Valentine's Dragons

I may have said it before. Dragons aren't romantic. We have a tendency to set fire to things, and not in a "hey baby, you're on fire, come back to my place for a drink". More in a "hey, that baby is on fire. I SWEAR I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT".

This is how you imagine dragons are at Valentine's Day

This is how dragons actually are at Valentine's Day.

Note the difference between the first and the second pictures. The first one has a cutesy dragon curled around a heart. The second has a dragon holding the still-beating heart in his curled talons. It's a big difference, and if you're planning on dating a dragon, it's one you really should think about. Seriously. I cannot stress that enough. Breaking up because you were growing apart is one thing. Breaking up because you've been ripped apart is another.

But let's be honest, even dating other dragons is complicated.

I'm going to stay in this Valentine's Day

Year of the Dragon

Xin nian kuai le!

You have no idea how much yoga it took to get myself fit for that photo. 

Here we are, in the Chinese Year of the Dragon. This means there are a lot of babies born in the last twenty-four days that are claiming to be dragons, which is both incorrect and quite impressive for an infant. Those born in the year of the me will never have the overwhelming craving for gold, or tasty charred human flesh that a true dragon has. But they may share some apparently common characteristics of dragons.

Like being strong, powerful, intuitive and artistic.

Of course, loath as I am to admit it, there are downsides to being a dragon. We are stubborn, ferocious, and terrible at romance...

Whatever our negative points, though, it's better than being an ox. No-one ever said "wow, guys, did you see that film with the really impressive ox in it? Man, I wish ox were real. I would totally get one as a pet. I would have such a deep emotional bond with my ox it would be like it could read my mind!". No-one says that.

I feel a bit sorry for the ox now.