It's 4pm on New Year's Eve and while practically half of Singapore are busying themselves with getting ready for a countdown party, I'm still at work, staring blindly at my computer screen, my mind wandering aimlessly through the various memories etched in my mind through the last 364 days.
It doesn't really matter to me that I have to stay back at work today. I mean the few hours of freedom in my office is something to savour. While the other team are engrossed in the rounds of Warcraft, here I am, punding away furiously on my keyboard, all the while trying to recall the milestones that did take place. It may mean nothing to some others, but the following A-Z of the year means the world to me.
Arguments - yeap there were loads of these, so much it nearly pushed us over the edge.
Baby - the saving grace after 4 years of marriage, our pride and joy.
Cameron Highlands - drove up in March, during the CNY weekend, tiring trip with torturous traffic jams on the way there but worth every minute when we did get there
Death - some friends passed on, sadly and tragically. May Allay bless their souls and places them in exalted company, Insyallah.
Education - finally, restarted my Adv Diploma course which has been on hold for so long, hopefully I'll get the cert this coming year.
Fatherhood - obviously the greatest thing to have ever happened to me, apart from my birth
Grandma/grandpa - both my parents were away at the start of 2007, returning home from their hajj as grandparents, with my niece's birth
Hajj - both my parents completed their pilgrimage earlier this year, successfully, thanks to Allah.
In-laws - my constant gripe though, I'd have to admit, it's becoming lesser of a problem now
Jelapang Rd - the place I call home, close to friends (they've been very quiet these past few months tho), close to some family, home for a few more years still
KKH - our most visited place this year
Leave - almost ran out of leave at the end of the year, as I kept utilising my leave to go for my wife's checkups at KKH
Marriage - no, not mine again, my cousin got married, as did a friend from my pre-u days, congrats Syahid and Sutinah and Juny and hubby (his name keeps slipping my mind, sorry sis)
Nuryn Izzati - the name of my precious baby, means "the light of our chastity" or "cahaya kemuliaanku"
October - the month where she was born, eight days after her mom's birthday
Promotion - wifey got a promotion this year, and a salary hike, a great achievement for her after more than 10 years of slogging at the same company.
Queasy - the feeling I got when the gynae told my wife, she'd have to have an induce birth the following morning on our last checkup
Renovate - something we'de like to get done on our home, though not on our list of priorities, at least we did change to a bigger bedroom set out of necessity
Sex - of the baby, I was sure it was gonna be a boy, though honestly, it didn't matter, I'm equally over the moon.
Trips - went on a trip to Cameron in March and KL in June, none since then, feet are itching to go somewhere soon
Up - the ever increasing price of everything, from petrol to electricity to water and even baby diapers, the only thing that doesn't increase on a similar scale is our pay
Videographer - my first and only project to do wedding videography for my cousin's wedding, dun think I'll be venturing out to do it on a part-time basis, it's tiring lah!
Wife - my greatest companion, critic, supporter and headache, love her still in spite of all the headaches
X-rated - the feeling in my head during one of the more serious hbouts of wife-induced headaches
Yeap Min Li - the gynae who monitored my wife during her pregnancy and delivered my baby girl, arguably the most important people in my life now
Zzzzzzzz - something we both have been struggling to have since the birth of our daughter, a happy problem we'd have anytime.
Well, that was basically the year that passed. As far as resolution goes, I haven't made any. I don't remember making any resolutions the year before, which just says that come the same time next year, I'm likely to have forgotten what were my resolutions I made for 2008. I might as well not make any resolutions to begin with.
Simplistic? I'd call it being realistic.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
That fateful day....
Three years ago today, we watched in horror as the drama that was the tsunami unfolded before us in places some of us have never heard of, Meulaboh for instance. That was the day where many of us first read or heard the word tsunami.
As the events around the region and across the Indian Ocean took place, we affixed ourselves to our lovely TV sets, in our cosy sofas, sipping cold drinks with awe in our eyes watching the destruction wrought on those faraway lands which many have come to know as paradise on earth. Pristine locales such as Phuket and Maldives springs to mind when we think of sandy, sun drenched beaches.
Soon, the world sprang into action like never before, amazed by the destruction and overcome with grief for those who perished, yet filled with compassion for those left alive and counting the toll of destruction. There was no need to call for a donation drive. People from all walks of life put aside their busy schedules and came to the fore to give what they can and to help where they were needed. It's amazing how the human spirit shines through in the face of such adversity. Governments and MNCs doled out billions of dollars worth of emergency supplies, donations and funds to rebuild these devastated lands.
The outpouring of grief for those lost, the lasting images of the waves striking the shores, and the footage of the little child playing on the sands as the wave swept through will forever be etched in the memories of those old enough to remember and realise the gravity of the event. Truth be told, it was a "Kennedy" moment for many of us - we seem to remember exactly where we were, what we were doing when the news broke through.
Now 3 years on, we have been informed through the media that the reconstruction projects which have been taken on are truly well underway and near completion. For us Singaporeans, the bonds which some of us have forged with the Acehnese when we helped them through their testing times, will forever be remembered with gratitude by them, no doubt. Personally, I am glad that we have been able to do some good in our lives, no matter how insignificant our contributions may have been.
To see the news footage these past few days, really does warm my heart. Knowing that our contributions were put to great use and great effect for those affected, does rid me of those sceptical questions swirling in my mind. It gives me great solace reading about how our contributions have helped in rebuilding that little town of Meulaboh, which I wouldn't have known of had it not been for the tsunami.
As the events around the region and across the Indian Ocean took place, we affixed ourselves to our lovely TV sets, in our cosy sofas, sipping cold drinks with awe in our eyes watching the destruction wrought on those faraway lands which many have come to know as paradise on earth. Pristine locales such as Phuket and Maldives springs to mind when we think of sandy, sun drenched beaches.
Soon, the world sprang into action like never before, amazed by the destruction and overcome with grief for those who perished, yet filled with compassion for those left alive and counting the toll of destruction. There was no need to call for a donation drive. People from all walks of life put aside their busy schedules and came to the fore to give what they can and to help where they were needed. It's amazing how the human spirit shines through in the face of such adversity. Governments and MNCs doled out billions of dollars worth of emergency supplies, donations and funds to rebuild these devastated lands.
The outpouring of grief for those lost, the lasting images of the waves striking the shores, and the footage of the little child playing on the sands as the wave swept through will forever be etched in the memories of those old enough to remember and realise the gravity of the event. Truth be told, it was a "Kennedy" moment for many of us - we seem to remember exactly where we were, what we were doing when the news broke through.
Now 3 years on, we have been informed through the media that the reconstruction projects which have been taken on are truly well underway and near completion. For us Singaporeans, the bonds which some of us have forged with the Acehnese when we helped them through their testing times, will forever be remembered with gratitude by them, no doubt. Personally, I am glad that we have been able to do some good in our lives, no matter how insignificant our contributions may have been.
To see the news footage these past few days, really does warm my heart. Knowing that our contributions were put to great use and great effect for those affected, does rid me of those sceptical questions swirling in my mind. It gives me great solace reading about how our contributions have helped in rebuilding that little town of Meulaboh, which I wouldn't have known of had it not been for the tsunami.
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