Vinschool Magazine Tháng 2/2018 by BetterCre Group

Monthly Vinschool Magazine

FEB 2018

Should we combine Lunar New Year with New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day? Travelholiks: Places to go on tet Technology Comics Fiction Review corner The code Horoscopes The Ladyrinth

Should we combine Lunar New Year with New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day?

Travelholiks: Places to go on Tet

Technology

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Contents

Comics

18 Fiction

The labyrinth

Horoscopes

Review corner: • Movie review • Music review • Game review

22 The code

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Should we combine lunar new year with new year’s day? AU T HOR S: HOA NG T HU MINH A ND PH A M DUC A NH T R A N S L AT O R : N G O H A U Y E N

Tet, also known as the Lunar New Year, is an essential part of Vietnamese culture. It’s just like a charming Vietnamese girl; it’s unforgettable and remarkable. After many changes and development, the Lunar New Year has surpassed the boundaries of time and history to become Vietnam’s most important annual event. However, in recent years, there has been some discussion about merging the Lunar New Year with New Year’s Day to make them into one event. There are many differing opinions regarding this topic. Some people think it’s a great idea, while others are strongly against it. For starters, the people who agree with this sentiment assume that the

Lunar New Year no longer fits the fast-moving pace of society, as it keeps us from achieving international integration. Long vacations slow down productivity, and they cause employees to become lazy. This, in turn, leads to labor inefficiency. Moreover, many accidents occur during the Tet holiday. A recent report showed that more than 400 traffic accidents took place last year due to alcohol. Some 3,000 people were killed. In addition, thousands of fights broke out, which injured more than 5,000 people. The main victims of these brawls were children and young people.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

If we combine the Lunar New Year and New Year’s Day, the New Year festivities will begin one month sooner, and there won’t be any negative effects on traditional holiday activities like lucky money exchanges or banh chung preparation. Furthermore, merging the two holidays also helps harmonize business operations, and we could easily integrate with the majority of the world. With a shorter vacation, we could do less damage to the home economy, reduce accidents and mitigate social issues for the time being.

On the other hand, many people believe that the Lunar New Year is extremely important, so we shouldn’t replace it or remove it. It holds remarkable meaning in both our culture and our lifestyle. It’s not just an ordinary event; it’s a part of every Vietnamese person’s life. Excluding the Tet holiday would leave many consequences and waste a lot of effort and time. Furthermore, Tet actually doesn’t damage the economy like people claim it does. On the contrary, it brings back opportunities for big industries like tourism and entertainment.

Let’s take a look at other Asian countries that share the same traditions as us. China, Singapore and Korea are all highly developed countries, and yet they still manage to maintain their traditions and cultural identity. International integration is extremely important, but it is unreasonable to use it as an excuse to remove a country’s customs and traditions, since what is taken cannot be easily restored. Problems and accidents that occur during the Tet holiday are due to people’s carelessness. Individuals who choose to consume

alcohol shouldn’t drive. If each person becomes more considerate of each other, there will be fewer traffic congestions. Therefore, if Vietnamese people still retain their poor habits, combining the two major New Year holidays will just cause the same troubles. It is hard to say who is right and who is wrong. Everyone has a different perspective, and we should respect other people’s opinions whether we agree with them or not. In other words, instead of debating or even arguing with other people, we should stick together so that everyone can have a happy and safe Tet holiday. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of MVM.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Places to go on the New Year holiday (TET) It has always been an amusement for us when it comes to travelling in Tet holiday. Here are some places in Vietnam and around the world that, we think, may be your best choices during the most important holiday of the year.

4.Quebec City, Canada

2.Da Lat

1.Sapa Sapa surely is a wellknown place for anyone who loves to travel or conquer the harsh lands. Going to Sapa, you’ll have a chance to experience the cold feeling of the Northwest, admire the majestic Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range in the sea of cloud, or visit villages of the H'Mong in mysterious foggy vallies. You can also take a cable cab to the top of Fansipan – “the Rooftop of Indochina” – to capture the breath-taking beauty of the landscape from an unparalleled point of view. In case you would like a more “peaceful” experience, you may want to explore Ta Van, Cat Cat, Muong Hoa green valley, or rent motorbikes running along the clam and glamorous O Quy Ho mountain pass.[VOV.VN]

Da Lat has been a trusted place for travelholics in Tet holiday, simply because of its irresistible beauty during spring time. There are many places you can pay a visit here: picturesque Cau Tuong Cau River, the green tea garden in the downtown, or cherry blossom fields. In addition, visitors can visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda. This religious building is well-known for its sophisticated architecture, where you can see 324 magnificent Buddha statues, and an impressive sculptured tunnel. [Baomoi.com]

3.Da Nang Da Nang has been transformed into a wonderful tourism city with a lot of beautiful natural tourist attractions, such as Ba Na - Nui Chua, Son Tra Mountain, Ngu Hanh Son, and Cu Lao Cham Island. You can experience the vibrance of this avant-garde city at night, especially near bridges along Han River. Standing on the Dragon Bridge watching the outstanding fireworks would definitely be a remarkable memory if you visit Danang this Tet Holiday.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Few can deny the romance of Quebec City come wintertime. Within the walled city, horse-drawn carriages rumble down Old Town’s streets, lowlit wine bars fill with hand-holding pairs in deep conversation, the Place D’Youville opens its rink for ice-skating, and the castle-like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac overlooks it all. Enjoy a fresh snowfall during a stroll along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, or from a room at Le Monastère des Augustines, a new hotel and wellness spa where “rest” gains a whole new meaning. [Travel Leisure]

6.Park City, Utah

5.Jackson Hole, Wyoming According to Travel Leisure, Wyoming’s Teton Range is a playground for outdoor adventure: hiking, camping, and, come winter, skiing, and snowboarding. According to CNN travel, Jackson Hole is well loved for its luxe alpine hotels—including the Four Seasons and Hotel Terra—and close proximity to some of the state’s best descents. For the ultimate ski experience, head to the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park, where trails follow slopes and ridges, and everywhere you look, there are jaw-dropping views of the surrounding mountain peaks.

Park City is known for three things: skiing, snowboarding, and the Sundance Film Festival. Located 35 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Park City is easily accessible and home to a wide range of accommodations that attract throngs of vacationers during the winter season. Sandwiched between two premier resorts, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain, this former mining town sits in the shadow of the rugged Wasatch Mountain Range. [U.S.News Travel]

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

2018- Future is not far away Some technology products that will be presented in 2018

AI products

his year, there will be introduction of products using Artificial Intelligence. These products are controlled by human voice, and all we have to do is speaking out the orders. The AIs that’s integrated into the products will identify our voice and start the actions

• LG ThinQ This is an automatic household kitchen system of LG corp. controlled by an AI named Alexa invented by Amazon corp. The system includes : InstaView ThinQ refridgerator (center of the system), EasyClean Oven Range microwave, QuadWash Dishwasher. This is an example of how this system works : - You have a pie recipe, you’d send it to the fridge. - The fridge decides what ingredients do you need, and sends the data to the microwave for it to set time and temperature. - The microwave then sends the data to the dishwasher for it to wash after the meal. - CLOi robots - This is another product from LG. These robots were created to serve

in public places like restaurants, hotels or airports. They help people with chores like bringing foods and drinks, carrying luggage, etc.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

• Honda robots Japanese corporation Honda created 2 editions of robots named 3E-A18 and 3E-C18 :

+)3E-C18 is like a small cupboard that can carry things inside. It can move automatically, can see and learn the human’s action

+) 3E-A18 is a robot that was created to make friends with human. It can understand and show emotions. 3E-A18’s head can display texts and emotions. It can be used as a receptionist in malls, companies or airport.

2. Television

eside things that I mentioned above, TV have also been developed to make new changes in

2018.

• Samsung uses Artificial Intelligence to make 8K resolution !!! Once again, AIs are being used to make everything better. This time, the Korean producer Samsung integrates the AI into their TV called QS9. The AI will edit and recreate the screen image of the TV from 4K up to 8K. The 8K resolution is 16 times clearer than FullHD TV that most of people are using. Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby (we often find it in smartphones of Samsung like S8 or Note8 ) is also integrated in this TV , so we can make our Tv the center of our automatic home system. Artificial Intelligences seem to become smarter and more amazing.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

• Screen tunnel This tunnel is 28 metres long, built by 90 concave screens and 146 convex OLED screens. This product is used for advertisement or art displaying to create better experience for viewers.

3. Computer

omputer market of 2018’s looking forward to better gaming and screen quality.

• Wireless gaming gadgets American gaming gadgets brand Corsair presented the K63 Wireless mechanical keyboard (109,99 USD) and Dark Core RGB (79.99 USD) wireless mouse. These gadgets don’t need

• Lenovo Yoga Y920 Star War

wires to be connected with computer screen. They are connected with screen via Bluetooth with respond level of 1m/s. This is the solution for many gamers who think wires limit the responding speed of keyboard and mouse. If you like to play game on TV, Corsair presented the lapboard (59,99 USD) that combined with a mouse pad which you can put on your lap while playing games. The mouse has 2 changeable sides and 9 buttons per side.

This laptop is a special edition of the premium Yoga Y920 type that can that can turn the screen 360 degrees. And of course, it is created for the fan of Star Wars movie series. At the back of the screen, there is a big sticker of the film Star War: Last Jedi under the tempered glass. The laptop made of aluminum, with sharp edges, which makes us feel like holding a Lightsaber! The 14 inches screen has the UHD 4K resolution, fresh color, great contrast. Go along with the laptop is the “Active Pen 2” touch pen which has 4096 force levels and used for drawing on laptop. Alexa or Cortana assistant is also integrated in this laptop so that you can order them in 4 meters away. And the best feature of this is it can download things and take call from Skype even when it’s sleeping ! It has 16GB RAM, run by Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, battery can run in maximum of 10,8 hours.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

• ASUS gadgets that can combine many screens together and remove borders ASUS created a gadget that can combine many screens together to make a larger screen. This is a wonderful tool for gamers and workers who want a larger space for working and playing.

• MSI Optix MPG27 gaming screen ($799; can be sold at Vietnam) The MSI gaming system is now added a 27 inches screen that has beautiful design (especially the back ) and colorful smart RGB LEDs . The displaying is clear, and this screen is curved. The curved level is 1800R. The most outstanding thing is the LEDs can twinkling, depends on the actions in game.

• ROG Swift PG65 screen ASUS brand shows a 4K resolution screen with the length of 65 inches. The ROG Swift PG65 screen was created for gamers who want to play game in a larger and clearer screen except TV because responding speed of TV isn’t high. It can connected easily with computer and by integrating with Android operating system, you can stream your game by this screen and use many entertainment service of Android TV.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

4. Transportation

etting bored with the regular gasoline cars or motorbikes? These modern and environmentally friendly means of transportation will blow your mind.

• Fisker Emotion ($129000) A new electric car brand named Fisker presents a sedan car that runs 100% by electricity with absolutely no smoke-discharging. It has a design that as soft and sporty as other premium gasoline cars like Lamborghini or Ferrari. The car can be controlled by software on smartphone. The car can automatically drive with no driver and be graded level 4 for this. It just needs a really short time to recharge electricity. The brand Fisker is competing with another electricity car brand named Tesla.

• 3E-D18 ATV transportations This is an off-road automatic transportation of Honda that uses electric engine. The 4 tides of the wheels don’t need filling up with air. 3E-D18 was designed to easily combine with another gadgets, by that, we can apply this transportation into constructing works, fire or life saving because it can work in both normal and harsh environments.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

5. Smartphones

martphone market also has many new changes in models and technology

• Honor View10 (~460 USD)

• BlackBerry KeyOne Bronze Edition After being bought by China corporation TCL, BlackBerry presented a new edition of smartphone with traditional keyboard. The model KeyOne is now added a new color option - bronze. It has a memory of 64GB and 4GB RAM, run by Snapdragon 265 CPU, the screen is 4,5 inches long.

The new smartphone brand Honor (Subsidiaries of Chinese corp Huawei) is going to present the new model View10 run by Kirin 970 chip. This chip integrated Neural Processing Unit that also uses AI to make the phone work faster and more efficient on some functions like taking photos. Apart from China, this phone will also be sold in the UK, Germany, Italia, India, Spain, Russia, and so on.

6. Others ($468)

any companies have developed gadgets to assist us in housework and many other

jobs.

• Hip’Air belt ($800)

• Catspad The automatic feeding machine is not a new technology but Catspad is now the smartest feeding machine. It can help us know if a pet (not only cat) is having a balance diet or not, using an app. We can set up the diet for our pet via the app and the machine will follow the data to automatically feed our pet.

This belt is created for elders to wear to save them from broken bones when they fall down. 2 sides of the belt are 2 airbags. When an elder begins to fall down, the airbags blow up in 0.2 seconds to reduce the severity of the fall. But that is just on theory because no one has ever done an experiment on this product with an elder because that’s too cruel!

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

• Folding clothes robot ($980) This robot is called FoldiMate. It has the ability to iron, sterilize, aromatize and fold clothes. If you put the clothes in the machine, it will automatically pull in the clothes, and with many iron beams that are programmed, it starts to fold the clothes. It can fold all pieces of clothing except socks and underwear.

Comics

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

have before New Year. I miss going to Hoan Kiem Lake on the first day of the year, and I miss taking photos with my family. We were always eager to find the differences between the photos taken in the same place at the same time every year. But now, all I have are distant memories.

Fiction

----------------------------------

Dear diary, I’m sorry that I haven’t written anything in such a long time. After living and studying in Singapore, I’ve been extremely busy. Today, on the last day of 2017, I will write about what has happened to me since I moved here. I will also tell you how Singaporeans celebrate the Lunar New Year. It’s only been a year since I left Vietnam…. Well, I’m attending the Singapore Stanford Partnership (SSP) program, where I’ve met many gorgeous and generous people. I was a bit scared at first because my English wasn’t very good, but now I feel confident enough to talk to Singaporeans, especially those who live in my neighborhood. Chan is the greatest person I’ve ever met. He is the Korean guy who lives next door. On my first day in Singapore, he gave me a tour of the city and told me a lot of facts about Singapore and Singaporean people. I also met Anza. She is my best English-speaking friend. She has studied in Singapore for three years, and she always encourages me to study hard.

When I came to Singapore, everything seemed pretty normal to me. Do you know why? Fifty percent of Singaporeans are Chinese, so they celebrate the Lunar New Year just like Vietnamese people do. The New Year celebration lasts for two to three days, and everything at the festivals look so beautiful. The streets here are decorated with many bright colors, and there are also many radiant flowers. Everyone is really happy and excited because this is the most important holiday of the year. There are so many wonderful events! Many people spend time with their family and friends at parties. Vietnamese people and Singaporean people also have some similar Lunar New Year traditions. For example, Singaporeans give lucky money to each other and they often have a reunion dinner with family members on the last day of the year. Even though the Chinese New Year is a joyful occasion, I can’t help but feel homesick when I see people having fun with their loved ones. I really miss my family and my friends in Vietnam. I miss the reunion dinners we’d

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

I closed the diary and gazed out the window. “Wow!” I exclaimed. “How can a country be as beautiful as this? It is charming and modern, but today it’s so strange. Why?” “Perhaps the reason is very simple,” I thought. “On this special day, where are my strict but warm and loving parents, my delightful little sister, my kind younger brother and my naughty friends? Where is everything that’s familiar to me? Where is everything I’ve known since I was a little girl? I wish I could immediately return home, just so that I could sit with my relatives, just to breathe in the air of my hometown, just to hug my little sister tightly….” -----------------------------------10:00 p.m. I was watching the New Year television special when my doorbell rang. Haiz! I was in a sour mood, so all I wanted was to be left alone. Someone just had to bother me. Really? “Hi~!” Anza and Chan shouted.

Oh! To be honest, I wasn’t very surprised. I looked through a small hole on the door and saw my two annoying friends holding plenty of plastic bags and boxes. “Hey! Open the door, quick! Can’t you see we’ve got all this stuff? I’m tired. Hurry!” Anza looked really angry when she shouted the second time. “Hey, guys!” I tried to smile and look as cheerful as usual when I opened the door for them.

yourself on this amazing night, so here we are!” I was totally shocked, and I almost cried. They’d gone through so much trouble just to make sure I didn’t celebrate the New Year alone. They made me feel like I had a second family in Singapore. I really appreciated their kindness and generosity.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“What are you doing? We have a ton to do before the New Year arrives. Come and help us!” Anza removed her jacket and started working.

Anza gave me a tight hug and said, “You’re welcome! Now, we have to pick up the pace because there are only two hours left until midnight.”

“Sorry! She’s just really excited,” Chan said. He flashed a smile at me before he went over and joined Anza.

I rolled up my sleeves and quickly joined my friends on the other side of the room.

“Hold on! What are you guys doing in my house?” I asked. “Chan, I need an explanation. I thought you went back to Korea, and Anza, I thought you were going to London to visit your family.”

It was truly the most magnificent and unforgettable night of my life. We cleaned and organized my house before we decorated it with a whole bunch of flowers. Chan and Anza also crafted some DIY peach blossoms and apricot blossoms that were really cute. We cooked a variety of traditional Vietnamese food and sliced up tropical fruits like

“Yeah, er, we wanted to surprise you with a traditional Vietnamese feast before the Lunar New Year,” Chan explained. “We planned to buy some authentic Vietnamese foods like sticky rice cake and candied coconut, but they’re really hard to find here. We’ve been preparing for this meal for almost a week.”

pomelo, pineapple and watermelon. Chan and I accidentally broke a bowl while we were cooking. Anza shouted at us, and then we all laughed and helped clean up the mess. I felt really happy. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t as tasty as we’d expected. The soup was too salty, and the chicken we boiled was undercooked. None of that really mattered, though. We enjoyed ourselves, and we ate (almost) everything on our plates because we had spent more than an hour preparing the dishes for our feast. At midnight, we stood on the balcony and watched the fireworks display. It was absolutely perfect. While I watched the show, I took a moment to pray for my family and my two dearest friends. Chan, Anza and I had a big group hug before we all went to bed and drifted off to sleep. My first Lunar New Year in Singapore was extra special because I had my friends with me, and I’m sure that we’ll be together forever.

“We’re your best friends in Singapore,” Anza began, “so we knew that you can’t go home to see your family. We didn’t want you to stay at home by

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Movie review

PAU L K I N G

Paddington 2 Intro: To start the Movies review on MVM, let us introduce you the latest movie airing: Paddington 2. Paddington 2 is a prequel in the same name series. This film brings together all sorts of Hollywood actors and actresses, from veterans to newcomers. The film also marks the return of director Paul King after several years of absence.

offers an extremely harmonious color scheme, from the pure white background of the neighborhood where the Browns lived to the colors of the prison costumes with soft pastel tones. Not much but every single, tiny detail in the film was so meticulously polished that sometimes you ask yourself, why do these bulky inmates need to dress up so beautifully?

Content: The film continues to revolve around the Paddington bear. After becoming a member of the Browns, one day Paddington found a book floating in the city of London. Paddington wished to give this to Lucy's aunt as a small present. Sadly, the book was stolen by a thief, but Paddington accidentally became the suspect, and then fall into a labor camp. Besides a meaningful content and dramatic plot, Paddington 2 also

Highlight: Apart from attractive costumes, there is another aspect that we have to mention in this movies: supporting characters. It is nearly impossible to not recognize the side cast, especially the villain Phoenix Buchanan, played by Hugh Grant. Performances from the Brown family or the prisoners are also praiseworthy, and by all means contribute to the success of the whole story.

Music review Valentine’s Day is coming! Have you decided on what to listen to on Valentine’s Day? Take a look at these suggestions and make your decision today! ~~ 1. “Noi nay co anh” - Son Tung This song was definitely made for Valentine’s Day. With romantic lyrics and a soft melody, it will make your Valentine’s Day better than ever. “Nơi này có anh” is the best choice for you. 2. I do - 911 “I’ll be by your side, ‘til the day I die. I’ll be waiting ‘til I hear you say ‘I do.’” This iconic song is one of the best choices for you. Five years have passed since it was released, but it can still give you a better Valentine’s Day with 911’s angelic voices.

3. “Da lo yeu em nhieu” - JustaTee This is the song for you if you have a crush on someone. With easy-to-remember lyrics, it’s suitable for a lonely Valentine’s Day. 4. “Hold Me Tight” - BTS It's one of those songs that you can never get tired of, no matter how many times you listen to it. BTS definitely slayed this one because it’s so on point! We highly recommend this song to those of you who haven't listened to it yet. You won’t be disappointed! From the very first note to the last second, the sweet melody, unforgettable lyrics and amazing high notes will give you a more wonderful Valentine's Day.

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Our own rating: + Content:9/10 + Cast:10/10 + Image:9.5/10 + Sound:8.5/10 + Coverage:8/10 __________ Overall: 9/10

Game review Fortnite Fortnite is a multiplayer free-toplay game created by Epic Games and People Can Fly. It was released as an early-access since 2013 for many platforms including PC, macOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox 1. It is expected to have the full-release in 2018. 1. Plot One day, 98% of Earth's population suddenly disappears. The remaining population find the sky covered in dense clouds, creating chaotic storms that dropped husks, humanoid zombie-like creatures. The survivors find ways to construct "storm shields", and used these to set up survivor bases all over the globe. Gamers will play as survivors and they need to return Earth to its normal state. 2. Gameplay There are 2 modes in the game: Save the World mode which is the topic of our magazines. Simply put, it is a combination of Minecraft and Left 4 Death. The other mode is Battle Royale which allows players to embark on 50v50 matches. This game mode assembles the gameplay of Playerunknownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Save the World Fortnite offers the players many characters with different abilities and personalities, and together this creates a wonderful co-op game. There are four classes: hero characters, defend characters, support characters and trap schematics. Each of this class plays a different role in the game, and together they survive through the game and complete game objectives. In a map, there are a lot of missions and quests that you have to complete. The main quest is to defeat the husks and bring earth back to life. There are other alternative missions across the map. You have to build a strong base, gather weapons and resources to fight against the horde of zombies. Drops are laid across the map and you can use them to build up your base or upgrade your inventory. These drops also contain rewards, which can be used for leveling up or unlocking new skills. Overall we think that this is a perfect game to improve our creativity and reflexes. It is really an exciting game to play and most importantly, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost much of your time. Personal rating: 8.5/10

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

SPECIAL

CODE GAME

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

#newalphabet

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Horoscope Read your 2018 astrology for a view of the year ahead, and your individual zodiac sign's astrology forecast.

CANCER ( J U N E 2 2 – J U LY 2 2 )

ARIES (MARCH 21 – APRIL 20) You start the month with some chaos from the past full moon. Ride it out and don't get yanked into conflicts that aren't your own. You have enough on your plate. On the eigth, the moon conjoins Mercury in fiery Sagittarius. Expect action. You need to nail down what you want and go for it. But you're also pretty used to quick outcomes, and may be frustrated that nothing seems clear in the beginning of the month. You may feel like you're spinning your wheels. Patience. Everything will become clear in time. Do what you can, but don't rush anything, especially contracts or commitments. The new moon and solar eclipse on February 15 urge you to hang back and let others lead the rest of the month. Your time to shine is coming. Standout Days: 4, 14, 28 Challenging Days: 1, 25

TAURUS (APRIL 21 – MAY 21) Your social life is uplifted at the beginning of the month, and it can be tough to prioritize work and play. On the tenth, when Venus enters Pisces, your romantic life could receive a boost. You need to be proactive, though. If you're single, join some apps and start swiping. This month, for you, is about deepening friendships and commitments. You may not have realized just how much you missed socializing. The new moon and solar eclipse on February 15 could lead to a breakthrough—this breakthrough may be one you didn't expect. For example, maybe a new friend has a lead on a new job or a coworker has a person to introduce you to for a potential relationship. In other words, stop sticking people into categories. This month is all about mixing things (and people up.) Making time for fun is not a luxury or indulgence. Standout Days: 5, 16, 21 Challenging Days: 3, 25

GEMINI ( M AY 2 2 – J U N E 21)

You're in a social mood, Gemini, but be careful. Your work may be sliding, and you may need to get things back on track before the new moon of the fifteenth. It can be hard to reign in pleasure. You're enjoying so much of your life, but some schedules, routine, and order could be needed. On February 25, Mercury conjoins Neptune and a dream could come true—but you have to put in the work first. You've been living in a bit of a dreamy space this month, but day dreams need anchors. It's time to get some discipline. Standout Days: 10, 12, 20 Challenging Days: 23, 24

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Woah, last month was an emotional roller coaster, right? Your immense vulnerability can be a gift and a curse, and at the beginning of the month, it may feel like it's the latter. You wore your heart on your sleeve and things didnt turn out as you hoped. It's horrible and it's okay. Learn to be okay with the in-between. The new moon on the fifteenth sheds light on your innate talents and abilities, and the few days surrounding this date could be a huge career and confidence boost. On February 17, Mercury enters Pisces, encouraging you to move on. You're braver, bolder, smarter, and stronger than ever. Own it. Believe it. Standout Days: 6, 16, 25 Challenging Days: 10, 23

Scorpio (October 24 – November 22)

LEO (JULY 23 – AUGUST 22) The Leo full moon at the end of January may have been intense and chaotic, but now things have calmed down a bit. So what do you want? Love is confusing, and mixed messages may crop up in the weeks leading up to the new moon and solar eclipse of February 15. Deep breaths. You need to listen to what the other person wants. In the beginning of the month, you may be too invested in a reality that's all your own making. It's time to change the script and listen to others for a full reveal of what's really going on in your life right now. On February 18, when the sun enters Pisces, it's time for a change. Have you been frustrated with how life is going? Change up your routine or commit to a new habit. Standout Days: 4, 13, 17 Challenging Days: 1, 14

VIRGO (AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 23) This is your total life makeover month, Virgo. You're feeling on an even keel, and feel like everything in your life is going in a direction you're contented with. Because of this, this is a month where little fixes can make a huge difference. In particular, pay attention to your finances. If you feel like they're confusing or all over the place, shore things up, with professional assistance if necessary. On February 15, the new moon turns over a new leaf, and you may realize that you could do without something you've been using as a crutch these past few weeks or months. February 25 the conjunction between Mercury and Neptune can make wishes come true. Put in the work, reap the rewards. Standout Days: 3, 17, 20 Challenging Days: 13, 28

L I B R A ( S E P T E M B E R 24 – O C T O B E R 2 3)

Your emotions are all over the place at the beginning of the month, thanks to late January's full moon. Because of this, it's hard for you to figure out next steps. Your best course of action is to breathe, wait, and relax. Things will become clear toward the new moon. It's not bad to rest and hold back the first few weeks of the month. Regrouping can put you on more sure footing, and reacting based on emotion may not be the savviest move. The new moon on the fifteenth lightens up everything, and you have the clear perspective you crave. On February 21, a conjunction between Venus and Neptune may invigorate a love or relationship from the past or reignite passion for a hobby, job, or project. Love yourself this month, and the universe will love you back. Standout Days: 3, 10, 27 Challenging Days: 3, 25

Your ambition is high at the beginning of the month. You know what you want and are poised to get it. But you can't let emotions get in the way. Passion is great, but in order to make positive next steps you must lead with your head and your heart in cooperation. The new moon and solar eclipse on the fifteenth may bring up a family issue. Confront it head on. You may need to be the leader for this, and it's best to accept the responsibility rather than pass the issue off to someone else. You can handle it best. February 27 can be a magical day as Venus sextiles Pluto. Use this day when you need an extra dose of strength or bravery. Standout Days: 12, 22, 26 Challenging Days: 2, 19

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 21) This month can be busy, hectic, confusing AF and also pretty damn memorable. Perspective is everything. The month starts with a bang and you may have to put out some fires that have come up from various issues stemming from the eclipse. It's a good time to sort out best practices so these issues don't happen again. You may have been burning the candle at both ends or stretching yourself too thin. The new moon on the fifteenth encourages fun, relaxation, and maybe an unexpected vacation or day off to take care of you. The Moon-Jupiter quincunx on February 24 may cause some self-doubt ... let it run its course. You may want to get an outside opinion; hearing someone tell you how great you are may give you the shift in perspective you need. Standout Days: 2, 7 26 Challenging Days: 10, 28

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 20) You're feeling in love with love, just in time for Valentine's Day. You've had a serious 2017, and this year is one where you're experimenting with the right balance between work and play, between fun and intensity. And it's working. You may have some fun, passionate nights, just because. A good time doesn't need to "mean" anything. Losing the quest for meaning can actually imbue more meaning and purpose into your life. The new moon on the fifteenth may be time to let go of something. The more gracefully you can do it, the better. On February 25, as the sun sextiles Saturn, you're in a position of authority. You are up for the challenge. Standout Days: 6, 11, 20 Challenging Days: 3, 23

AQUARIUS (JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 19) You've been feeling pulled in different directions and impatient with a stop-start situation happening in work or a relationship. You want everything to go, go, go, and are feeling frustrated when forces beyond your control may be pulling back on progress. The beginning of the month is an ideal time to focus on your social life, focusing more on fun and adventure than any longterm plans. The Sun-Uranus sextile on February 13 can shift your mood and can be a fun, random day where anything can happen. The new moon on the fifteenth is all about luxury and indulgence. On February 26, a Uranus square with the moon may cast self doubt on a project. Don't be too hard on yourself. You're doing pretty great. Standout Days: 1, 6, 24 Challenging Days: 12, 20

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

PISCES (FEBRUARY 20 – MARCH 20) You're feeling emotional coming out of the late January full moon eclipse. Lead with your heart, but think with your head. Don't make any decisions that don't need to be made at the beginning of the month. The new moon on solar eclipse on February 15 can be a turning point and a time to start a new project, on a fresh page. And mark your calendar for February 21, a romantic, dreamy day where love comes first. In the weeks leading up to your birthday, you may be turning inward and doing a lot of mental work and reflection. Expect for things to happen and changes to occur after your birthday; right now, you're doing the valuable work to put the building blocks in place for a productive, fun year ahead. Standout Days: 10, 21, 25 Challenging Days: 9, 28

MONTHLY VINSCHOOL MAGA ZINE

Monthly Vinschool Magazine

FEB 2018