I
think it’s fair to say that we all look forward to the next year as we expect
it to be better than the current (previous) year. We were all looking forward
to 2014 in our own way and little did we know that it wasn’t going to be a very
good one. Sure, human tragedies and conflicts continue on but 2014 got more
memorable especially for us with not one nor two but three airplane tragedies. Looking
back, it feels difficult to feel that it had been a good year for humankind on
the whole. Conflicts, sieges, natural disasters and catastrophes, they all
happened and I suppose will continue to dominate the headlines.
Another
mixed year, is what sums it best for me. I spent even less time on boring FB
(am seriously thinking of quitting it altogether but for my photo albums) and
more time reading. I set a target of another 100 books and then raised it
slightly to 104 (an average of two books a week) and in the end, I managed to
read 107 books. Let’s see if I can emulate or improve further on it this year
though I would like to read more religious books in English and finish the
Quran more often. InsyaAllah.
Alhamdulillah,
I also managed to squeeze in the following trips, both local and abroad (I visited
more local places in 2014 due to my financial diet in the fourth quarter):
January:
Went to Melaka for a day trip; spent a weekend in KK with my old girlfriend, C;
and at the month-end, flew to Yangon and immediately out again to Inle Lake
February:
Explored Myanmar’s Inle Lake area and Mrauk U; then spent a short weekend in
Penang
March:
Back to Saigon after 3.5 years. I miss this crazy city!
April:
Flew to London on the Airbus A380 (my first time aboard it!). Flew out
immediately to Sicily, my first time there
May:
Traipsed around Europe: from Sicily, I flew to Eindhoven and went to Bruges.
Returned to London for a few hours and then flew out to the Czech Republic
before travelling overland to Salzburg. Flew back to London for a few nights
before flying home. At month-end, flew to Langkawi for the departmental
teambuilding
June:
Day trip to Singers for the Great Singapore Sale (well, not really)
July:
Day trip to Ipoh
August:
Spent the first weekend in Cherating and the last (Merdeka) weekend in Kuching.
In between, took a return train trip to Singers
September:
Returned from Kuching on 1 September. Flew to Taiwan in mid-month
October:
Local day-trips to (i) Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan and (ii) Pulau Ketam
November:
Local day trip to Teluk Intan; day trip to SG
December:
Weekend retreat to Genting Highlands; before my year-end trip to Korea.
We
saw Arsenal slipped off the top of the league after a good run there and
finally finishing fourth yet again. We finally lifted the FA Cup after, in true
Arsenal style, almost letting it slip between our fingers. Then there’s the
World Cup and Allemagne finally got rid of their third-placing jinx and won the
Cup. There was no Arsenal Asia Tour in Asia due to the World Cup; they played
in New York instead.
I
resolve to eat more healthily, maintain a healthier lifestyle, manage my
relationships well, rein in my temper, not get too stressed out and continue on
travelling and exploring. I also resolve to buy only as much food as I can eat
and not waste food (I threw so much expired food from the fridges and larder during
the weekend boohoo), take shorter showers, waste less resources and be a more
responsible citizen of the globe.
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