Happy Holidays!
~Kathy Connors
It is a busy time of year as we get ready for the holidays and the New Year! 2017 is the Year of the Rooster. We will learn a lot more about the Rooster in our 2017 Annual Meeting. Registration is now open for the Annual Meeting, so please take the time to sign up now!
A few things about the Rooster energy: People born in a year of the Rooster are very observant, hardworking, resourceful, courageous and talented, confident about themselves. Roosters are friendly, speak their mind, honest, and loyal.They like to be the center of attention and appear attractive and beautiful. Maybe we all have a little of this Rooster energy!
A quick reminder that our 2017 Membership Renewal is in progress. We have our annual pricing through December 16. On December 17th there is an $18 service fee in addition to the annual pricing. Please take the time to sign up now!
FSIM wishes you warmth, comfort and ease as you move forward in this Holiday Season!
Our Holiday wish for all of you:
The gift of love,
The gift of peace
The gift of happiness...
May all these be yours this Holiday Season!
~FSIM Board of Directors
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Annual Membership Renewal
Renew by December 16th to avoid $18 Service Fee on December 17th.
Benefits for FSIM members:
- Quarterly meetings provide professional growth for Practitioners and ongoing educational opportunities for Friends and Students.
- Free admission to Quarterly Meetings and reduced fee for the Annual Meeting
- Special "Members Only" meeting and social events
- Practitioners gain visibility through the Practitioner Directory
- Friends & Practitioners may advertise their related business and/or service in FSIM newsletters
- Networking, fellowship and support through FSIM meetings, events, service projects, newsletter and special Facebook page designed for members only
Early Renewal Pricing now through December 16th:
No dues increase this year!
$126 Practitioner
$108 Friend
$54 Student
After December 16th (On December 17th) add $18 Service Fee:
$144 Practitioner
$126 Friend
$54 Student (service fee waived for students)
$126 First Time Practitioner Fee (service fee waived for First Time Practioner Membership)
Renew now & invite friends & fellow practitioners & classmates to join you!
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2017 FSIM Annual Meeting Registration
2017 YEAR OF THE ROOSTER
Our Annual Meeting is Tuesday January 10, 2017 at The Marsh.
6:00pm-7:00pm Social Hour
7:00-9:30pm Meeting (Lion Dance starts at 7:00pm)
We hope you can join us for fun, festivities, camaraderie,
shopping and more! Our 2017 Annual Meeting Speaker is Linda Lehman-Lohman. Please see her new featured article below. Our meeting
is highlighted by a Chinese Dragon Dance. You will want to experience this wonderful dance!
We can't wait to see you and get ready for the new Chinese 2017 Year of the Rooster and what you need to know! Meet fellow members, new faces on the Board of FSIM and get ready for 2017!
Registration is now open.
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THE LION DANCE
The FSIM Board is excited for you to experience the Lion Dance at our 2017 Annual Meeting. Despite the fact that the lion is not native to China, the Lion Dance became a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries. Performers, often acrobats, mimic a lion's movements while dressed in a lion costume. The Lion Dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festivals. The lion is considered a protector. The Chinese Lion Dance is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a Dragon Dance.
An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is normally operated by two dancers, while a dragon needs many people. Also, in a Lion Dance, the performers' faces are only seen occasionally, since they are inside the lion. In a Dragon Dance, the performers' faces can be easily seen since the dragon is held on poles.
There are two dancers per lion----one acts as the head and the other the body----and there are typically two lions----a male and a female. They dance to a drum, cymbals and a gong.
As the lion performs, he will visit different people. A way for you to benefit from a Lion Dance is to "infuse" the lion with your intention as he comes near you. His energy will speed up the process and help you manifest what you want for the upcoming year!
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Linda Mealey-Lohman
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2017 Annual Meeting Speaker
FSIM is excited for our Annual Meeting and The Year of the Rooster. Our speaker this year is
Linda Mealey-Lohmann.
Title of Presentation: "Celebrating 2017 - The Year of the Fire Rooster"
Description: "An interactive presentation about the characteristics of this year's Fire Rooster and the Chinese Animal Zodiac, Chinese New Year Traditions (Rituals, Food, and Song). You'll even learn some useful Chinese phrases!"
Linda Mealey-Lohmann is Co-Founder and President of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society and Vice President of US-China Peoples Friendship Association-MN. She is a former employment law lawyer, who now works as a mediator and arbitrator (Mealey-Lohmann Mediation & Dispute Resolution), helping parties resolve commercial and employment law disputes. She is an avid gardener and has a deep interest in China and China Gardens. She has taught Chinese language and culture to all ages, from preschool to college to senior citizens. She holds an undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies, a Master's Degree in Chinese Language and Literature, and speaks Mandarin Chinese. She has traveled to China 22 times over more than thirty years and lived / studied in Taiwan for six months and lived in Tianjin, China, for two summers as Assistant Director of the U of M Chinese language program at Nankai University. Her last trip was to Changsha (St. Paul's sister-city) with St. Paul Mayor Coleman's delegation, where a sister-park agreement was signed with St. Paul Phalen Regional Park and Changsha Wetlands Park. She manages the day-to-day operations of the China Garden Society's current project to build the St. Paul-Changsha China Friendship Garden at Phalen Regional Park. This is a collaboration with the City of St. Paul, St. Paul Parks & Rec, Changsha's Yanghu Wetlands Park, and the Changsha People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The goal is to promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of China and Minnesota.
Register Here!
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Chinese Red Envelope
New Year Tradition
The 红包 "Red Envelope" Chinese New Year Tradition
By Linda Mealey-Lohmann
What could be better than receiving a red envelope with money inside? That is what happens in every Chinese family during each Chinese New Year celebration. Along with all of the other exciting (and delicious!) traditions associated with Chinese New Year, children especially look forward to receiving "Hong Bao" (红包- a red envelope) from their parents and grandparents. The elders prepare these "Hong Bao" as a way of sharing blessings and sending good wishes and luck in the New Year to those who receive them.
What does a "Hong Bao" look like? It is a bright red envelope that is imprinted with lucky Chinese sayings and symbols. For example, a Red envelope might be imprinted with a lucky saying, such as 大吉大利, meaning "Wishing you great luck and wealth in the new year." Or it may have a fish on it, meaning "May you have abundance in the new year" (fish is pronounced "yu," a homonym for the word meaning "abundance"). Or it may have an image of a peach, symbolizing "long life," or an orange, symbolizing "gold" or "wealth."
And what do you find in a "Hong Bao?" Inside, children will find money...maybe a 100 yuan bill ($20 U.S.) or more. Maybe you would like to start this tradition in your home? You can buy "Hong Bao" at most Chinese grocery stores in the Twin Cities. But remember, if you receive one, don't open the envelope in front of the person who gave it to you!
To learn more about this tradition and other customs associated with Chinese New Year (and even learn some Mandarin Chinese!), plan to attend the Feng Shui Institute of Minnesota's Chinese New Year celebration on January 10, 2017. The keynote speaker is Linda Mealey-Lohmann, who will present "Celebrating 2017 - The Year of the Fire Rooster." It will be an interactive presentation about the characteristics of the 2017 Fire Rooster and the Chinese animal zodiac, and many Chinese New Year traditions (rituals, food, and song). Who knows, you may even receive your very own "hong bao!"
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FSIM Board Event Coordinator
Rachel has accepted the position of Events Coordinator for FSIM! Rachel graduated from the Wind Water School of Feng Shui. Rachel is a WWC Master and started practicing Feng Shui in 2008. Since then she has been able to implement her practice personally and professionally blending it with her Real Estate and Professional Organizing businesses. "Feng Shui is such a great tool for helping home owners move forward and it's something that makes me unique in the marketplace. I'm excited to join the FSIM board as the events coordinator. It's important to continue to grow and strengthen our community. Creating gatherings that are meaningful, educational and impactful will be fun for all. My hope is that after each FSIM event attendees will walk away saying; "I didn't know we were making memories, I just knew we were having fun." After all, it is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found."
Please welcome Rachel to the FSIM Board of Directors!
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2017 FSIM MEETINGS
January 10, 2017 Annual Meeting Linda Mealy-Lohman, Lion Dance
April 11, 2017 FSIM Member Meeting
July 11, 2017 FSIM Member Meeting
October 10, 2017 FSIM Member Meeting/Field Trip
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