Snakes, from the slithery sort to the kungfu variety...

Come Feb 10, ethnic Chinese everywhere will be welcoming the Year of the Snake. Ads here are already heralding the slithery serpentine's impending arrival:

Actually, snakes are everywhere. I've already previously blogged that I saw this sign on a cruise ship:

Admittedly, I had not been accosted by one of these sea snakes, with its funny-looking nozzle-like tail, during the cruise. Meanwhile, on land, this commonly seen sign indicates a snake ahead:

But there are "No Snakes Allowed" zones on the roads too:

Snakes definitely lurk inside buildings. This rather stick-thin one is either climbing up or going down a flight of stairs:

This one is all coiled up, probably asleep, so treat it as a "Do Not Disturb" sign (notice that it's got the nozzle-like appendage that its sea cousin has):

Coming back to the Lunar New Year season, I think one of the problems in depicting the snake auspiciously is, well, there's not much you can add "character" to a form with no arms, no legs, a tiny head and slitty eyes!   In fact, this ad below seems to confuse the lion's head depiction with the snake's!...

    
Then there's always the cartoonish variety:

I'm sure real snakes don't wear caps, unlike the one above and the one below:

If you think about it, though, the snake form can be creatively depicted, especially in this year, 2013, and to chart the property market:

Some of the cornier ads slither out of control (talk about snake oil!)...

This one goes too far... Poor python! Poor crocodile! Poor Ostrich! Poor monitor lizard! Call PETA!

It is possible to depict the snake stylishly, as in this postcard:

 There is a by-now famous signature, described as "loopy". But methinks it's more "snakey:"

What's left? If you can have Kungfu Pandas, why not Kungfu Snakes!...

Anything to get you to spend your bonus money! That's why there's always also the God of Fortune this time of the year, regardless of the current Chinese zodiac animal...