What a sheltered life we live. Today was one of those days when work helped me see a reality that is often hidden from me and my circle of friends.

I met young people, as young as 16, who come from troubled backgrounds and recently benefited from courses that essentially taught them what my parents passed on to me  - basic life skills. They had to be taught how to speak politely.

They were given a certificate for this.

It was heart-warming to see how satisfied they looked as they walked up to the minister to collect the certificate.

I procrastinate. I watch youtube videos and read good books instead of studying for tests or memorizing my lines for "Romeo and Juliet". I make excuses (Watching Monty Python allows my creativity to overflow and possibly fill up my lined paper with a script that doesn't look like crap and sounds worse).

I write poetry when instead I should be writing equations, and fall asleep over my Biology Text book. I doodle on my arms and write songs that make no sense and sing so badly, oh so terribly, but I sing Loud, and that's all that matters.

In the upcoming Chinese New Year, we will enter the Year of the Pig.

Being Muslim, there is nothing that intrigues me about the pig, but I was interested in knowing what the pig symbolized according to the Chinese.

I happened to find some information.

In Western Astrology a persons' sign is according to the month, but in Chinese Asrology it is based on the year.

Reference was made to Jupiter as the Year Star and its twelve year orbit which could correlate with the twelve month calendar.

In Chinese Astrology the pig is a good lovemaker and loves luxuries.