Happy New Dear
 
It is the second day of the year, so we shall be forgiven for the rehashing of the old male escape to illusion in “a happy new dear”!  That tells you how dated I am; it is now the ladies who are regurgitating the phrase.
 
On the year count, let us not quibble over the Julian or the Gregorian calendars.  The Julian is older (ever heard of Julius Caesar?) and one of the Gregory Popes calibrated it so we now have three years of 365 days and 366 on leap year, and we are within just a fraction of calibration to make the system operational.
 
Of course, with the solar system still evolving, we do not know how the year will be counted to the exact houe, nor will the rotation lend itself to such count, but for now, the Gregorian Calendar serves our purposes, dank u.
 
The Chinese are not really promoting the traditional lunar count, or their version of the solar rotation, but we might yet arrive at a more rational calendar system than the stellar count of the Western Zodiac and the Eastern animal count including the Year of the Imaginal Dragon in the East.  The day count is saner than the seasonal one.  The northern lights are called Aurora Borealis while the southern lights are Australia Borealis but are essentially the same, only six months apart, but there we go with the months again.  North and Oz are nonetheless good mates, though they are separated by the same language.
 
While the Romans provided us with the naming of 12 months to a year, and both Occident and Orient have Zodiacs of 12 of years though differing in application (this often throws many when they hear of an Oriental’s age at NMC, often a year ahead of the Gregorian count as one is a year old the day one is born in China, Japan, and Korea. 
 
Other than when purchasing tobacco and alcoholic beverages at the store, does it really matter?  Well, it probably does when being called into the Selective Service if the choice is whether one wants to join now or defer until later.  Again, this is a matter of decision, and in the public domain, neither here nor there.
 
Today remains a holiday in the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States that mark the first of January as a national holiday, and having the day fall on a Sunday this year, the following Monday automatically becomes a national holiday.  Feliz Año Nuevo 2017.  That is January 2 this year.  And “The Happy New Year, Happy New Dear” greetings remain valid.
 
Kis kis ko miss karu
kis kis kiss karu
tumhe hi miss karu
to tum hi ko na kiss karu.
Happy New Year dear.
 
It is Hindi – not the Filipino “No”, but the Hindi of the South Asian continent.  The song is actually a lover’s wishes for a Happy New Year, dear!  I thought it was a greeting for a Happy New Dear.
 
I just got a note from a friend who is active in voluntary community work in the Diocese of Pasig.  Her Diocesan Bishop with a last name “Vergara” celebrated the Mass at her Foundation that provides housing and care for underage runaway girls.  When told that I was a friend who hails from the Nueva Ecija area with the same last name, the Bishop told her that the Vergaras in that region are good looking and are natural lovers of women. 
 
Of course, she added the “ha! ha!” at the end to make the indirect “accusation” palatable, but I probably number with the Bill Clintons and Donald Trumps of the world who thought it was their prerogative as males to just grabbed what they wanted, especially of the pulchritudinous type, until slapped on the thigh by the liberated femme fatale.  The good-looking Padre might have donned the habit as a Man of the Cloth to avoid the consequences of his looks, as well.
 
The Mongsigñor could not very well greet one with “Happy New Dear”, being eternally married to theotokos, Mother Mary the mother of God, but at least, he knows from where he speaks without being religiously condemnatory about it. 
 
At my age, good looks and a flair for women is de ja vu as we did have our share during our younger years to a reputation undeserved, but we shan’t tarnish the happy illusion. I was more of the “victim” than the “victimizer” among the women, and that would be the end of the story, in spite of the raised eyebrows.  But I could say, “Happy New Dear” with authenticity.
 
My wife is Chinese who I met in Saipan, and has been in and out of the CNMI, attended to her elderly parents in China and tended our new house that we bought just after I was a lao shu (teacher) at Hang Gong Hang Tian Da Xue (Shenyang Aerospace U).
 
Married for five years, we thought it was time to apply for the “green” card after my petition was approved a year ago.  She joined me in Saipan September, so the Happy New Dear applies.  He! He! He!
 
With 60% of US marriages hitting the rocks, it is actually not unrealistic to hear the greetings of “Happy New Dear” sincerely pronounced.  I neither condemn nor condone the situation; I am just describing the simple truth.  
 
So here she went and greeted herself and all: Happy New Year and a Happy New Dear!

wangzhimu2031
earthrise consciousness, a gift; earthbound commitment, my choice
yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today, participate! in all, celebrate!