We
all know how challenging 2020 was so I don’t really want to talk too much about
it. What started off as a promising year turned out to be such an anomaly, an
outlier, it completed changed our lives. I just hope everyone has learnt not to
put too much hope or expect too much from 2021 because the road to recovery
seems still a far distance away. If I had thought 2019 was bad, well, 2020 sure
surpassed it.
But
I learnt to be even more grateful of what I have and while yes I still have my
own issues and problems, some of them pale in comparison to what some others
face (of course I have always known and noticed this and not only just realised
it. I’m not that self-absorbed!). I was in awe at the hard work by some
selfless individuals (Ustaz Ebit Liew, Uncle Kentang, just to name a couple of
them) and I found myself shopping less and contributing more to causes. I tried
to eat more healthily (yes, I still have my craving for junk food) and managed
to reduce my cholesterol level down, I managed to maintain my weight and I made
sure I continued to attend physiotherapy sessions to treat my scoliosis. My therapist
had told me that I should not be jogging, running, jumping or skipping so I have
to do a lot more walking now (a bit difficult when there was a strict
restriction of movement for three months). I still can’t really be bothered to
learn how to cook as I dislike spending and don’t want to stand too long in the
kitchen. Despite the pandemic, I have yet to place any food order via Food Panda
Grab Food, believe it or not. And I still prefer going and doing my physical
shopping for groceries and browsing the pharmacies. Nothing beats interacting
with the pharmacists in deciding the best supplements to buy.
I
somehow managed to squeeze in trips right before the MCO and after it was
relaxed (before the needless Sabah election following which we see runway
number of daily cases), Alhamdulillah:
January:
Flew to Surat Thani on the eve of Chinese New Year
February:
Flew to Tanjung Pandan at month-end
March:
Came back from Tanjung Pandan
April:
Was supposed to go on a short trip to Kota Bharu
May:
Was supposed to fly to a new country
June:
Didn’t manage any trip
July:
Went to Georgetown, Penang, Kuala Kangsar and Lenggong, and Port Dickson/Melaka
August:
Overnight trip to Kuala Lipis
September:
Spent a weekend at Tanjong Jara Resort with my niece
October
- December: Did not travel
I
even managed two trips to Genting Highlands Premium Outlets during the year!
Arsenal
continued to both frustrate and delight me as I suppose they will continue to
be. I actually found myself watching more tennis last year compared to football.
Yes, Arsenal gave me so much pain at times.
I
managed to read 152 books in 2020 despite the heavier workload and I hope to
keep my annual target of 150 this year, insyaAllah.
Felice Anno Nuovo and happy new decade (and no, contrary to what many think, 2020 was not the start of a new decade). Andrà tutto bene, insyaAllah.
