have a ‘horse’ baby, i.e. born two years after the aforementioned dragon baby.

So yeah, then came the deluge of horse girls and horse boys. (Please insert your own Ruud Van Nistelrooy joke here.)

Then it was 2003. More babies born. Mainly from over-enthusiastic parents who missed the 2002 ‘Dragon Horse Energetic baby’ boat. (2003 was the year of the Goat. Baaa.)

2004 & 2005 was no better. I think it was because of the many romantic love stories they showed in the cinemas early in the year. Enough said.

Anyway, jokes aside, having a baby is a fantastic experience, and it is an ultimate privilege for anyone to go through it. Congrats to the soon-to-be-parents…