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Chinese New Year 2018

by Feb 23, 2018

Some of us are happy that we had a long weekend because of President’s Day, and some of us are even happier celebrating the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in the modern Republic of China.

I won’t pretend I know anything about Chinese Zodiac or predictions, but everybody says that 2018, Year of the Dog is supposed to bring stability. Not sure how all that stability can apply in my own personal life with graduation coming up in six months, boards and building up a practice, but I’ll choose to allow everything to come smoothly into place at the right time and with less effort.

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It you are interested in learning more about 2018, you can listen to this free webinar from Lillian Bridges, founder of The Lotus Institute and author of Face Reading in Chinese Medicine.

I am not one of the lucky students with Asian roots who does well in classes because they know the language, the culture and traditions. I always have to read more, research and try to understand the Asian perspective. This year I decided to attend the Chinese New Year celebration at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra downtown, hoping to understand more about Chinese culture. More than half of the public was Asian, and almost all of the women were wearing red, which is supposed to bring luck. I had no idea about it, so here I was wearing a black dress, but nevertheless I enjoyed every minute of the show!

First, part of the show was comprised of small theatrical pieces. Costumes and performances were really good. I remember seeing Chinese theater on TV when I was younger and everything seemed so gloomy and not very entertaining. This time, all of the pieces had some humor and the program guide included translations, so it was quite easy to follow what was happening on the stage.

Second, part of the show included several Chinese musical pieces. You know all those meditation sounds we all Google and play for our patients? These were so much better! I’m sure the orchestra specifically chose songs that would show Chinese culture and traditions in their best light but my, I loved every minute! There was gentleness, there was rhythm, there was playfulness, and then there was serenity all in one.

Serenity vanished when the show was over, I realized it was snowing, and I had to drive back from downtown — but I did have my perfect bubble moment!

If you haven’t heard, ILAAOM is organizing a party for Chinese New Year happening next Saturday, and all students and practitioners are encouraged to attend. You might get to network with established practitioners, have some good food and even win some raffle prizes. I’m not sure I’ll make it, since I have one of those long weekend classes for board review, but you should check it out.

My perfect long weekend ended with cooking and laundry. If it seems like it never ends, remember it’s week seven and we’re almost half way through this trimester!

Now, back to my laundry and studying for boards, and I’ll see you next week!

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About the Author

Iuliana Lixandru

Iuliana Lixandru

Hello! I'm Iuliana and I'm a student at National University of Health Sciences in the Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) program.

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