Hello 2010!

Happy New Year everyone! To borrow the cliche, in the blink of an eye, another year has passed. 2009 was a tumultuous year of changes for me, and quite frankly, I'm glad it's over. I guess it's only apt at this point of time to revisit some of the things that have passed..

31 Dec 2008. I ORD-ed from Army after returning from Wallaby and passing my IPPT =) I remember feeling how anti-climatic it was. There was no fancy ORD parade, only a signing of papers. I had to sign my own form because RQ was so sick and out of action.

Feb 2009. I joined EDC@SMa as an administrative assistant and stayed there for a good 5 months. I never knew I would work there quite that long. It was fun to know the people there and to be an observer to their politics and to see how people spice up their work lives. Of course, I remember complaining about the boring work or lack thereof. But at the end of it, the memories of working life are fond =) I have Ian to thank for teaching me the ropes and Davin for the friendship and Jessica for advice.

April 2009. 2009 was a year of death for me. RQ died of cancer on 7 Apr 2009, the same day I got my driver's license. She was the mother I never had, the matriarch of the QM Branch.. But as they always say, good men die young. I'd always remember RQ as someone who puts everyone else above herself. Even in her last days, her smses would not betray how serious her condition was..

Ivan's mum also succumbed to cancer around the same time. And my grandmother was critically ill for most of the earlier part of the year. I remember feeling lost and not knowing what to do, lamenting the fragility and unpredictability of life.

July 2009. Orientations start. A blizzard of getting to know new friends. I joined the Sports Camp and Business Freshmen Orientation Camp. Peter Pan and Gu Wa Zai. We were all new to university and everyone brought their own history to the place. I can still remember the first day at the LT feeling how strange everyone were and how diverse we all were.

And the rest is history. School started, I ran for Bizad Club and because the Director of Digital Media & Publicity. A whirlwind of activities and studies.. Neglecting my class because I was always hanging out in the Clubroom. Exams. Results. Fun and disappointment.

Dec 2009. I left my church. I guess it heralds a new start and a new discovery about myself. What do I really believe in? I believe in social justice, in outreach and increasingly about tolerance with respect to giving people the right to choose. That last one might seem random, but I guess a lot of issues come up with Christianity because of the coercive elements of our evangelism.

And that's basically it isn't it? Well, of course there are so many more things.

I am thankful for God and His people for showing me what I should do, for understanding my actions, for guiding me.

I am thankful for new friend and old friends. Thank you for staying with me and bearing my weaknesses. There are times where we think we know each other so well that we'd rather not stand each other, but at the end of the day, I am glad for the friends I have.

I am thankful for my family, even though it is almost impossible to find another family as screwed up as mine. We are totally dysfunctional, but at least I know deep deep down inside, we still love each other.

I am thankful for teachers, and lecturers and tutors and mentors for teaching me.

And I am thankful for you right there reading. Because you changed my life in some way. =)

So goodbye 2009, and hello 2010!