My Fate

This is the fortune that Dad picked out for me from the Guan Di Temple in Taipei. The main section, a 4-line poem, means thusly:

Clothing and meal will be readily available,
So there's no need to worry and fret,
If you should observe your filial piety (xiao), loyalty (jung), and trust (shin),
Luck and prosperity will come and woes and tragedy will not encroach.

Sounds good! Some other details were mentioned:

A fortune of medium luck. Fame and prosperity will find its time. Too early for either pregnancy or marriage. Illness can be cured. It is better to adhere to regular routines. No need to worry. Seek the middle and straightforward way and you will find balance between the two extremes. By forcing the way accidental trouble will incur. Follow intuition and common sense and it'll be all good.

One catch: this fortune was obtained in November 2002, in the middle of my first bout of unemployment after college. Well, I suppose THAT still applies.