Wat is mijn Chinese sterrenbeeld?

Wat is mijn Chinese sterrenbeeld?

Hieronder staat een overzicht van de Chinese sterrenbeelden voor de 20e eeuw. Het tijdstip van ingang van het nieuwe jaar is middernacht, Peking-tijd.

Tekens van de Chinese dierenriem plus datum van ingang

rat 31 jan 1900 18 feb 1912 05 feb 1924 24 jan 1936 10 feb 1948 28 jan 1960 15 feb 1972 02 feb 1984 19 feb 1996 07 feb 2008

os 19 feb 1901 06 feb 1913 25 jan 1925 11 feb 1937 29 jan 1949 15 feb 1961 03 feb 1973 20 feb 1985 07 feb 1997 26 jan 2009

tijger 08 feb 1902 26 jan 1914 13 feb 1926 31 jan 1938 17 feb 1950 05 feb 1962 23 jan 1974 09 feb 1986 28 jan 1998 14 feb 2010

konijn 29 jan 1903 14 feb 1915 02 feb 1927 19 feb 1939 06 feb 1951 25 jan 1963 11 feb 1975 29 jan 1987 16 feb 1999 03 feb 2011

draak 16 feb 1904 03 feb 1916 23 jan 1928 08 feb 1940 27 jan 1952 13 feb 1964 31 jan 1976 17 feb 1988 05 feb 2000 23 jan 2012

slang 04 feb 1905 23 jan 1917 10 feb 1929 27 jan 1941 14 feb 1953 02 feb 1965 18 feb 1977 06 feb 1989 24 jan 2001 10 feb 2013

paard 25 jan 1906 11 feb 1918 30 jan 1930 15 feb 1942 03 feb 1954 21 jan 1966 07 feb 1978 27 jan 1990 12 feb 2002 31 jan 2014

geit 13 feb 1907 01 feb 1919 17 feb 1931 05 feb 1943 24 jan 1955 09 feb 1967 28 jan 1979 15 feb 1991 01 feb 2003 18 feb 2015

aap 02 feb 1908 20 feb 1920 06 feb 1932 25 jan 1944 12 feb 1956 30 jan 1968 16 feb 1980 04 feb 1992 22 jan 2004 07 feb 2016

haan 11 jan 1909 08 feb 1921 26 jan 1933 13 feb 1945 31 jan 1957 17 feb 1969 05 feb 1981 23 jan 1993 09 feb 2005 27 jan 2017

hond 10 feb 1910 28 jan 1922 14 feb 1934 02 feb 1946 18 feb 1958 06 feb 1970 25 jan 1982 10 feb 1994 29 jan 2006 15 feb 2018

varken 30 jan 1911 16 feb 1923 04 feb 1935 22 jan 1947 08 feb 1959 27 jan 1971 13 feb 1983 31 jan 1995 17 feb 2007 04 feb 2019

1924 en 1984 markeren het begin van een nieuwe cyclus van 60 jaar.
In sommige landen zijn de dieren vervangen door andere dieren. Zo neemt de buffel soms de plaats van de os in en de muis die van de rat. In Vietnam neemt de kat de plaats in van het konijn en in Thailand neemt de olifant de plaats in van het varken.


De tekens

De Chinese dierenriem heeft twaalf tekens: rat, os, tijger, konijn, draak, slang, paard, geit, aap, haan, hond, varken. De aan de tekens toegekende eigenschappen zijn:

Rat: charmant, slim, economisch, efficiënt, diplomatiek, flexibel maar ook stiekem, opportunistisch, verkwistend en op eigen gewin uit.

Os: harde werker, principieel, zachtaardig en geduldig, maar ook koppig, excentriek, tegendraads en geen tegenspraak verdragen.

Tijger: energiek, bewonderenswaardig, revolutionair, leiderscapaciteiten, onverschrokken, recht op het doel af, kent geen nederigheid, maar ook kwetsbaar aanval in de flank, alle schepen verbrandend, ijdel en "alles of niets".

Konijn: Rechtschapen, intuïtief, gevoelsmatig en voorzichtig.

Draak: Trots en levendig, enthousiast, extravert en inspirerend.

Slang: intelligent, mysterieus, sensueel, discreet, met een scherpe actieve geest maar ook hypocriet en metend met twee maten.

Paard: elegant, loyaal, intuïtief, vrijdenkend, populair, sexy, extravert en leergierig, maar ook egocentrisch, onvoorspelbaar en onbevreesd.

Geit: Creatief, rustig maar hartstochtelijk, luxeminnend, excentriek, oprecht en grote verbeeldingskracht maar ook leunend op rijke of sterke partner, kan geen armoede verdragen.

Aap: Nieuwsgierig, onafhankelijk, levendig, behulpzaam en heeft alles in de gaten maar ook niet erg diepgaand, lomp, huichelachtig en met zichzelf bezig.

Haan: kleurrijk, onbevangen, beschermend, nauwgezet, nuchter, goed organisatievermogen maar ook breedsprakig, opschepperig, hebberig en niet subtiel.

Hond: trouw, loyaal, open, eerlijk, verdraagzaam, kampioen van het goede doel en handhaver van de openbare orde, maar ook bits, negatief en inflexibel.

Varken: Tolerant, begrijpend, sensueel, geestdriftig, aardig, sympathiek en waarheidsgetrouw maar ook driftig, kleinzielig, lui

Volgens de legende nodigde Boeddha alle dieren voor een feest uit. Tijdens het feest werd er een race gehouden tussen de dieren. Naar ieder van de dieren zou een jaar genoemd worden. De rat vertelde de kat dat het feest een dag later zou zijn. Zelf reed de rat op de rug van de os mee en kwam als eerste aan. De kat eindigde op de dertiende plaats en was te laat om een jaar naar zich genoemd te krijgen. Daarom achtervolgt hij tot op de dag van vandaag nog steeds de rat om wraak te nemen voor diens bedrog.

WIST JE DAT...

…Bangkok de langste plaatsnaam ter wereld heeft? De officiële naam van de stad is: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.
Deze 163 letters tellende plaatsnaam wordt meestal afgekort tot Khrung Thep of het bekendere Bangkok

Mekong interlude

Mekong interlude

Day trip to a historic city-state in Chiang Rai is enlivened with a hop across the water for a brief taste of Laos.

By: Story and photos YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
Published: 19/03/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons

A jaunt along the Mekong in a speed boat is a delightful way to whet one's curiosity about the remote parts of Thailand, Laos and Burma which meet to form the so-called Golden Triangle.

A speed boat ferrying tourists from Chiang Saen pier in Thailand to the Laotian island of Don Sao.

Built close to what is now the northernmost point in the Kingdom, the backwater town of Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai province frequently featured in chronicles of our early history.
In an area once infamous for opium-poppy cultivation is the village of Sop Ruak, a short walk from the river. Today the only opium to be found hereabouts is the residue left on pipes and other smoking paraphernalia on display at local museums, quipped Jira, our tour guide, a pleasant individual with a dry sense of humour and an infectious smile.
Where poppies once waved in the breeze, hotels to suit all budgets plus a string of restaurants and souvenir stalls hug the line of the Mekong. And it didn't take us long to realise what most tourists end up doing in these parts: cruising up and down the river with short stopovers at villages on the Laotian side.
By the time we'd boarded our speed boat to Don Sao Island in Laos, a thick haze had blanketed the whole area. Jira explained that the prolonged drought had exacerbated forest fires, hence the copious amounts of smoke drifting our way. Still, our half-hour cruise did turn out to be an entertaining experience.
Along the way typical scenes of riparian life unfolded: solitary cows grazing under the blazing, mid-afternoon sun; little boys frolicking noisily in the muddy waterway; and women doing their laundry in the shallows, seemingly oblivious to my snap-happy fellow travellers capturing their images on film.

The restored 13th-century temple of Wat Pa Sak in Chiang Saen is a fixture on the tourist trail.

We had a mercifully hassle-free reception on Don Sao. Immigration officials manning a thatched-roof kiosk charged us 20 baht each for a day pass. But since this is just a plain piece of paper, foreign tourists who wanted a souvenir of their visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic were happy to affix colourful "Welcome to Laos" stickers to their passports. These labels were being given away free if you bought postcards for the nearby line of stalls.
These shops stocked an eclectic selection of goods from Laos, Burma and Thailand; the rather steep prices all quoted in baht. Beside handicrafts, food and Laotian national flags, the most popular purchase seemed to be bottles of the local hooch, a clear, potent spirit distilled from rice. Each contained a preserved spider, scorpion or small snake.
Having visited Laos before, I soon realised that the only "authentic" feature in this place was a circle of bamboo huts, most of which had padlocked doors or an abandoned air about them, plus a small pen for housing ducks or chickens. (Later, we learned that this hamlet had been set up specifically to cash in on the tourist trade and that most of the stall-holders are not in fact natives but come from the Laotian province of Bokeo.)
To see the "real" Laos we were advised to walk to the other side of the islet, from where, we were told, we'd be able to get a glimpse, across a narrow strait, of villages in Bokeo on the mainland. Unfortunately, the view was obscured by the haze that day. Back at our disembarkation point, however, I did spot a few foreign tourists mailing postcards to themselves, presumably for the novelty of receiving something bearing a Laotian postage stamp. Other than shopping for souvenirs, this seemed to be about the only other distraction on offer!

Laotian flags, local liquor and handicrafts are the more popular souvenir items.

Returning to Thai territory, we spent the rest of the afternoon touring historic sites. We walked around the remnants of the old walled muang (city-state) of Chiang Saen and made a brief visit to Wat Phra That Chedi Luang, a temple constructed in the 13th century by King Saen Phu. The latter has a bell-shaped, Lanna-style chedi and access to the compound is through a crumbling stone archway.
About one kilometre west of the old Chiang Saen, in Tambon Wiang, is another ancient temple called Wat Pa Sak. It was commissioned by the aforementioned monarch in 1295, who gave explicit instructions that 300 teak (pa sak) trees were to be planted around it - hence the name. Under its chedi, which is 12.5 metres high and 8 metres wide at the base, relics of the Lord Buddha are said to have been enshrined.

Overwinteraars keren terug naar Nederland.

Deze week keren veel overwinteraars weer huiswaarts voor de lente- en zomermaanden die Nederland te bieden heeft alleen.....

23 maart 2009

Windstoten teisteren Nederland.

AMSTERDAM - Het verkeer moet maandag in de loop van de avond rekening houden met zware windstoten, met name in het noordwesten van het land. De rukwinden, die gepaard kunnen gaan met hagel en regen, kunnen aan de kust snelheden bereiken tot 90 kilometer per uur.

In het binnenland kunnen de windstoten 75 kilometer per uur bereiken, meldt het KNMI.
Maandagnacht blijft het onrustig, met hagel en onweersbuien. Dinsdag laat de wind met kracht 6 opnieuw van zich spreken.

Aangeraden vaccinaties Thailand

Aangeraden vaccinaties,
Vaccinatie tegen DTP, dat is difterie, tetanus en polio.
Vaccinatie tegen buiktyfus bij een verblijf langer dan 3 maanden.
Vaccinatie tegen hepatitis A oftewel besmettelijke geelzucht.


Verplichte vaccinaties,
Gele koorts vaccinatie verplicht bij komst uit endemisch Gebied (= gebied waar gele koorts voorkomt,dus niet in Nederland.


Malaria preventie,
In dit land of delen van dit land kan met anti-muggen maatregelen worden volstaan.
De kans op malaria en andere door muggen overgebrachte infectieziekten wordt verminderd door het gebruik van middelen die muggensteken kunnen voorkomen. De meest effectieve middelen bevatten DEET. Malariamuggen steken voornamelijk ‘s avonds, ‘s nachts en in de zeer vroege ochtend. Ook het gebruik van een muskietennet, al dan niet geïmpregneerd met een speciale insectenverdelgende stof is aan te bevelen. ‘s Avonds is het verstandig armen en benen te bedekken door kleding met lange mouwen en broekspijpen.

Informatie over Hepatitis A,
Hepatitis A is een zeer besmettelijke ziekte die in tropische landen als kinderziekte voorkomt. Nederlanders die na de oorlog zijn geboren, hebben deze ziekte waarschijnlijk niet doorgemaakt. Het virus dat Hepatitis A veroorzaakt wordt door voedsel overgebracht en komt vaak voor in schaaldieren en ongekookte groenten. Volwassenen kunnen van geelzucht ernstig ziek zijn en langdurig klachten houden. De vaccinatie biedt een vrijwel volledige bescherming.

Informatie over DTP
Informatie over DTP, dat is difterie, tetanus en polio. Zij die na 1950 zijn geboren hebben in de meeste gevallen als kind de vaccinaties gekregen. In het algemeen kan dan worden volstaan met één zogenaamde boosterinjectie. Ouderen die niet zijn gevaccineerd of waarvan dit niet duidelijk is dienen een volledige vaccinatie van 3 injecties te ondergaan.

Informatie over Typhus
Buiktyfus is een ernstige infectieziekte die door voedsel wordt overgebracht, gepaard gaat met hoge koorts en die zonder behandeling vaak tot de dood leidt. Hoewel de vaccinatie geen 100% bescherming biedt verloopt de ziekte na vaccinatie in het algemeen minder ernstig.

Informatie over Dengue
Dengue is een door muggen overgebrachte virusziekte die gepaard gaat met hoge koorts, hoofdpijn en spierpijn. Vaak treedt daarbij uitslag op. Er bestaat geen behandeling voor en in het algemeen herstellen de patiënten goed. De mug die dengue overbrengt steekt overdag en kan met behulp van muggenwerende maatregelen goed worden bestreden.

Chiang Rai gets new bus terminal

Chiang Rai gets new bus terminal

By: KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Published: 12/03/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons

Chiang Rai's new bus terminal opening tomorrow should significantly enhance tourism in the northern region and beyond, not to mention inter-provincial travel.

More space for Chiang Rai’s new bus terminal.
Occupying eight rai in the Sansai area of Muang district, the terminal cost 56 million baht to build. It is located seven kilometres from the old terminal that from now on will only cater to passengers travelling within the province.With a capacity to handle 600 buses a day, the new facility boasts 128 shops and stalls selling everything from food and drinks to souvenirs and local products, and there are tour operators offering exciting travel packages to places of interest in the province.
In due course a 300-room hotel and convention facility will be added to the terminal that, after today's soft launch, will have a formal opening on March 28.
The terminal further consolidates Chiang Rai's status as an important transit point on the R3A route that links China and other countries bordering northern Thailand.

Hua Hin Has It All

SOUTHBOUND: HUA HIN
Hua Hin Has It All


By Vipasai Niyamabha
Special to The Nation



Royally historic, a host to big-time political summits, picturesque, beaches galore - and pretty close to Bangkok - Hua Hin is looking more and more like the No 1 getaway destination
Summer's not far off, and the waytooserious Asean summit now underway at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin will soon be just a memory. Here's your chance to get in there and replenish the fun - hit the beach and see the national parks, palaces, restaurants, spas and shops.

The lay of the land
Hua Hin has been luring tourists to Prachuab Khiri Khan province ever since the railroad rolled its tracks southward almost a century ago.

Prince Purachatra, who was in charge of the State Railway, made sure there was a place to stay too - the Railway Hotel - and a place to relax - the Royal Hua Hin Golf Club.
King Rama VII built his summer palace there and called it Klai Kang Won, meaning Far from Worries, and it continues in that reassuring royal role.

Seven kilometres south of Hua Hin is Khao Takiab, where a 20metretall statue of Lord Buddha beckons visitors up a staircase and past the loitering macaques to Wat Khao Takiab and a splendid view.
Not far away is another hill, Khao Krailas, a little steeper to climb but with vistas just as stunning.
And, from the peak of Hin Lek Fai hill you can see the whole town of Hua Hin spread out at your feet.

Inland amusements
About 60km west of Hua Hin is the Palau Waterfall, the main draw at Kaeng Krachan - Thailand's largest national park.
The lush forest is home to many species of butterflies that accompany trekkers along the wooded track that leads to the 15level waterfall.
The third level has a pool that's great for a cooling swim.
On the way back to town you can stop at the Hua Hin Elephant Camp and make pals with some pachyฌderms.

Lazy lunches
Most Thais prefer a quick onedish lunch, and the popular ones here include the soy duck noodles either of two restaurants, Jae Fai or Nai Pew. The pork noodles in red soup at Nai Pah and Jae Ja are also terrific.
All of these places are on the Phetkasem road right in town.
If luncheon by the sea appeals, the hotels along the beach have restaurants to suit. Try Supatra by the Sea, Let's Sea or the Sailom Hotel.
Afterwards, head to Ban Klai Wang on Nab Kehas Road for cakes and coffee.

Nextdoor neighbour
In neighbouring Phetchaburi province the kings of the Rattanakosin period built three palaces.
Maruekhathaiyawan Palace is where they're holding the Asean Summit, but if you're headed that way this weekend you can instead visit Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park and Phra Ram Ratchaniwet, formerly known as Wang Ban Pun.
The province also has plenty of venerable temples worth a visit, among them Wats Yai Suwannaram and Maha That Worawiharn, where the local craftsmanship is at its most superb.

Easier does it
A trip to the spa is a wonderful idea on a hot afternoon, and Hua Hin is famously the home of the globally revered ChivaSom, but there's a wide choice in services and prices.
The Barai has become a rival for ChivaSom - in luxury and cost - and the Mandara at the Marriott, the Anantara's spa and the Devarana at the Dusit Thani all have good repuฌtations.
If all you need is a traditional Thai massage, you can get rubbed for an hour on the roadside for Bt350, and the price rises from there, depending on location and d?cor.

Munch with the masses
You could have a quiet dinner at any hotel restaurant, but there's masฌsive fun to be had with the crowd at the Hua Hin Night Market, where dining choices are endless.
The favourite spots to eat are the food stalls of Dechanuchit Road, disฌplaying in turn aromatic phad thai and tom yum, mouthwatering barฌbecued seafood and oldtime desserts. These stalls open around 6pm, are bustling from 7 to 9 and close at 11.


Shopping therapy
Postprandial shopping is popular at the night market, or you can mosey over to the Hua Hin Market Village, the town's first largescale shopping and entertainment comฌplex.
Here you find shops and restauฌrants, plus a Tesco Lotus and a Major Cineplex.

If you prefer to stay outdoors, walk along Naresdamri Road and poke through the souvenir stalls and tailor shops. Everything stays open quite late.
The streetside bars still beckon, as does the brewery pub at the Hilton and the classy Elephant Bar at the Sofitel Centara Grand, both of which get really lively on Saturday nights.
And, once you've had enough of the bright and busy lights, what betฌter way to end the day than with a quiet walk on the beach?

Tulips next door

A garden in Nonthaburi brings the fabled national flower of Holland closer to home.

By: KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE
Published: 26/02/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons

The midday sun was almost unbearable but the thousands of visitors present last weekend didn't mind queuing up in the heat just to watch tulip flowers at Suan Tulip Non in Nonthaburi, a province neighbouring Bangkok.

Anybody wishing to have their photos taken in this tulip decorated zone has to pay 150 baht.
The tulip garden sits in Soi Chaengwattana 28 next to the Central Department Store. The flowers are grown in a greenhouse on a two rai plot that belongs to U&V Inter-Trade, a wine and food importing company.
"The idea to plant tulips came to us two years ago when we invited our partner from Israel to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 (in Chiang Mai). We observed that Thais were crazy about tulips," said Sorasak Mudpongtua, a coordinator at Suan Tulip Non. Our partner asked why didn't we grow tulips ourselves, just as they (Israelis) did in their country.


A prop for picture taking outside the tulip greenhouse.
U&V Inter-Trade heeded its partner's advice and expanded its product line. It brought 80,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands in 2007 and turned part of its car park into a greenhouse.
"We planted the first seeds in October 2007 and they bore flowers around January. We used the flowers to decorate our office (located in front of the garden). When our customers saw it they wondered why we had bought such expensive flowers to decorate our office. But when we told we grew them here, they wouldn't believe us and asked for proof," Sorasak said.


Negrita
The following day one of the customers posted several photographs of tulips from his garden and all relevant information on Pantip.com, a popular Thai web site. The message spread like wild fire and inspired people from all parts of the country to visit the tulip garden.
Sorasak remembered that last year there was a group from Ayutthaya that showed up at four o'clock in the morning just to see the flowers. This year, one of the visitors came all the way from Surat Thai, almost 650 kilometres south of Bangkok.

White hyacinth, pink and red cyclamen and orange begonia.

"We planted tulips in an open space and gave it a roof for shade. We sprayed water to keep temperature down to 25 degrees Celsius," he said. That was last year. Only 30 per cent of the flowers survived. This year the planting technique was fine-tuned. The roof gave way to a big plastic tent (12x8 metres) with sliding doors and temperature controlled to 16-22 degrees Celsius.

Orange Queen

Once you step inside the greenhouse, you immediately catch the sweet fragrance of hyacinths, but tulips have very faint odour. The tulips were planted in plastic pots arranged in neat stacks. This year the company brought around 100,000 tulip bulbs representing 15 species such as Orange Queens, bright purple Negritas, fire-engine red and golden yellow Parades, and Ad Rems whose petals have orange and yellow margins.

Ile de France

The flowers are not allowed to bloom at the same time. "We stagger and slow the blooming process so different colours of tulips can bloom at different times over a two-month period," he said.
Visitors are not allowed to touch flowers for they are delicate, but they can take pictures without using the camera flash. "This Valentine's Day, some visitors didn't heed signs urging them not to use the flash. Their ignorance left me sick and sad," he said. The result is that petals of many red tulips have shrivelled up, as if they are about to die.

Leen van de Mark

"We don't charge visitors any entrance fee. What we ask for is only their cooperation," he said. "When see people happy, it makes us feel proud."
In the future Sorasak hopes to develop tulip species that can grow in hot and humid conditions native to Thailand.

THAILANDFAIR 2009

Thailandfair 2009

concept: een cultureel evenement puur op Thailand gericht. Het doel van het evenement is om mensen van verschillende culturen op een ontspannende manier met elkaar in contact te brengen en tevens de Nederlanders kennis te laten maken met de Thaise cultuur.

Op zondag 1 maart hebben wij een bezoek gebracht aan de Thailandfair welke gehouden werd in het Beursgebouw te Eindhoven.

impressie;