Day 98 - Neigh sayers

This is a story about how I thought I was a Horse, but was actually a Snake all along.

This year, according to Chinese astrology, is the Year of the Pig. Next year, the year I turn 30, is the Year of the Rat. Or to give it its full title, the Year of the Brown Earth Rat. You see, as well as the 12 animal zodiac, there's also five elements (Wind, Earth, Water, Fire and Metal) that are also associated with colours (Red, Green, Brown, Black, White). I mention this only because 2010 will be awesome - it is the year of the White Metal Tiger. An awesome year...and an even more awesome band name. I give you permission to use it, provided that you promise to rock. But I digress...

The year I was born was 1978, which was, to quote Frank Sinatra, "A Very Good Year". It was also the year of the Brown Earth Horse. Boring. I mean, you would just walk straight past a Brown Earth Horse...unlike a White Metal Tiger. So for a very long time, I thought that I was one of those people lumbered with the most boring astrological star sign ever. Until, one year in high school, in Chinese class, I looked up a calendar which listed the day that Chinese New Year started for each year. And in 1978...it was in February...after my birthday.

This meant - goodbye Brown Earth Horse, and hello to 1977's RED FIRE SNAKE. (Cue wailing electric guitars....peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooooooooooooow).

Oh, you'll know if someone was born in the year of the Red Fire Snake, my friend. Maybe our snakeskin boots and motorbike will give it away. Or maybe the crash of power chords every time we enter a room.

There is an off chance you will confuse us with a White Metal Tiger person, but I doubt it (last White Metal Tiger year was 1950).

And that is how I roll. Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwww. (Yes, that is a visual representation of an electric guitar power chord).

PS. I challenge the White Metal Tigers to match our band, the Red Fire Snakes, at the Battle of the Bands in 2028 (giving the 2010 kids time to prepare).