Kung Hei Fat Choy! The Year of the Metal Rat literally started with a bang! 2020 is the perfect time for a new beginning, as the Rat is the first animal in the Chinese zodiac hierarchy, which follows a 12-year cycle. This means the Rat Year will not come around again until 2032. The Metal Rat also starts the 60-year cycle of the five elements, so, clearly, it is an auspicious year with a period of renewed energy, enthusiasm and hope for better circumstances.

Chinese New Year (CNY), or Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history and is the longest holiday of the year. In the 21st century, the national holiday begins on the first day of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th of the first month. This year, Chinese New Year began yesterday and ends Feb. 8.

Each day of the Spring Festival has significant activities to enhance the auspicious energies of wealth, success, health, love and happiness. Many rituals, offerings and acts of kindness are helpful in harnessing these positive energies.

With the charitable works and quick relief efforts of many groups and friends helping our kababayan affected by the Taal Volcano eruption, more blessings will come their way. I have to commend our Zbabes Gals like Kit Zobel, Marissa Tambunting, Elena Coyiuto, Bingbing Quiros and Marissa Hallare who have been organizing our donations to be sent through the proper channels for distribution.

Our Zumba gang has sent loads of relief to Maryliz Millan, owner of Hillcreek Gardens in Tagaytay. According to Marissa Tambunting, Hillcreek is fully operational and has been spared from ash fall but Maryliz has kindly used her kitchen to send food to affected areas.

There are numerous small but still generous charity works ongoing covering the towns around Taal Volcano. May these good positive energies calm Mother Nature so the earth would settle soon. According to Dr. Andy Tan, hopefully the volcanic activity would cease as the Metal Rat comes in.

For the Spring Festival

At the intimate CNY dinner hosted by Eric Po of Bernhardt Furniture, I gathered more tips on how to draw auspicious luck for 2020. Dr. Andy advised to stay happy and feel lucky the entire Spring Festival. You are not allowed to get angry, you must not cry, you must not use vulgar language, and you are not allowed to drink anything bitter. It is actually a great practice to do all that—even after CNY!

The special dinner was held at the new Bernhardt Furniture flagship showroom at 51 Connecticut Street Greenhills, San Juan. The beautiful showroom has tastefully curated furniture pieces as well as stylish home furnishings. Home Mavericks is the exclusive distributor of Bernhardt in the country.

The showroom offers clients a stylish retail field to shop. Indulge in an elevated shopping experience and enjoy the best of the luxurious home interior. The grand two-story building of Bernhardt houses pieces from its Callista, East Hampton, Interiors, Domaine Blanc & Linea collections, displaying over 500 luxurious products to choose from and embellish your homes with.

Visit Bernhardt Furniture at 51 Connecticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan; tel. 82835433, 84707751, 0917-6283725 f or more info.

Today, Jan. 26, is the second day of the New Year and is known as Hoi Nian. This is an important day for businessmen to make an offering of cases of oranges to their business partners. This carries wishes for Dai Kat Dai Lei, an auspicious and smooth year with continuous growth of wealth.

It is also customary for elders to offer a slice of lian quo (sticky rice cake) to their friends and business partners, thus cementing profitable partnerships and friendships.

Today is also a good day to pay respects to your ancestors. This is traditionally a day when married children visit their paternal parents. Today is also known as the birthday of all Dogs, and if you are kind to a Dog today, it is believed that you will gain new friends in the coming year and receive some good news.

TernoCon

It is wonderful to attend parties and launches nowadays where part of the proceeds go to relief efforts.

The TernoCon happening today is donating some proceeds, as well.

At the recent presscon of Belo Thermage FLX featuring Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Belo Medical Group founder and CEO Dr. Vicki Belo announced that the clinic is donating P500,000 to the Philippine Red Cross to help with relief efforts for the victims of the Taal eruption.

Mayor Isko, or Yorme, was presented as the newest face of Thermage FLX. Dr. Vicki explained to members of media the improvements on Yorme’s face after doing the Thermage FLX.

She said Yorme used to have deeper lines that have now become shallow. When she pinched his skin, there’s less to pinch now, unlike before.

Dr. Belo said the Thermage FLX is really perfect for men on the go like Mayor Isko because it takes only 35 minutes, produces immediate results and delivers a long-term effect.

So, men can just visit the Belo clinic at least once a year and get back to their busy schedules the rest of the year while looking their very best.

Dr. Belo said the partnership with Mayor Isko came about because he is also passionate about showing the whole world that the Philippines is truly world class.

The mayor added that he believes the Philippines can be globally competitive, we have the same technology and training, and institutions like the Belo Medical Group are proof that Filipinos are world class and first class.

The press launch was held at the Rizal Park Hotel in Manila as suggested by Mayor Isko. He wanted people to know there’s a lot of beautiful locations in Manila that’s worth visiting.