By Yukari Sumino
Northwest Asian Weekly
2011 is the year of the rabbit. It is the fourth animal symbol in the Chinese 12-animal system.
This animal system is used as a means of numbering days and years, not just in China, but also in other East Asian nations like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The animal system is also important in astrology and fortune telling.
It has been predicted that in the year of the rabbit, stock prices will jump (because of the tendency for rabbits to hop when they run). Here’s to hoping that this fortune comes true.
Who is the rabbit?
A person born in the rabbit year possesses one of the most fortunate of the 12 animal signs. Rabbit people are clever, intelligent, skillful, agile, kind, and compassionate. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper.
They are good at conducting business and being conscientious. They are the kind of people to never back out of a contract — the next time you consider a business transaction, ask the other person which year they were born in.
However, don’t go to Vegas with rabbit people. They are good gamblers because they have an uncanny ability to choose the right thing. Generally, though, rabbit people seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise.
If you are looking for love and are a sheep, pig, or dog, consider a rabbit for a mate, because this is who you are very compatible with.
Rabbit people can sometimes be surreptitious or overcautious because they have great awareness of what’s around them. They tend to know when it is time to take action and when it is time to take a rest, which will help them to work consistently to achieve their goals. But also remember that rabbit people do not like to take risks in their life, so it may take a bit of effort to get a rabbit to be spontaneous.
People born in the rabbit year are sensitive to ailments and tend to have bad allergies. Stress or conflict will be detrimental to their health, so keep this in mind if there is a rabbit in your life.
Financial success to come in the year of the rabbit?
In rabbit years, it is said that stock prices increase. The year of the tiger in 2010 brought about solid returns in gold, copper, silver, and base metals. Astrologists predict that 2011 will see a continued rise in metal, more likely in the base metals as construction materials are in greater demand. Those metals would include nickel, zinc, aluminum, and steel.
Prices for corn, wheat, cotton, and other agricultural products will probably also produce stellar returns.
However, remember that nothing is guaranteed. The previous two rabbit years were years to forget for stock market followers. In 1987, people experienced a world financial crisis as the stock markets crashed around the world. In 1999, people saw the beginning of the end of the economic bubble.
Economic growth in 2011 will pick up in many parts of the world, but parts of Asia will be vulnerable to asset bubbles.
Instability in the region, especially in both the Koreas, will continue. Moderate recovery is expected, and one of the driving forces should come from technology. Much of the technological innovations will come from the Silicon Valley. ♦
Information from “The 12 Chinese Animals” by Master Zhongxian Wu contributed to this report.
Yukari Sumino can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.