Silence of War

I know that unlike many blogs out there in cyberspace, I am perhaps one of the few that has not mentioned the astrocity that has been happening in Palestine. Don't get me wrong, I am not a supporter of any war, regardless whether it's on a particular nation, religion or race. Though I am aware of it, I have not mentioned it because the thought of it is simply too distressing. A huge number of people in my country are discussing the unnecesary war vehemently and it has become a daily conversation, so much so that listening to the latest war news automatically boils my blood.

We in Malaysia have started collecting donations and money in hopes of helping the wounded and the homeless in Palestine, only to discover that an aid ship from Iran was forced to detour to Egypt after being intercepted by Israeli Navy. While the donations are still increasing, it is unsure when we can send them out to Gaza. Many others have staged protests against the war and one group in particular has started an aggressive campaign of public awareness.

It was in Mid Valley Mega Mall when I discovered this group of uniformly-dressed youths, handing out leaflets to every single person to pass their way. Called C.O.M.P.L.E.T.E, this group is a coalition of Malaysian NGOs against the persecution of Palestinians, whose tagline is 'Silence is the deadliest weapon of mass destruction'. You can find more information on them at www.completemalaysia.blogspot.com. The pamphlets they hand out may not look like much but intense research and details are written in it and they encourage you to read it to the end before you chuck it away into a wastebin.

The one paragraph that caught my attention and stopped me from throwing the pamphlet away was a quote from a Christian clergyman in Nazi Germany, which I'm sure many of you have heard before.

"First they came for the Communists; I was not a Communist so I did not protest. Then they came for the trade unionists; I was not a trade unionist so I did not protest. Then they came for the Jews; I was not a Jew, so I did not protest. And then they came for me and there was no one left to protest."

Just because the war does not involve your nation, your religion, your race or your belief, that does not mean it is right. We are a civilized world. We, unlike other creatures and beings of this world, have been given brains to think, to improve, to progress.

I will not say who is wrong and who is right. Both countries have their own stories, their own opinions. To argue over who started it first is a waste of time better used to start peace talks and compromisation. But I will say this; war is wrong. To hurt someone when you can reach a negotiation is wrong. God was the one who put us on this Earth so we ALL have equal rights to this world. It is my personal opinion that this world is heading into chaos what with selfishness and violence abundantly thrown into our faces at every turn. It is also my personal opinion that though we still have many things to be thankful for and many people who still strive to make the world a better place for all of us to live in, we do not appreciate them at all. We have shown that we should no longer be referred to as a supreme race; we are in fact even lower than the slugs in the earth.

Many believe the Palestine-Israel war to be a war between religions. Religion should NOT be a matter for war. If you protest against the war, don't go around saying, "The Muslims are right so as Muslims, we will join them" or "The Jews have a right to attack." This is about basic human rights, HUMAN. Protest the war with the reason that no one, especially the innocent, should suffer. At the end of the day, strip off your skin, your colour, your beliefs, your brain, and you are all the same. You all have two hands, two feet, two eyes, one nose, one mouth. You all feel pain, sorrow, happiness. You all cry and laugh. Isn't it enough that we are of the same species and live in the same world to find some common ground?

Pray the war ends soon and pray for the innocent lives that were sacrificed for we have now destroyed part of the earth and have killed those who, perhaps, might have made a major difference in our world had they been alive longer.

Cleaning Up & Making Money

Ugh, I'm still in the midst of cleaning up my new blog and posting some new pages. But I still have SO many things to get ready!!! Wahhhhh!!! Forgive me for the messsss!!!

Since this new blog has loads of space, I wanted to be able to post photos that I love, places that I highly recommend, music that I find interesting and stories that I've written in the past. I just didn't think how much time it all requires. I wonder how those serious bloggers do it. Is it like their full-time job or something? Well, actually, some of those blogs you see online are their full-time jobs. They get paid for every post that they write, lucky blokes.

It's not as easy as you think it is though, writing and maintaining a blog. Especially if your goal is to write a post everyday. When I was working as a writer, I had stuff handed to me, like perfume reviews, fashion articles, etc. I didn't have to think what topic to write about because the topic was already chosen for me. With this blog, I have to come up with something new and interesting to ensure that my blog doesn't become like some boring, monotonous drone. I mean, if me, myself and I find this blog boring, won't my readers or those who stumbled upon my blog be bored to tears too?

But then again, I love writing so it doesn't seem like a chore to me. I truly enjoy it. :-D

One of my friends had commented in the past that I should try and make money from my blog, but seriously, it's not as easy.as it sounds The pioneers of blogging had an advantage as they were some of the first to start writing about products and services, and companies saw that as a way to better market their goods because it's somewhat like a customer's personal experience, which many find much more trustworthy than commercials. I remember this Singaporean girl who would write about anything as long as the companies would send her free items, free tickets and free meals. She gets paid ALOT of money too (I don't know whether she's still around though). However, to get into this blogging-for-money community, there are tons of obstacles.

Is your writing good enough? Does your blog have high traffic and many readers? Is your blog consistently updated? What is the main topic of your blog? What makes your blog different from other blogs? Even if you do get accepted into the blog-for-money plan, there's always the approval of your post. Imagine working hard and slaving over the keyboard to write what you think is the perfect post for, say, condoms, only to get your post rejected by the company. Poof, there goes all those hours (or minutes, depending how well and fast you write) of researching, writing, re-reading and editing. Most companies want you to write a 'review' of their products without it seeming like a paid review, so you have to tweak your writing style to make it sound as though you really use the product and know what you're talking about in a casual, frank, excited, etc, tone. In my personal opinion, it takes the fun out of blogging because you constantly worry and you'll end up losing your personal identity that makes you unique.

That's why you see most blogs going through other means to generate income from their blog such as the ads and links. That way they can maintain their blog the way they want it and still get some money out of it. One website that enables you to do it is www.today.com. I tried it before and it seems legitimate but I couldn't take the limited customization of my blog so I left. By the way, if you decide to enter today.com as a writer, I advise you to have a completely new blog because they won't pay you if your post is a copy from another blog, even if it is your own in another web address.

Alrite, enough chatter. I need to get back to sorting my pages and materials, not to mention I have to go out into the real world and buy new shoes. So many things to do, so little time. :cry:

Surfer Paradise - Cherating

Finally, after so many times of hearing about Cherating, I managed to get up and visit the place where surfers go. And let me tell you...I didn't want to leave!!!

Leaving after the morning traffic on Friday, we made our way up to Cherating with clear skies and even clearer road. After a few hours journey, we breathed in the fresh sea air and felt the cooling sea breeze.

[caption id="attachment_406" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="Ranting Beach Resort"][/caption]

If you go to Cherating, there are lots of resorts and hotels to stay, like Legend and the soon-to-come Bayview. But me, I like to stay in down-home chalets. So we pulled up to Ranting Beach Resort. Clean and spacious, the chalets are right on the seashore and the rates are around RM150 a night. I think it would be more expensive near the holiday season. (Psst, by the way, I heard from my friend that there's another place called Gelora something which costs RM70 a night, and the waves are even bigger than the ones at Ranting. Woohoo!!)

[caption id="attachment_411" align="alignright" width="210" caption="Chalets at Ranting"][/caption]

For those who love to surf, or have always been wanting to try it, the waves are good enough to surf and the best thing is, it's not deep at all. For a beginner like me, I could walk all the way out to the big waves and the water level only reaches up to my waist.

If you don't have a surfboard, don't fret. There's a rental shop just a few minutes walk away from Ranting called the Satu Suku Surf School. The rates are about RM40 for half a day and RM70 for a full day. Oh, by the way, don't be surprised when you see one of the guys who operates the rental shop. He's White yet he's speak totally fluent Malay. He even got our slang and shortcut words down.

[caption id="attachment_435" align="aligncenter" width="574" caption="Waves, the rental shop, and more waves"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_439" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="Food at Matahari"][/caption]

After a great day of surfing, what is there to do at night? Well, you really must try this Malay place called Matahari Restaurant. It's about a 10-minute walk from Ranting. They serve really fresh seafood. We had 2 rice, a dish of Kailan Oyster, a dish of 'kerang' (shellfish, I presume it's called), a plate of fried squid, 'telur bungkus' (eggs), Tom Yam, and two drinks. And it costs....(drum roll please).... a cool RM34. Try getting these dishes for that price in Kuala Lumpur (KL for short). Even if you do manage to find a KL place with those kind of prices, believe me, the seafood won't be as fresh as the ones you can get in Cherating.

[caption id="attachment_442" align="alignright" width="189" caption="Payung Cafe"][/caption]

Still awake? I heard that there's a live band nearby Matahari Restaurant. I can't remember whether it's at Payung Cafe or somewhere near the cafe. Oh, Payung Cafe also offers other activities, such as a firefly trip, island trips and fishing trips, if you're staying longer.

Live bands not for you? Well, there was a group of young guys vacationing at the same resort as us and they made a bonfire and just talked the night away. Or for the romantic couple, there's always star-gazing. The sky is so clear, you can just pull out a blanket or chair and just stare up at the stars. If you're lucky, you might catch a shooting star, or perhaps, a UFO. :lol:

Trust me, one night is not enough to stay in Cherating. I've just been back and I'm already dying to go back there. I miss the sound of the waves, the salty breeze, the shiny stars (you'll see way more stars near the sea than you do in the city), and the feel of the surf rocking you back and forth in the sea. The locals said that surfing season lasts from October/November to February/March so there's still time if any of you want to go there. But seriously, try your best to go there. I know islands are the places to go but if you don't want to get on a boat or if you get seasick, just drive to Cherating. 8-)

Single Me Out

Do you remember all those chic lit books you read or see in the bookstore? How the late-20s or 30-something woman starts off alone with no boyfriend (or  is divorced) and tries to find her place, her meaning, in life when all her other friends are either happily married (or simply married), or have wonderful boyfriends, or have successful careers? How she feels that she's such a failure in life, work and relationships? If you still can't grasp the plot, well, have you watched the movie 'Bridget Jones's Diary'? Yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to describe.

A lot of people laugh at such stories, finding it ridiculous, pathetic and totally unreal. They find the unhappiness the single woman feel as grossly exaggerated, her attempts to find love as unbelievably sad, and her story.....well, nearly impossible to be true. But these women I'm describing.....they do exist.

This new year of 2009 has A L O T of weddings. As of this moment, I have already attended one and know of three more that will happen within these year. Do you realize that weddings are depressing for some people? It's not that you're not happy for your friends and families who have found their, hopefully, lifetime spouse. You're delighted for them, but at the same time, you can't help but feel sad and sorry for yourself. There you are, around the same age as your friend/relative (or God forbid, older) but you're still alone, unmarried. And it doesn't help that you have those people who just have to come up to you and ask, "So, when's your turn?" It's the equivalent to people asking married couples when they're gonna have children; it's just irritating and an unnecessary stress.

If being single at a wedding isn't bad enough, imagine being in a relationship at a wedding. Watching someone else walk up the aisle will more often than not trigger the question, "When will that be me?" As the relationship goes on (if you're in one), you start to wonder, 1) is he/she the right one for me?, 2) is he/she even serious about me?, 3) will he/she marry me? So many questions, so little time.

It's even worse for women. There's the teasing of being an 'old maid' and there's also that ever-present matter of your 'biological clock' for those who want children. When you reach a certain age, you feel that there's no more time to waste. You feel like shaking and asking that partner of yours, "Hey, are serious about me or not? Don't waste my time!"

Sometimes I wish relationships were clear-cut, easy, simple, straight-to-the-point. Some relationships I've seen and heard seem so much easier. Take my cousin for instance. The man she married has made it clear from the beginning, way before he was even in a relationship with her, that he wanted to marry her. She had nothing to worry about and could continue the relationship comfortably, knowing that he's not going to just pack up and leave one day, saying, "I don't think we're going to work out."

I wish some people would be better in making their partner feel more secure in their relationship. Perhaps when you meet the right guy/girl, you won't feel so bad. The question is, when will you find the right one for you?

Asian Invasion

Prepare for invasion!! Alert all troops!! Asia is hitting the world...in a big way!!

No, no, no, it's not war, well, not the nuclear-guns-missiles war anyway. It's the war of music!!

Yessiree, if you've been living under a rock, or deafening yourself with your headphones, then you don't know that the Asian artists are readying themselves to invade the West. Artists like Utada Hikaru, BoA, and Koda Kumi are branching themselves out of their home-turf and Asia, and sticking their big music toe into the Western door. Since I'm more of a Japanese/Korean music fan, the artists that I'm talking about are mainly from there so forgive me if I have no clue about other Asian artists.

I just only notice this trend when I was watching MTV's JKMusic program, which showcases the latest of Japan and Korea's music videos. BoA came on the screen suddenly and it pulled my attention 'coz I saw the video earlier at a restaurant but couldn't make out the music. Imagine my surprise when she sang the song in pure English!! BoA, or rather Boa Kwon, is a Korean singer who sings, and have sung, in Korean (duh, of course), Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and now, English (is there no end to her multi-lingual talent?). I just only found out that her first English single, 'Eat You Up', was released on October 21, 2008!! My God, am I late with the news, either that, or MTV Asia is late with the coverage. :roll:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Y47HsDy6o

BoA - Eat You Up (Asian version)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bezeMui5S3s

BoA - Eat You Up (US version)

In my personal opinion, BoA should just stick to the Asian version of the music video. 1) 'Coz her dance moves are GREAT there, and 2) She just doesn't look natural in the US version, kinda like she's trying too hard.

Anyway, reading about BoA's debut US album made me think about other Asian  artists that tried, some failed, to generate some Western traffic their way. Koda Kumi actually sang a duet with Fergie, ex-member of the Black Eyed Peas, a while back. The song was titled 'That Ain't Cool', released on June 11, 2008. The tune was good, the duet was fine, but the lyrics? Not exactly what I would call inspirational writing. Also, Koda Kumi really needs to work on her English pronunciation. At one line, she sounded as though she was speaking Japanese, I couldn't make out a single English word. 8-O The only other pure English song I know  she sang is 'A Whole New World' with Peabo Bryson in her Best - Second Session album, and that too wasn't very English-friendly.

But of course, the one I love the most is my favourite, Utada Hikaru, a.k.a Hikki (don't ask me why the fans call her this). She was actually born in the US, and was known as Cubic U way before she returned to Japan. Unfortunately, her debut album, Precious (1998), wasn't successfully released in the US, but after translating it to Japanese, the sale of the album just blew up in her home country. She then decided to return to her roots and came out with  Japanese albums First Love (1991), Distance, (2001) Deep River (2002), Ultra Blue (2006) and recently, Heart Station (2008). In 2004, Utada Hikaru re-attempted to enter the American market with another English album, Exodus. She teamed up with legendary Timbaland on some of the songs, but apparently, the West is not ready for her composing and songwriting power (or are they actually afraid of her power? ;-) ). I find it a pity that she still hasn't grown popular in America, even though she was the one who wrote and sung the ever-popular opening themes for Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSzBfpi9oCw

Utada Hikaru - Simple & Clean (Kingdom Hearts)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umeAjM5G-5U

Utada Hikaru - Sanctuary (Kingdom Hearts 2)

There are a few more Asian artists that I can mention, such as Che'nelle (who's actually born in my country, Malaysia) and Anggun (from Indonesia). We don't have that many well-known Asian actors and Asian singers in the other side of the world, but I won't be surprised if we turn out to be next big trend and capture the world's undivided attention. 8-)

Retail English

Do you realize how retailers talk to you sometimes when you go shopping? I don't mean about them being rude or using lousy English or stuff like that. I'm talking about the words they use. My friend commented on this yesterday when we were making the rounds at Mid Valley and the Gardens.

"Why do they say that?" he said as we walked out from a store.

"Say what?" I asked.

"Why do they say 'They don't carry something'? I mean, why 'carry'? I don't see them carrying any of the products. They only display them, so why 'carry'?"

I started pondering on that and realized that he's right. When we ask if they have something, why do they use the word 'carry'? Why not just say 'We don't have it'? Or how about 'We don't sell that'. I wonder who came out with that retail phrase.

Another retail phrase (well, not phrase exactly, more like a word) that salespeople like to use is 'Yes?' Can't you say 'Can I help you?'? Well, maybe it's too long to say all the time but still. Whenever someone comes out to me and asks 'Yes?', I always feel like saying 'No' while shaking my head. Hahahah!! Or how about replying, 'I didn't say anything'. Or maybe reply the 'Yes' with my own 'Yes'. Hehehe!!

I wonder if there are many more weird retail English. Hmmm, something to ponder on. :lol:

Weird Phone Calls

I'm sure you've been through this before; someone calls you and you tell them it's the wrong number and yet they call again and again, or some stranger starts to ask you even stranger questions. Well, I've had my fair share of weird phone calls and here's one of my weirdest calls.

A few years back, an unknown number called me in the afternoon. I answered it, thinking perhaps it's one of my friends using a new number, or something. A male voice replied my 'hello' and started asking some odd questions.

"Hello," he said, "Is this the number to call about the shop rental?"

"I'm sorry?" I answered. "I think you have the wrong number."

"But this is the number written for the rental."

"I'm not renting anything. I think you have the wrong number," I repeated.

"Well, what's the number then?"

My face started to frown. "I don't know but this isn't the number you're looking for."

"If you don't know and I don't know, then how?" he said, sounding a little annoyed.

I looked at the phone quizzically, still frowning, and finally just jabbed the 'end' button. He didn't call again, thank God.

Look, it's pretty simple. If you're calling for something and the person on the other end is telling you they have no idea what you're talking about, then PUT DOWN THE PHONE!! Or check the number that you dialled again. The whole world doesn't revolve around you, you know. :P

The Fastest and Funniest Management Course

In the business world, it seems almost every manager is trying to motivate himself/herself and their employees by seeking out and applying the newest and latest method in management. How we have seen as time and time again, a new management guru appears, driving new theories and new ways to motivate and inspire the business organization only to be replaced with yet another newer guru. Well, I found a faster and entertaining way to learn management which I'm sure will transcend the ages.

While waiting idly for my friend, I was browsing through a magazine called 'The Address' when I came across the '2-minute Management Course'. I don't know who came up with it, but it's a must for sharing. :-D

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 1

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out.

The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish."

"Me first! Me first!"  says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world."

Puff! She's gone.

"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life."

Puff! He's gone.

"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 2

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"

The eagle answered, "Sure, why not."

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 3

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull, "they're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you learned something from this short management course. If not, well, I bet you definitely got a laugh out of it. :D

Review: Yes Man

*Warning: Spoilers alert.

Imagine, if you will, a life where every time a question is asked of you and whenever an opportunity presents itself, your answer is 'Yes' and only 'Yes'. No 'Maybe', no 'Perhaps', definitely no 'No', just a simple 'Yes' or an 'Ok'.

"Would you like to learn to play the guitar?" - Yes

"Do you want to learn to fly a plane?" - Yes

"Can you approve my business loan to sell fertilizer?" - YES

"How would you like to find your true love on Persianwife.com?" - YES

"Do you want to join me for a 6 a.m. jog and photo session?" - YES

"Are you coming to my 'Harry Potter' costume party?" - YES

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Jim Carrey in 'Yes Man'"][/caption]

Well, that's the life of Carl Allen, played by Jim Carrey, in his newest comedy, Yes Man. A lonely and dejected man, Carl says no to almost everything and anything that comes his way, not even able to generate any enthusiasm or energy to meet up with his best friends. One day, an old friend introduced Carl to the 'Yes' program and after a very realistic albeit funny/crazy nightmare, Carl finally got off his butt to attend the seminar and, to quote Carl, 'The era of "yes" has begun.'

It's been a while since I laughed so much watching a movie and it's also been a while since Jim Carrey made a really good comedy (the last funny one that I remember is 'Fun with Dick and Jane' but I didn't laugh as much as I did with this new film). Roughly an hour and 40 minutes long, the film flows effortlessly from beginning to end with only a few minor scenes being boring or uneventful. You'll get caught up in the many situations the character finds himself in and you'll be surprised at how everything he has done with 'Yes' comes back to help him later on, from saving a suicidal man with his recently-learnt guitar playing to engaging the help of a rude saleswoman with his raw Korean. It just goes to show that you'll never know which skills you learn and which people you meet will prove useful in life.

As usual, a comedy movie of life filled with so much ups and downs should include a woman and Carl is no exception, meeting up with an interesting girl as soon as he started saying 'Yes' to everything. However, saying 'yes' all the time to everything doesn't keep one out of trouble as Carl soon found out. Held under arrest, accused of being a terrorist, losing his new love interest and ending up in a hospital, Carl discovered that one should say 'yes' even when one doesn't want to, but one should also use common sense in when to say 'yes'.

For Malaysian viewers, let me warn you now that there are some censored scenes, not much, not major, but there are some. The most obvious, and one that would definitely be missed for those who don't get it, is the motorcycle action scene near the end of the movie. The scene that was cut was just a short one showing Jim Carrey's butt. It's not essential to the plot but it's a funny one. :-D Another noticeable thing about this movie is the many references to popular films, such as '300', 'Transformers', 'Saw' and 'Harry Potter'. I'm unsure as to why the editors paid so much screen time to other movies (perhaps they were made by the same production company or something?) but you'll definitely notice it.

Yes Man is truly an enjoyable movie and I recommend you to watch it with your friends and family, not just with your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend. It's just what you need to cheer you up or to relax you after a hard day's work. I was so engrossed with the plot that I hardly noticed the numerous goofs in the film (shame on this screen studies student). Oh, before I forget, do bring a bottle of water; the amount of laughter you'll be doing will definitely have you coughing and in need of liquid for your parched yet happy throat. Enjoy!! :-D

Welcome!!

Hello!! Welcome to the new 'A Malaysian Life'!!

While Wordpress.com has been excellent in hosting my blog, there were a few limitations that prevented me from furthering my blog. And so, I figured that it was time for me to move on to my own personal domain. And here I am!!!

I hope to be able to do much more with my blog and write on more topics as well as being able to participate in writing reviews for products and services. No matter what happens though, I hope that I will still maintain my honesty and personal style in my blog.

So here's to a new beginning in 2009 and to my new webspace!!! Yeehaw!!!

Goodbye, old man 2008! Welcome, new baby 2009!

So long, father time of 2008. It's been a blast but you know how it is, out with the old, on with the new. Oh, hello, cute little baby 2009. What an adorable thing you are, filled with youth and a fresh beginning. We're gonna have so much fun, yes, we are. Ok, I know I'm talking gibberish. Could be all the partying and the high of a new year. :D

Anyway, 2008 is gone and I have to say that I'm happy and sad to reach a new year. Happy 'coz, well, hopefully the new year will bring more to life. Sad 'coz, well, it's a whole new year, the past is gone, I'm getting older (NOOOO!!!). But there's something about odd-numbered years that I just don't like, and I have no idea why. I hope the year would go well though.

2008 was a year of joy and pain for me, as I'm sure was the same for most people. Some of the miseries I faced were hurtful but they always had a silver lining behind them if I took the time to look through them.

I broke away from one relationship, which was bittersweet, but found someone else. I lost contacts with many people, which I have to say is a blessing in disguise because it helps to ease the tension I have always felt being among them. I discovered that a family member attempted to take advantage of my kindness many, many times, but I became more assertive towards this person because of it. I discovered that another family member couldn't keep their nose out of my personal life and I warned the rest of the family of this busybody so as to safeguard their own personal details from this particular person. Also, I closed my business and moved to another premise, which was a big relief.

2008 was also a year of many happiness. My young cousin got married, and in a wedding very close to what she has wished for. Another cousin has fallen in love, finally, after years of being hounded by weird (and I DO mean weird) guys. My sister-in-law gave birth to a lovely baby girl, on the 8th of August 2008 mind you, and no, it wasn't a Caesarean birth. I went to the first Formula One night race in Singapore (woohooo!!!). I managed to travel to a lot of places this year, my favourite being Pulau Tioman. And I finally got a new laptop (an Apple Mac!!! Wheee!!!).

Truth be told, I find 2009 a little bit daunting, I'm not sure why though. Actually, alot of people I talked to believe that this new year is going to be either a busy or a problematic year. I'm feeling that skittishness too, but hopefully, nothing too dramatic will happen this year. However, I have to be prepared for loads of weddings this year. There are already three weddings that I know of and it's still only the first week of the year!!

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot one of the most important things. With every new year comes that dreaded question; What's your new year's resolution? Well, I'm pleased to say that I really kept my resolution last year, which was to take as many photos as possible, and the amount of photo albums I have in my Facebook is proof of that. For this year, I'm still keeping to a simple and achievable resolution and I have made up my mind to.....(drumroll).....write as much as possible. You see, I love writing, whether it's stories, fiction, a monologue, scripts or blogs. I used to write alot back in my high school and university days but I noticed that going into the business world just kills your creativity. I haven't wrote a decent writing in so long, I forgot the feeling when you get so caught up with your characters, as though you're living their life right beside them. I finally got the inspiration for a story and I hope to at least keep at it until it's done, instead of writing half-way. So good luck to me keeping my resolution and good luck to you in keeping yours.

There's another resolution I should make for this year but I am unsure if it's possible to maintain. I haven't done it for a long time back in 2008, which was quite a record given my history, and I hope that this record remains unbroken for 2009. There were times when I've forgotten that I had this habit and at times, in certain lighting when the scars can be seen, the memories of each of those scars flooded into my mind. Hopefully it's gone for good this time but I think I'll keep to only one resolution for now.

No matter what happens this year, I hope that it will be a memorable one. I know that Malaysia will face some drastic changes this new year but I'm sure the rakyat (countrymen) can handle them, with decency and logic, I pray. Let us hope for the best this year, filled with enough happiness to keep us living but with enough sorrow to keep us humble. :D

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!