C
"It is better to be single yet inspired, than to be in a relationship yet confused""What I don't have is probably something I don't need"
~ Singles' shout out this Valentine's Day! lol ;D
Coincidentally, the Tiger is set loose on Valentine's Day this year. Though I don't celebrate both of these, and I remember rem merged one of my topics, I'd like to greet everyone with Happy Valentine's Day, and a Happy Chinese New Year 2010 to all the Chinese People here on RomU (if there's any) !!! (the earlier, the better ^__^)
This Year celebrates the White Metal Tiger.
Love is in the air!! Anyone can share how they will celebrate this. Anything relevant to Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day can be discussed here.
I'd like to share the greatest love story I've ever read in history, and since Cupid has been a popular icon during Valentine's Day. Though it may sound like the other fairy tales, it's far better than any other love films I've seen. Maybe some of you have heard this story already. As far as I can remember, I've read this on a book 4 years ago. It is a story of love, truth, trust, and redemption, is a crucial component in the vast array of lessons and moral teachings in Greek mythology. I've appreciated this story since it has a lot of lessons, and i think is a very good example for this generation.
The legend of Cupid and Psyche (a.k.a. The Tale of Eros and Psyche)
written by Apuleuis, a Latin writer of the 2nd century a.d.This story centers on the power of true love. In Roman mythology, Cupid is the God of Love, and was the son of Venus (goddess of love, Aphrodite in Greek) and Mercury (messenger god, Hermes in Greek). In Greek mythology, he's the equivalent deity namely Eros. He shoots arrows and it goes into the other person and falls in love with the person in sight.A stunningly beautiful girl, Psyche, is born after two older sisters. People throughout the land worship her beauty so deeply that they forget about the goddess Venus. Venus becomes angry that her temples are falling to ruin, so she plots to ruin Psyche. She instructs her son, Cupid, to pierce the girl with an arrow and make her fall in love with the most vile, hideous man alive. But when Cupid sees Psyche in her radiant glory, he shoots himself with the arrow instead.Meanwhile, Psyche and her family become worried that she will never find a husband, for although men admire her beauty, they always seem content to marry someone else. They all continue to admire and praise Psyche's beauty, but none desire her as a wife. Psyche's father prays to Apollo for help, and Apollo instructs her to go to the top of a hill, where she will marry not a man but a serpent. Psyche bravely follows the instructions and falls asleep on the hill. When she wakes up, she discovers a stunning mansion. Going inside, she relaxes and enjoys fine food and luxurious treatment. At night, in the dark, she meets and falls in love with her husband.She lives happily with him, never seeing him, until one day he tells her that her sisters have been crying for her. She begs to see them, but her husband replies that it would not be wise to do so. Psyche insists that they visit, and when they do, they become extremely jealous of Psyche's beautiful mansion and lush quarters. They deduce that Psyche has never seen her husband, and they convince her that she must sneak a look. Confused and conflicted, Psyche turns on a lamp one night as her husband lies next to her.When she sees the beautiful Cupid asleep on her bed, she weeps for her lack of faith. Some hot oil fell from the lamp upon Cupid's shoulders and he started awake: he saw the light and knew her faithlessness, and without a word he fled from her. He told her who he was, and sadly bade her farewell. "Love cannot live where there is no trust", he said and flew away. "The God of Love!", Psyche thought. "He was my husband, and I, wretch that I am, could not keep faith with him. Is he gone from me forever?... ". She told herself with rising courage, "At any rate, I can spend the rest of my life searching for him. If he has no more love left for me, at least I can show him how much I love him."Cupid returns to his mother, Venus, who again decides to enact revenge on the beautiful girl. Psyche, meanwhile, journeys all over the land to find Cupid. She had no idea where to go; she only knew that she would never give up looking for him.She decides to go to Venus herself in a plea for love and forgiveness, and when she finally sees Venus, the great goddess laughs aloud. Venus shows her a heap of seeds and tells her that she must sort them all in one night's time if she wants to see Cupid again. This task is impossible for one person alone, but ants pity Psyche and sort the seeds for her. Shocked, Venus then orders Psyche to sleep on the cold ground and eat only a piece of bread for dinner. But Psyche survives the night easily. Finally, Venus commands her to retrieve a golden fleece from the river. She almost drowns herself in the river because of her sorrow, but a reed speaks to her and suggests that she collect the golden pieces of fleece from the thorny briar that catches it. Psyche follows these instructions and returns a sizable quantity to Venus. The amazed goddess, still at it, now orders Psyche to fill a flask from the mouth of the River Styx. When Psyche reaches the head of the river, she realizes that this task seems impossible because the rocks are so dangerous. This time, an eagle helps her and fills the flask. Venus still does not give in. She challenges Psyche to go into the underworld and have Persephone put some of her beauty in a box. Miraculously, Psyche succeeds.On her way toward giving the box to Venus, she becomes curious to open the box. She felt that she must see what that beauty-charm in the box was; and perhaps, use a little of it herself. She knew quite as well as Venus did that her looks were not improved by what she had gone through, and always in her mind was the thought that she might suddenly meet Cupid. If only she could make herself more lovely for him! She was unable to resist the temptation; she opened the box. To her sharp disappointment, she saw nothing there; it seemed empty. Immediately, however, a deadly languor took possession of her and she fell into a heavy sleep.At this juncture the God of Love himself stepped forward. Cupid was healed of his wound by now and longing for Psyche. It is a difficult matter to keep Love imprisoned. Venus had locked the door, but there were the windows. All Cupid had to do was to fly out and start looking for his wife. Meanwhile, he finds her sleeping, lying almost beside the palace. He awakens her, wiped the sleep from her eyes and put the sleeping spell back in the box, then waking her with just a prick from one of his arrows, and scolding her a little for her curiosity, he bade her take Proserpine's box to his mother and he assured her that all thereafter would be well. Cupid flew to Olympus and takes her to Zeus to request her immortality. Zeus grants the request and makes Psyche an immortal goddess. She and Cupid are formally married. Venus now supports the marriage because her son has married a goddess—and because Psyche will no longer distract the men on earth from Venus.So all came to a most happy end. Love and Soul (for that is what Psyche means) had sought and, after sore trials, found each other; and that union could never be broken.
and here's one cheesy love quote:
They say we're too old to play hide & seek... but if I were given a chance, I'd give anything just to hear someone say... "I found you".
Happy CNY XD
Hope those that celebrate get lots of Ang Pao XD
And no Valentines for me unless you want me to fall for my cousin XD
D
Happy Valentine's Day in advance to every one without a date on sunday. You deserve the greeting more than those with someone cause they'll hear it all day.And for the chinese and believers of the Chinese New Year customs, Kung Hei Fat Choi! A Prosperous Lunar New Year to you all.
G
Happy CNY to those who celebrate it !
I don't expect much going to happen to me on Valentine's day though.It's on Sunday and I'm just gonna stay home and relax :P
C
It's such an odd twist of coincidence that these two occasions happened to be on the same date come Sunday, making it even quirkier ;DI bet'cha there will be fireworks everywhere & I MEAN EVERYWHERE *wink wink*
M
Oh.. wut?!Both occasions happened on same day?...... didn't realize it..
No wonder it was a one week holiday...Oh well...Happy Valentine Day and Happy Chinese New Year to those who are celebrating it.* meganova rushed to the nearby stores
B
恭喜發財.That's "gong xi fa cai" in REAL Chinese. ;)
R
You forgot to say Happy Singles Awareness Day FYI.That falls on the same day too.
B
Replying to #8
[me=Moderasian]pushes up glasses.[/me]
Well, ACTUALLY...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Day
Funny thing, a study in Denmark showed that 88% of people found Valentines day to be silly. I'm actually a bit proud of my nation right now.
S
Reider · #8You forgot to say Happy Singles Awareness Day FYI.That falls on the same day too.
We should go punt small children together. =[
