BANGKOK: 16th April 2005 -- Now here is a Trivial Pursuit question that will stump the best of them.  How many NEW YEAR celebrations is one likely to find in the EAO Region?

    Thailand and Cambodia have just celebrated theirs, on 13th April.  Those with the Gregorian Calendar celebrated theirs on 1st January.  That leaves Indonesia (Lunar calendar, 8th February this year), China, Korea, Vietnam (Lunar calendar but they chose first day of first month - for them - so 9th February).  Answer, then, is four.

    And the followup question:  how many era/year designations do we have in the EAO region?  Or put another way, how is the year 2005 designated in different parts of the region?

    In China it is the year 4703.  They started in 2637 BCE, long before Rome or Jerusalem or just about anywhere else was thought of!

    In Korea it is the year 4338.  They began in 2333 BCE and call it the Tangun era.

    In Thailand, the Buddhist era, it is the year 2548.  They began counting in 543 BCE.

    In Indonesia, the Islam era, it is the year Hirjri 1426.  They began counting in 579 CE.

    In Taiwan, the China Republic era, it is the year 94.  They began in 1911.

    In Japan, the "Emperor Heisei era - achieving peace", it is a mere 17.  They started their count in 1989!

    By now, then, all countries in EAO have begun their new year.  That must be worth a celebration.