Posts Tagged "culture"
The power of suggestion
I don’t believe in horoscopes, palm reading, and all sorts of ways to predict the future but once in a while I would read my horoscope just for amusement. Sometimes, specially when my horoscope says something good, I would like to believe it. For example, when it says something about acquiring money (hahaha), I’d try to think about how and when will I get the money, where or whom will I get the money from, etc. My brain will immediately evoke things then put two and two together to fulfill the prediction. That is what they call the power of suggestion.
Last Friday, we dined in a Chinese restaurant with our good friend, Eugene. He is also a colleague of my husband. We meet at least once a week to dine or have a drink somewhere. Last Friday, we decided to eat in a Chinese restaurant to break the monotony of our “pizza nights”. Right after the meal, we were given fortune cookies. It was my first time! Imagine after living three years in China and after having eaten several times in countless REAL Chinese restaurants, I just receive my first fortune cookie in Austria! I think the “fortune cookie thing” is a Western thing disguised as an Asian thing.
So anyway, let me amuse myself and let’s go back to our fortune cookies. After I’ve eaten mine, I was reminded of Eggnog (not the alcoholic drink but the Philippine cookie). The fortune cookie I got tasted exactly like that (I like that cookie very much). Then there was a small piece of paper where the fortune is and the one I got says “Someone is speaking well of you.” Hmmm… my brain suggested that this “someone” could be my boss who is definitely selling me good to parents of prospective pupils. My husband got “Your success will be improved each year.” He just got a promotion last July (also one last year) so it could mean that the fortune is late or it could also mean that he’ll be promoted again next year (whew!). Then Eugene got “A firm friendship will prove the foundation on your success in life.” He is good friends with my husband and if my husband gets promoted each year, it could also be good for him (hahaha). I was not only able to see what will happen but I was also able to fit their fortunes together (*wink).
Back home some people believe that when a person gets a fortune and tells it to another person, the fortune will not happen. It’s like a counter-fortune if you let another soul know about it and that’s exactly what I just did.
Read MoreTalikogenic
Talikogenic is a Filipino made up word that became popular around the time when I was in high school. It consist of “talikod” means “back on” (as in “don’t turn your back on me“) and “genic” from the word “photogenic”. Like Photogenic, which means somebody looking nicer in photos than in reality, Talikogenic is somebody who has nicer looking back view than front view.
