An expert in feng shui, Jenie Feng Shui, said this year contained a conflict between two elements: Water and earth, particularly the air besar (powerful water) and tanah kecil (weak earth). Problems in the environmental balance may arise, but it also gives wood and metal elements a chance to grow. “[The growth] can be in the form of creativity, art, publishing, e-commerce, automotive and information technology,” Jenie told the Post at her office in East Jakarta on Monday.

Those who are curious about their prosperity in the Year of the Pig can find the predictions below:

Rat

Although considered to be better than last year, the Year of the Pig is still not the best year for rat people as they still have to struggle and become responsible for a number of issues. “But they are supported [by their surroundings] this year, compared to last year where they did everything alone,” said Jenie.

Ox

Similar to rat, people who were born under the ox sign will face better situations in the Year of the Pig compared to the previous year. The combination of hard work, honesty and consistency should be part of their strategy to gain fortune.

Tiger

“There’s a chance for tiger people to develop, but they will accept less support,” said Jenie. Last year was better for the sign as they received help either from their family or colleagues, but the Year of the Pig will be different. Tiger people should be able to be independent and stay humble in order to manage their relationships with their friends.

Rabbit

The rabbit is one of the signs in Chinese astrology that is granted with good fortune in the Year of the Pig. Rabbit people will have good communication and receive support from other signs. However, it is better for them to stay focused and manage their mood.

Dragon

Dragon people usually want everything to be fast, but they have to slow down this time. This year may be better than last year due to various opportunities, but they may come with problems. “They need to be able to anticipate [the situation] and make plans — both have to be realistic as well,” said the author of Rahasia Parenting ala 12 Shio (Parenting Secrets based on the 12 Chinese Horoscope).

Snake

The snake is among the three signs in the Chinese horoscope that will face a tough situation this year. They may experience miscommunication, therefore Jenie advised them not to be overly ambitious and fill their mind with negative thoughts.

Read also: Chinese New Year customs you need to know

Horse

The Horse is known as a sign that has enough fighting spirit in the Chinese horoscope. “There’s a chance for horse people to be leaders where they can express themselves and they will receive more support compared to last year as well,” said Jenie. It is also best for horse people in the Year of the Pig to be consistent and manage their emotion.

Sheep

The Year of the Pig will be a fortunate year for the sheep sign as they will receive plenty of support and maintain smooth communication with people around them, meaning that other people will quickly understand what they want. A number of small fortunes can be found this year and sheep people have to be patient to get them.

Monkey

Aside from the snake, the monkey is another sign in Chinese astrology that will face heavy challenges this year. People who were born under the monkey sign are often recognized as being fast-paced and less focused. It may be slightly difficult for them to achieve what they have envisioned as not everyone will understand it hence they should go with the flow and not be too ambitious.

Rooster

Set to be the last sign that is less fortunate in the Year of the Pig, rooster people are perceived to be overly analytical and detail-oriented. They may find their luck, but they should leave the details and do their work one by one as they cannot do everything at once.

Dog

The dog sign has a 50:50 chance of being luck as long as they are honest and not too lazy in facing the obstacles ahead. Challenges can be the gates to opportunities or a disadvantage. They need to finish their responsibilities with consistency and integrity.

Pig

In the Year of the Pig, those who fall under the astrology sign should be able to create a strategy and have the willingness to move in order to find their luck. They should not begin a new project that is still unclear. It is okay for them to act neutral and genuine while listening to their relatives.

The cub, weighing just over one kilogram (2.4 pounds), was found in a plastic grocery basket hidden inside a bag after the passenger arrived in India on the Thai Airways flight.

Officials said they grew suspicious after hearing sounds coming from the bag, and stopped the passenger as he tried to rush out of the terminal in the capital city of southern Tamil Nadu state.

“He was evasive in his replies so his baggage was opened for further examination,” an official at the airport said.

“The animal was in a state of shock and was making trill sounds and appeared to be weak,” he said.

The nationality of the 45-year-old passenger remained unclear, and the case was handed over to state’s wildlife crime bureau.

A mobile video issued by the airport authorities shows officials giving the cub milk from a baby’s bottle.

“We have taken the custody of the passenger and are questioning him on the source of the animal,” A.O. Limatoshi, head of Chennai wildlife crime bureau, told AFP.

He said they are investigating whether the man was carrying the cat as part of an international smuggling ring.

Leopards are found across the Asian continent but are highly vulnerable, with their population declining because of habitat loss and poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts.

They are an endangered species in India — with official estimates saying there are between 12,000 and 140,000 in total — and smuggling them in or out of the country is illegal.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, some 49 million people are expected to hit the road during the holiday that lasts until Wednesday. Traveling from Busan to Seoul by car, for example, would take more than eight hours when people head home on Tuesday afternoon.

Traffic is congested in Jamwon, south of Seoul, on the Seoul-Busan Highway on Friday, the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday. Lunar New Year’s Day, which falls on Feb. 5 this year, is a time for family reunions, with Koreans traditionally offering a ritual feast to their ancestors. (Yonhap)

Seeking to alleviate stress from being stuck in traffic, the tech-savvy nation’s leading telecommunications and IT companies offer predictions of travel time on their navigation systems.

“Real-time navigation service is possible through data sent by average users and taxi drivers every minute, all day long,” said Chung Yeon-joo, who manages the navigation system of Kakao Mobility, a subsidiary of the country’s top messenger app operator Kakao.

According to the company, accurate predictions are possible via massive traffic data collected by its navigation app for the past seven years. Launched in 2011, Kakao navi has emerged as one of the most popular apps among drivers, with up to 1.4 million users.

Last year, the company introduced what it called a “future navigation system.”

By combining big data with sophisticated algorithms, the service allows users to predict how long a journey would take at a certain period of time, Kakao said.

Korea’s largest telecom company, SK Telecom, provides similar predictions for those subscribed to its navigation service, Tmap. Based on data collected over five years, Tmap provides analyses of traffic predictions to its 11 million users, the company said.

“As we expect a dramatic increase in the use of Tmap during the Lunar New Year holiday, we are going to secure an additional server; monitor traffic flow in real time; and carry out prior tests,” SK Telecom said in a press release.

Although the accuracy of such predictions remains to be seen, the tech firms have come up with their own assessments on the ideal time for people to hit the road.

For example, SK Telecom predicted that roads would be most crowded at noon Tuesday. Kakao said the number of travelers would be the highest Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Tuesday between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m.

If drivers in Seoul begin their journey at noon on Tuesday, it would take up to nine hours to arrive at Busan, SK Telecom said. It would take up to more than six hours to travel between Seoul and Gwangju.

According to Kakao, the most ideal timeframe for traveling is between 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday. If drivers leave Seoul at 7:30 p.m., it would take less than five hours to reach Busan. A trip between Seoul and Gwangju would take only about four hours, the company said.

They have one goal: Keep the zoo’s most famous resident, Mali the elephant, happy.

Since Jan. 23, the zoo has been closed to all visitors after Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada ordered it shut indefinitely to allow the installation of wastewater treatment facilities.

This was after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources tagged the attraction as a major polluter of Manila Bay.

Daily treat

At least once a day, zoo workers and volunteers gather around Mali’s enclosure and pretend to be visitors, fussing over her and taking pictures.

The elephant’s caretaker, Boy Tabiong, said that many of them visit Mali during her feeding time in the morning.

“We are afraid she might realize the zoo has closed and she might get lonely,” said Jassyr Garcia, the officer in charge of Manila’s Public Recreations Bureau.

According to her, the elephant – Manila Zoo’s top crowd drawer—loves it when she has visitors, adding, “Mali is happy when she sees zoo goers at her pen.”

Manila Zoo has 640 animals that belong to 200 different species. Only Mali, however, is getting this special attention from zoo workers.

“Elephants love company. They even travel in herds,” Garcia said.

Petition for transfer

A gift from Sri Lanka, Mali has been living in the zoo for over 40 years. She has been the subject of an online petition asking zoo officials to send her to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand where she will be in the company of other elephants.

Even world-renowned animal conservationist Jane Goodall asked former President Benigno Aquino III in 2012 to transfer Mali to a wildlife sanctuary.

But an animal training expert who examined Mali has warned against the move, saying that the long, stressful plane ride and mandatory quarantine period might not be good for her health at her age.

All able-bodied Koreans between 18 and 38 years old are required to serve military service for 21 to 24 months. Conscripts are prohibited from leaving their barracks unless they are granted vacation authorized by the military.

The ministry eased the restriction from Friday, allowing soldiers to leave their barracks after work from 5:30 p.m. on weekdays for personal affairs, and to return before roll call at 9:30 p.m.

With the new policy, the ministry seeks to create ways for soldiers to communicate with society and to get enough rest for military training.

Before implementing the policy at all military units across the country, the ministry had conducted a test-run on 13 military units from August 2018.

During the trial period, the ministry found there were many benefits in allowing soldiers to leave the barracks, such as boosting their morale. In addition, soldiers would be able to meet their families more often; take care of personal affairs, such as skills development; and obtain medical treatment outside military camps.

The ministry stressed that the policy would not weaken the defense posture of units.

Furthermore, as a reward, or for encouragement, soldiers may leave the barracks to hang out in small groups for an unlimited number of times with the approval of the commanding officer, the ministry added.

For soldiers serving in units where it is difficult to leave — for reasons such as the location of the unit, or the characteristics of their duties — the commanding officers may grant longer vacation days.

This comes as the military has been trying to ease its rigid culture. Defense Minister Jeong Kyung-doo has vowed to ensure the basic rights of soldiers, and to create a more liberal culture.

As part of such efforts, the ministry has been running a trial allowing soldiers to use their cellphones in barracks after work since April 2018.

As of January, 120,000 soldiers in units were allowed to use their cellphones from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends or holidays. The government will expand the plan to 380,000 soldiers by August. Taking photos and using recording devices are still prohibited for security reasons.

After some umming and ahhing, the Sarawak government has finally decided to implement the smoking ban at all eateries in the state on March 1.

Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said the state Cabinet made the decision “for the health of the general public” at its meeting on Jan 24.

This comes in the wake of the federal government’s smoking ban at all restaurants and food outlets, which came into effect in peninsular Malaysia on Jan 1. In Sabah, the ban was implemented on Feb 1.

But like most of my non-smoking friends, I was left feeling deflated when Dr Sim said in December that the ban would not apply in Sarawak, unless the state government adopted the policy according to its own local government ordinance and by-laws.

He clarified that this did not mean Sarawak was not in favour of anti-smoking measures, but that the state would have its own ban in line with its autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Federal Constitution.

At that point, it remained unclear when and how Sarawak would adopt the ban. The air, too, did not get much clearer when Dr Sim was reported saying on Dec 31 that the state Health Department would meet with various stakeholders on Jan 9 to discuss the ban.

Meanwhile, after Jan 1 rolled around, non-smokers in Sarawak could only look on enviously as comments began appearing on social media about how much more pleasant it was to dine out now in the peninsula without cigarette smoke polluting the air.

It was then reported after the Jan 9 meeting that the state Cabinet would decide on the mechanism of enforcing the ban at its Jan 24 meeting.

Hence, Dr Sim’s subsequent statement on the ban was greeted with a measure of relief.

But here’s the thing. It looks like what will be enforced in Sarawak is pretty similar to the federal ban.

For instance, licensed food outlet operators may, with the approval of local authorities, designate a smoking area at least three metres away from the nearest table where food is served and they will be responsible to ensure that the area is kept clean.

The state Cabinet also agreed that the first six months from March 1 will be an “educational enforcement” period, with no compounds to be issued at this time.

Likewise, offenders found smoking at banned places can be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed up to two years, while eatery owners who fail to display a no-smoking sign can be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed up to six months.

As such, there really doesn’t seem to be a good reason for delaying the ban’s implementation beyond the notion of asserting Sarawak’s autonomy. And why bring this up now? I don’t recall anyone making noise about autonomy back when the no-smoking policy was introduced at air-conditioned restaurants and workplaces.

Also, why not introduce it sooner than March 1? As others have pointed out, it’s not as if the ban was announced at short notice by the federal government.

So, Sarawakians have to wait another month for smoke-free eateries.

In any case, now that the ban has been announced, let’s hope it will be properly enforced once it comes into effect.