Good or bad year ahead, all enjoy spring festival
Good or bad year ahead, all enjoy spring festival
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
"I would suggest to you, my friends, of all shio (Chinese zodiac
signs), to try much harder and take control of every aspect of
your lives. During this new year, there will be no significant
progress or achievement," fortune teller Bambang Suropati
remarked.
The Year of the Rooster, the tenth of the sexagenary system of
Chinese New Year, will start on Feb. 9.
Many believe that it won't be a good year because it begins
relatively late, which means it will miss the "lichun", the
auspicious day that marks the start of spring.
Some 300 people who filled the center court of Ciputra Mall,
West Jakarta, gave a nod to what Bambang had just said.
But they expressed surprise and responded quietly as Bambang
said that natural disasters would still take place in the
country, "although not as big as the quake and tsunami that hit
Aceh and North Sumatra on Dec. 26."
"As for the economy and politics, small fluctuations will
appear. There will hardly be any development in the economy or in
politics. I think that politicians need to learn to grow up,"
added Bambang.
The forecast was one of the events held to highlight the
Fascinating Red festivities, which began on Friday.
An orchestra playing traditional Chinese music, opera, and a
fashion competition for children will also highlight the
festivities that will end on Feb. 11.
But it was not the fortune teller who attracted 30 teenaged
girls of Bina Remaja Orphanage in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, who
were invited to the opening event.
"This is my first time to attend such an event. I love it,
because I can eat all of the delicious food served," said Gita.
Gita, who is a Chinese-Indonesian and still in her second year
at Santa Maria junior high school in East Jakarta, is separated
from her family.
"I hope this year will be a better year for me and my family,"
Gita added.
Afrida, one of the Catholic sisters accompanying the girls to
the event, said that most of the girls were left at the orphanage
by their parents, while some of them were victims of physical
abuse by their step parents.
"We try to provide excitement and joy by bringing the girls to
fun events, such as this, so they don't feel bored," she said.
The general manager of Ciputra Mall, Sugwantono Tanto, said
that inviting orphans and people from old folks homes to events
held at the mall, was an expression of the management's social
responsibility.(001)