It Was 2007 and I see 2008 Around the Corner

The year 2007 has come and gone - still a Pig's Year by Chinese account, at least for another month or so.

There are lots of reminiscing going around - bloggers are no doubt writing about their experiences for the year and what they will be looking forward to in the new year. Loads of pictures on the web of happy moments, of friends partying, of birthday celebrations and of places visited.

This morning I heard the Hitz FM morning crew asking listeners about their memorable moments and quite a few mentioned the name Britney Spears - going bald and all really caught people's attention. Some mentioned Transformers and one even said "King Kong" - the DJ was like..."Hello?" No offense, but what is Transformers or any movie doing in your most memorable moments anyway? Did you have your first snog or something in the theater? ;p

Haha...anyway, I was thinking of what to write in this "Last Post" - as a friend described it - for the year. I thought "Last Post" was...well, not quite right. It sounded like I was ending this blog ;p

I have plenty of memorable moments for the year 2007 - from having a great time in Hong Kong, to running my first Penang Bridge marathon, to re-creating Simply Rojak, to having a truly merry Christmas with my family. Haha I'm tempted to just post pictures that I have taken throughout the year and leave it at that. But since everyone else seems to be doing it, perhaps I'll just try my best to write what's on my mind at this moment, with the year ending in less than 12 hours.

A lot has certainly happened this year - and some of it I would like to keep private. While I do not look back and long for a particular year to last longer, I do look back to see if I have made any successes or accomplishments as the year comes to an end.

Career wise it was a so-so year, despite getting a promotion. While I have only recently managed to get my career goals back on track, I really think these past two years - since returning to Malaysia - could have been better used to meet my career plans. As of now, I've still much to do to meet any self-set deadlines. And in this area, I do look forward to the year 2008 with much more anticipation than I had for 2007. One thing pops to mind as I am writing this is that my mum mentioned that - based on my horoscopes for this year - I would do pretty alright in my career. I guess that was what the promotion was all about.

Accomplishments wise...I guess starting to write again has been a good start. A good start for sharpening my thoughts and writing skills obviously. Haha...when I was in the UK, I took a course on creative writing, in the hopes of perhaps writing one of those fantasy novels that I like to read so much -and of course getting it published ;) This might come as a surprise to my friends who are reading this, though I would like nothing more than to be a successful writer and to enjoy writing at home, putting my wildest imaginations to paper - and of course the freedom that comes with the job. Perhaps I can write a few for this blog? We shall see...

This year, my Penang Bridge Marathon experience was not the greatest - far from it. Having a tummy ache half way through the run really killed any enjoyment I was having - and any hope of accomplishing much from it. They need to put some toilets along the bridge, dammit! ;p But I did gained some experience from it and allowed me to judge myself as to how much more I need to prepare for next year's run, that is if they are having one. And if they are, all the more I'm looking forward to 2008.

Relationship wise...haha I'm pretty sure my friends who are reading this would be looking to see if I would say anything besides my usual "nothing much" and "no girlfriend yet" answers. Well, I don't like talking about my relationships (if any) - not even to my family...and I wonder why. Perhaps past experiences taught me that private matters should stay private unless you really don't mind others knowing and talking about it. And not forgetting influencing your thoughts. Oh yes, back to the question before I'm being accused of performing the art of Tai Chi again. I have a lot of wonderful and much cherished experiences with friends this year - one great friend in particular. And the more I think about it, it is not a single memorable moment that I would remember for 2007, but the cumulative moments of 2007 that I would keep most cherished in my heart. I still believe that it is in these moments that lives become meaningful. Enough info? ;p

And how can I end this entry without so much as a mention of how our country fared in 2007? It was business as usual I would say. Despite scandals aplenty - which I'm sure our local media was quick to snuff out any mention of them. A duty to their political masters, no doubt.

For our country, the year 2008 is a year to look forward to, but also a year to dread. It will most likely be this year that we will see general elections and it will be a test on how the people really feel about the current government. I'm afraid that most of the stupid politicians we have now will stay on in power without much change. Even with the recent show of discontentment - taken to the streets - it would not do much to alter the mindset of our local politicians who are so entrenched in their way of communal thinking and their need to hold on to power. Well, if politicians are stupid this year, we can't very well expect them to suddenly become bright in 2008, can we? Perhaps a miracle...yeah, right!

I do so look forward to 2008 - although I have stopped making any New Year's resolution for a long time. Most of the time I know what I want to do - and even how to do it - and it's all down to putting in the hard work and getting it done. Or at least try to do so. The one main thing that comes to mind at this moment - and has been constantly nagging me in my head - is the need to save more money in 2008. Since I have started working in Penang, the dollar sign seemed always to be a problem. I blame it on the low buying power that is the Ringgit Malaysia. But since I can't change stupid government policies or those of my company, I have got to find a way to earn more and to spend less. Difficult, in a time where inflation is rising - way above the 1.9% released by the government - and the need to balance between buying out of necessity and things I can do without. I so hate to change my lifestyle ;p

I look back to 2007 and see that I could have accomplished more - much more. But then again, I am not one to look back and regret - not much anyway. I prefer to look forward and with the hope and optimism of a five year old that things will be better - more fun and a better life.

As clichéd as this might sound, I would like to say Goodbye to 2007 and a big Welcome 2008. I wish all my friends and readers a very Happy New Year and may all your hopes and dreams be fulfilled with the coming of 2008! I'll be spending my time tonight in Red Box, Gurney with some good friends singing our lungs out. I believe it's a good way to start a new year LoLz! :D