Month: January 2019

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甲子 (jiǎzǐ)

In the English language, years can be grouped into decades, scores, centuries, etc. In Chinese culture, years are marked by sixty-year cycles. Traditionally, each year is identified by two characters. The first will be one of the ten characters from 天干 (tiāngān, Heavenly Stem): 甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸; the second, one of the twelve characters from 地支 (dìzhī, Earthly Branch): 子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥. The cycle beings with 甲子 and continues with 乙丑, 丙寅, so on and so forth. Since sixty is the least common multiple of ten and twelve, every sixty years, after reaching the combination of 癸亥, the cycle will reset to 甲子.

Although this system is no longer used in modern calendar, the term 甲子 and the sexagenary cycle still weigh heavily on the Chinese psyche. The phrase 花甲之年 (huā jiǎ zhī nián), meaning “sixty years of age,” commonly refers to sexagenarians. The character 花 (flower/flowery) implies the intricacy of the system. However, when I was little, I associated it with the salt-and-pepper hair (花白) of OLD people.

The twelve-year cycle of Earthly Branch runs concurrently with the twelve Chinese Zodiac signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. So, it is not difficult to be aware of the turn-around of the cycle. I was born the year of pig. On New Year’s Eve, I started getting greetings with symbols of pig from my Asian friends. Suddenly, I was reminded that I would be turning sixty this year.

Confucius said: “I aspired to learning at fifteen; established myself at thirty; was no longer doubtful at forty; understood my destiny at fifty; was able to discern the truth in what I heard at sixty; and could follow my wishes without crossing the boundary at seventy.”[1] In my case, I did aspire to learn early in my life. I was full of hope and ambition when turning thirty. At forty, I was fighting hard to find my place in this world, professionally and personally. When I turned fifty, the world was struggling to get out of an economic downturn. Having earned the freedom to follow my dream, I found myself in a big city, loving what I do but unsure of my directions.

Another decade has gone by. I finally realize that life is a continuous journey that does not need any milestones. I continue to find myself ignorant of many things: Every day is a new learning experience. I continue to find wonders in my surrounding: The world is a playground full of surprises. I continue to face challenges: There is always a “next step” to take or a problem to be solved.

Nevertheless, I like to mark this year by remembering many people that made my life possible and influenced me.

[1]子曰：“吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲不踰矩”。——《論語•為政》The original text is taken from Lúnyǔ (The Analects of Confucius), Wei Zheng Chapter. The translation is my own.

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A sunny day at the park

After a soggy New Year’s Eve, we woke up to a sunny new beginning. I joined a few friends for the First Day Hike at Cortlandt Park in Riverdale, Bronx. Two rangers from the Department of Parks & Recreation guided us on a 90-minute walk.

At 1,146 acres, Van Cortlandt is the third largest park in the New York metro area:  The largest one is Pelham Bay Park on the northeast coast of Bronx; the second, Staten Island Greenbelt.  It is named after the Van Cortlandt family, early settlers of Dutch origin who own the land since late 17th century.  Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park, noticed the beauty and potential of the property and proposed for city to acquire the land in 1876.  Unlike Central Park, it is mostly natural landscape.

We began the hike at the historical Van Cortlandt House.  Built in mid-18th century, it is the oldest existing house in Bronx.  George Washington stayed in the house multiple times during the Revolutionary War period.  Remaining mostly in its original form, the house became a National Historical Landmark in 1976.  With holiday wreathes hanging on doors and window, it stood proudly under the winter sun.  Its past splendor was almost tangible.

The ground under the brick-paved steps looked deserted.  However, we were told that, in late summer and autumn, native wildflowers would blank the area with brilliant colors.  Milkweed, the only food source for American Monarch butterflies, grow in the wetland near the house.

While we celebrated the sun breaking through the clouds, the wildlife also came out of their shelters.  Armies of Canada geese landed on the meadow.  Chickadees hopped from branch to branch as we walked by.  A young great blue heron made a surprise entrance, cutting through air with its wings expanded.  Swans and ducks glided on the lake.  We saw multiple species of woodpeckers lurking around, looking for the next target.  Birders in the group held up their binoculars, excited.

We walked along sites of old railroad paths.  Pillars of stone “specimens” were place in the open air by New York Central Railroad in 1905, testing their durability.  It was part of the selecting process for the exterior wall materials for Grand Central Terminal.  All the pillars seemed to have endured the challenge for over a century.

Several of us followed the rangers for an extend up-hill climb to the burial vault of the Van Cortlandt family.  During the Civil War, official records of the city were buried underground there—to prevent them from being destroyed.  Nowadays, the area is hidden behind woods and unattended.

Walking under the comforting sun, surrounded by nature, was a beautiful way to start a new year.