Nelson's Blog: February 2007

Epidemics and natural disasters will continue to plague the country in the year of the Fire Boar. But overall, it will be one with all-round good luck, Feng Shui consultant Lilian Too tells YONG TIAM KUI.

THE year of the Fire Boar is going to be an auspicious year with all-round good luck, says Feng Shui consultant Lilian Too.

“All the five elements — metal, wood, water, fire and earth — appear in the bazi chart of the year. This is very auspicious.

“Good Fortune Star Eight brings abundant wealth and money. It is located in the southwest of the home and most beneficial for mothers and people born in the years of the Sheep and Monkey.

Enhance this sector with a six-tier water feature and lights,” says Too.

She says the economy will continue to grow and the financial markets will continue to strengthen. But, she warns, the financial markets will crash towards the end of the year.

“White Star One, which brings victory over the competition as well as career and education success, is in the southeast of the home. It will be most beneficial for Dragon and Snake animal sign people. Enhance it with water energy or a dragon tortoise with ruyi.”

Unfortunately, Too says, natural disasters will continue to plague the country.

“I wish I could say that there won’t be natural disasters but I am afraid it could be as bad as last year.”

Too says the “illness star” will fly to the centre of the home bringing sickness.

“There could be epidemics. I am very worried about bird flu. Eat healthy foods and take care of your health.

“The clashing elements of fire and water causes insomnia, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

Lilian Too’s predictions for the 12 animal signs

Rat (1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996)
The Fire Boar year will not be an easy one for the Rat. You will experience health problems, bad luck in love and financial loss through being cheated. You will face obstacles of all sorts, disrupting projects and tasks you undertake. But you will enjoy money and success luck if you stay focused on the task at hand. You will need to work very hard as success will not come easily.

Suggestions: Place a blue rhinocerous at your front and back doors or in the north of your home. Wear a two-eyed dzi bead to improve your relationships.

Ox (1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997)
The Ox will have it tough in the year of the Fire Boar. There will be serious afflictions in the form of illness, accidents, major obstacles and misfortune of every sort. There is some luck in your chart but, because the energies are not in balance, you may fail to make use of opportunities that come your way. The main afflictions of the year is due to bad earth energy, so wear plenty of metal jewelry to neutralise it.

Suggestions: Hang the “whirling wu lou wind chime” or display two “five-element pagodas” filled with earth in the centre of your home to suppress the illness star. For wealth luck, wear an eight-eyed dzi bead.

Tiger (1927, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986)
Nothing will come easily for the Tiger this year. But it is possible for you to overcome the bad luck if you remain confident and stay on your decided course of action. You will be surrounded by people with ulterior motives, so don’t fall for what appears to be freebies. Beware of people born in the year of the Dog, as there are indications of disastrous confrontations.

Suggestions: Wear more gold jewellery to banish bad luck. Wear a one-eyed dzibead to overcome all obstacles or the heaven and earth dzi bead, to balance the conflicting energies in your chart. Display a pixiu figurine in the northwest corner of your home, to avoid incuring the wrath of Grand Duke Jupiter. To bring wealth luck, place a six-tier water feature in the northeast corner of your living room.

Rabbit (1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999)
This will be a very energetic year for the Rabbit. You will enjoy promotion and recognition at work. You will face a host of life decisions. The energies surrounding you is charged with fire energy, so there is a risk of emotional or physical breakdown if you do not get sufficient rest. Older rabbits may experience excessive stress, which can lead to hypertension. The highlight of this year is friendship, so take the opportunity to widen your network of friends and find new mentors.

Suggestions: It is very important that you start off the year correctly by growing “lucky bamboo” or sprouting narcissus bulbs in the southeast corner of your living room before the start of the Chinese New Year to create strong growth energy in your home. Make it more auspicious by attaching eight sets of three Chinese copper coins that have been tied with red thread to the plants.

Dragon (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2002)
The Dragon will have better luck in the year of the Fire Boar. The Dragon can expect major changes in his life. It is a good year to undertake new studies and improve oneself. Investment luck is promising, but you should be discerning about how you invest your money.

Suggestions: To enhance your career, or improve promotion luck, place the dragon tortoise holding the ruyi or the qilin stepping on the education implements. Wear a seven-eyed dzi bead for luck.

Snake (1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001)
This is going to be a challenging year as the Snake is in direct conflict with the Grand Duke Jupiter. You need to avoid offending others as the consequences could be quite bad. You need to be careful about who you trust as they may have a hidden agenda. Be cautious. Do not make impulsive decisions. Your wealth luck is better than last year.

Suggestions: Display a pixiu in the northwest corner of your home to appease the Grand Duke Jupiter. To boost your luck, place a snake figurine made of brass on your work desk and wear a 10-eyed dzi bead.

Horse (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002)
The Horse will enjoy wealth luck and plenty of opportunities to increase their income. They should accept promotions and increased responsibilities and not worry about how they are going to cope, as the year will bring many helpful people into their lives. The second half of the year will prove very lucky for you.

Suggestions: For excellent mentors, the Horse should display a figurine of Guangong sitting on a horse in the northwest corner of their home or office. Make the most of your good luck this year, as you will be confronting the Grand Duke Jupiter in 2008.

Sheep (1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003)
The Sheep is the luckiest of all zodiac animals in the year of the Fire Boar. You will enjoy good health, wealth, success, upward mobility and career opportunities. Singles could get married and married Sheep may have babies.

Suggestions: Your luck knows no bounds this year, so you can make your deepest wishes come true with a 21-eyed dzi bead. For those in positions of authority, display a ruyi on your work desk for genuine promotions and good career luck.

Monkey (1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004)
The Monkey with be blessed with good health, career advancement, wealth and plenty of good fortune. He may also enjoy income from investment, speculation and lottery winnings. Relationship luck is also good this year as your peach blossom luck blooms. However, the Monkey may encounter some obstacles or problems as he is in side conflict with Grand Duke Jupiter. There are indications that older Monkeys will be drawn to some form of spiritual pursuits.

Suggestions: Place a pair of pixiu in the northwest to appease Grand Duke Jupiter. For promotion luck, place a figurine of a monkey sitting on a horse on your work desk.

Rooster (1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005)
The Rooster fares better this year with lucky stars flying into their chart. There is wealth luck indicated, but most of this luck will be tied to connections you make over the course of the year. This is a period of renewal for the Rooster, who emerges after a rocky year stronger and readier than ever to make good things that had to be put on hold. This is a great year for the Rooster to improve their skills or go back to school for additional qualifications. There will be love distractions at work.

Suggestions: Married roosters should wear the “double happiness” pendant to protect their marriage. Place the dragon tortoise holding the ruyi in the northeast for education luck.

Dog (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006)
The Dog will encounter a mediocre year in 2007. On average, there will be good months as well as months where luck will be rather poor. Problems arising from petty squabbles will be common throughout the year. You could suffer from severe stress and as a result, you may feel physically very tired. Because their intrinsic element is earth, this will make the Dog more susceptible to the illness that afflicts the year. There is danger of accidents and injuries.

Suggestions: Wear plenty of gold to overcome hostile vibes. Protect your home with a figurine of “fu dogs sitting beside the mountain” facing the main entrance. Place three five-element pagodas in the centre of your home to neutralise the illness star.

Boar (1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995)
The Boar is afflicted by the stars of the year as the Grand Duke Jupiter flies into their sector. In addition, this is a year where the elements of the year are in conflict, thus the Boar is considered to be in “self-conflict” which leads to the Grand Duke creating all sorts of problems. To appease the Grand Duke, place a pair of the pixiu in the northwest corner of the home. The yearly stars also bring lots of hostile energy and this means the Boar will be very touchy and irritable throughout 2007. But there will be wealth and money luck.

Suggestions: Place plenty of dragon images to magnify your good fortune. Display a six-tier water feature in the southwest corner of your living room. Carry a double-horned rhinoceros to prevent financial loss.

三菱デリカD：5・4WD・Gプレミアム
・全長：4730mm
・全幅：1795mm
・全高：1870mm
・ホイールベース：2850mm
・トレッド：前1540/後1540mm
・タイヤサイズ：225/55R18
・最小回転半径：5.6m
・車輌重量：1800kg

　デリカD：5は、先代のスペースギアと比較して55mm長く、100mm幅広く、100mm背が低くなり、よりミニバンらしいプロポーションに進化。また、全高が低くなったにもかかわらず、室内高は先代プラス100mmの1310mmを実現。ホイールベースは先代から50mm伸び、室内長も先代プラス65mmの2915mmとしている。一方で最低地上高はスペースギアを20mm上回る210mmを確保し、“オフロード走破性に優れたワンボックス”という歴代デリカのアイデンティティも継承している。

　また、先代はパジェロとメカニズムの多くを共用していたが、新型はアウトランダーのプラットフォームをベースとしたことで、先代から車輌重量を約200kgも低減。さらに全幅が拡大し、ホイールベースが伸びたにもかかわらず、最小回転半径は先代マイナス0.4mの5.6mを実現。ミニバンとしての実用性も向上させている。

■エンジン
三菱デリカD：5・4WD・Gプレミアム
・型式：4B12
・種類：直4DOHC
・総排気量：2359cc
・最高出力：170ps/6000r.p.m.
・最大トルク：23.0kg-m/4100r.p.m.
・10・15モード燃費：10.4km/リッター
・燃料タンク容量：66リッター
・使用燃料：無鉛レギュラー・ガソリン

　パワーユニットは、アウトランダーにも搭載されているMIVEC付き2.4リッター直4DOHCの4B12型。最高出力と最大トルクもアウトランダーと同一になっている。全車4WDであることや、トランスミッションが全車CVTである点もアウトランダーと共通だが、MおよびGのCVTにはパドルシフトによる変速が可能な6段スポーツモードは備わっていない。

　車輌重量がアウトランダーより180kgほど重いため、アウトランダーほどの加速性能は望めないが、同クラスのライバルと同等レベルのパワー・ウェイト・レシオを確保。現代の3列8人乗りミニバンに求められる運動性能は十分に実現しているはずだ。

　また、デリカD：5は平成17年基準排出ガス規制75％低減レベル（☆☆☆☆）と、平成22年度燃費基準＋10％を達成。全車グリーン税制に適合している。

Video: http://tv.carview.co.jp/?mid=1776

Press Release: http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressrelease/e/products/detail1586.html