Pastor and magician Lawrence Khong was born after his parents were married for 10 years and was always told he would have a bright future as he was a dragon baby.
The 60-year-old founder of Faith Community Baptist Church, who is also a magician, was born in 1952 during the post-war baby boom period. "My parents were especially proud because they felt the dragon was a very auspicious sign and they were glad their first-born was a dragon," said the eldest of three siblings.
Today, he does not believe in the animal zodiac even if he has some character traits associated with the dragon. "I have confidence in myself and I always feel I'm special. But I don't buy that I'm like that just because I was born in the year of the dragon," he said, adding that he has met confident, successful or perceptive people who are born in other animal zodiac years.
Citing his Christian faith as reason for not putting emphasis on Chinese horoscopes, he teaches his four children, aged 25 to 31, to respect what others believe but not to read too much into it. In fact, he said he does not even know what animal zodiac signs they are born under.
For the record, his eldest daughter Priscilla, 31, who works with him in his magic shows, is born in the year of the rooster; civil servant Anthony, 30, in the year of the dog; banker Michelle, 29, in the year of the pig; and pastor Daniel, 25, in the year of the rabbit. His wife Nina, also 60, is a former general practitioner and now a senior pastor.
Mr Khong and his wife will be away during the Chinese New Year period for an annual church conference in Colombia. When asked about his hopes and aspirations, he said: "I want to be an active, lively 60-year old who enjoys life and looks forward to the future like a little child expecting to experience new things. I hope to value-add to other people's lives."
- Jane Ng