Around this time of the year, it is customary for folks to sit back in front of the fireplace (or an electric heater or the air-conditioner), reflect on the past year and jot down a list of New Year resolutions. I never quite believed in having a list of resolutions for the New Year, primarily ‘cause I believe that you don’t have to wait ‘till the beginning of the next Gregorian year to do so. To be honest, I probably don’t have much of an appreciation for New Year’s Day. It’s fun to go out and stuff, and bank holidays are always welcomed, but except for the change in the numerical value of the year, it’s the same as every other day to me.
It is good to reflect though.
The main reason I keep a blog is to jot down my thoughts and ponder about things, and also to note down the important events that occur in my lifetime so that I can always look back and reminisce (I think that one of the worst things that could happen to me is to get Alzheimer’s). As clichéd as it sounds, I guess self-discovery is a never-ending process, and one will always be amazed at the random discoveries made along the various chapters of your life.
2004 has been rather eventful for me (an understatement, according to a friend). Lots have happened – some good, some bad but I don’t believe in regrets. After all, you can’t change the past and secondly, everything that has happened has made me the person I am today. I can’t hope to remember everything in perfect detail, but looking back, a few do stick out.
Academia
Had to re-sit my exams for the first time. Can’t believe that was less than a year ago. Moments of self-doubt, self-pity blah blah blah. Looking back, I would’ve just smacked myself and told me to stop whining. The disadvantages of over-confidence! Important thing is that I emerged stronger and it sort of helped me out when I was rejected for my initial job application. I guess moments like these remind you that things aren’t always going to be picture perfect (even if you expect it to), and you need to persevere in order to work things out.
Shows
Pink was ok. Blink 182 was highly anticipated but disappointingly crap. Totally loved Incubus and the Darkness. Evanescence was pretty incredible too, especially since we watched it just prior to sweetie's b'day and she actually won the tix for the concert. And they were better live than I thought they would be. Can’t remember if I watched anything else…the ones I have in mind, I probably watched at the end of 2003.
Prior to my departure for M’sia, sweetie gave me the wonderful gift of tickets to watch Les Miserables. This was an item in the ‘to-do-in-this-lifetime’ list, having listened to its soundtrack since my early teens. Review? One of the best form of entertainment I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Other memorable bits include watching Moulin Rouge in Leazes Park whilst simultaneously attempting to prevent frostbites and contemplating purchasing an ice-cream, and catching my first Premiership match (damn Man Utd!).
Relationships
I guess the winner of the ‘Event of the Year’ award is the change in my love life.
Broke up with Ash earlier this year, around March. It’s a long story, but at the end, I did it ‘cause things weren’t going well between us and although I cared immensely for her, I realized that I didn’t love her in a more-than-friends kinda way. We’ve been together for quite some time, and we do have some good memories. In retrospect, I admittedly could have broken up with her in a better manner, but I believe I did the right thing by being honest. Naturally not many of my friends felt that way or agreed with me and Ash wasn’t exactly on cloud 9 either. Not that I blame her.
The consequences are many – On the not-so-bright side, I lost one of my closest friend. It was awkward hanging out with mutual friends. I do believe that one day, we’ll be able to hang out and stuff again, but things will never be quite the same again. But at least this way, she’ll get to be with a guy who’s truly compatible with her and will treat her the way she deserves.
I’ve also noticed some friends being more distant with me now as a result of the break-up, but that’s to be expected I guess. It’s sad, but life ain’t exactly peachy is it? Some friends were remarkably understanding and supportive though, and I’ll always appreciate them being there.
Then again, I’m not complaining ‘cause I’ve gained lots too. I’m now in a relationship with Reiny, and we’re both having a great time. Except for all that ocean and land mass between us, of course. As a friend said, I’m ‘nauseatingly mad’ about her. We’ve always had this wonderful chemistry, and I guess it’s not surprising ‘cause we’re best buddies. We’re similar in many ways, but also quite obviously different in others, and I guess at the end of the day, it’s the complementary effect that makes things work.
I love it when sometimes, we’ll text or call or say something to each other at the exact same time, despite being thousands of miles apart. Spooky at times, but it always brings a smile to my face. I’ve got this rather bad habit of looking at my mobile every 15 mins, ‘cause getting a text from her always brings a smile to my face and it can cheer me up no matter what manner of crap I’ve been going thru at the day. And I seem to get palpitations when I’m with her - there’s this excitement that I feel even if it’s watching her fall asleep on my shoulder. I guess I’ve also changed in many subtle ways for the better, and I have her to thank for that. In fact, not a day goes by that I do not thank God for allowing me to have such a wonderful creation of His in my life.
Travelling
Went to 2 countries this year – Italy and Germany. Italy was AMAZING. It was a lifelong dream to visit it, having always been intrigued by Italy and its history. The trip was almost perfect. Perfect places, perfect weather, perfect food, perfect company (having gone with sweetie). Only downside was our inability to climb Mount Vesuvius. But we covered Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Florence, Milan, Pisa and Venice. Also maxed out my credit card, but heck, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience (or not, hopefully) and it was a while before I tried more Italian cuisine, ‘cause everything else in England would’ve just paled in comparison.
Various little excerpts of memory come to mind…
· Wandering the ruins of Pompeii with Vesuvius in the background and the sun shining brightly.
Tasting (what was claimed to be) the world’s best pizza. It was.
· Lying on the grass beneath the Leaning Tower.
· Grinning excitedly whenever we came across a beautiful tourist attraction. The Trevi Fountain comes to mind. That’s where we had our first (of many) taste of gelato, with Ananas (yup,pineapple) being a particularly fav flavour.
· Wandering the narrow streets of Venice. Sharing a gondola. Spending almost 50 quid on our last meal in Venice, and the food was (for lack of a better word) amazing!
· Drinking the most expensive coffee I’ve ever had. But the price was worth it – we were seated at Piazza San Marco, with the lovely basilica in view and a string quartet playing in the background. One of many romantic moments we shared.
· Sharing some deep-fried seafood in our room in Florence.
· Gelato.
· Enjoying the view from the hill overlooking Florence.
· Staring in awe at the marvelous pieces of art at the Vatican Museum.
· Exploring the Colosseum and the other bits of ancient Rome was like stepping back in time.
· Getting pissed off at this Italian lady who didn’t want to help take a photo of us.
· Gelato.
· Sweetie placing lotion on my hand each time she uses some.
· Getting scolded by an old Italian makcik when I attempted to take a pic of the Sistine Chapel.
· Drinking lovely cappuccino and hot choc beneath the Parthenon.
· Window shopping and gawking at the prices of the designer boutiques in Milan.
· Staring reverently at the San Siro.
· Sharing a cotton candy
· Gelato.
· Dodging traffic at Naples.
· Heck, it was a joy just walking around and getting lost and discovering the various nooks and cranny’s that were present.
· And gelato.
Sigh… most of all, this was the place where she fell in love with me, and for that alone, Italy will always be remembered of fondly.
Prior to my electives, we spent some time in Cologne and Berlin. Germany. It was a nice place, except for the constant rain. It was amazing standing at Checkpoint Charlie, and that summer break of 2 weeks with sweetie was pretty eventful (especially when we made things official in the shadow of the Cologne Cathedral).
Electives weren’t too bad, especially since I hardly did any work! Hahaha... I worked occasionally in July, and spent the whole of August spending as much time as I can with sweetie. Ate loads (of course), met as many of my friends as often as I could, took Reem n Nadeem around. I think I had steak at least once a week, with Chilli’s being the usual hangout. And the meals at SF and the KL Tower were memorable as well. It was also great seeing my family again, although things within haven’t really gotten much better since the last summer.
Other Misc bits that come to mind :
- The release of the mini iPod. The iPod is a godsend. And ain’t the black one gorgeous?
- Bush won his ‘first’ election. ‘Joy’.
- AC Milan won the scudetto.
- Armijn and Zareen got married.
- The war in Iraq continues. Did I say war? I meant the unwarranted massacre of thousands of Iraqi civilians continue.
- Britney Spears had one of the shortest marriages I’ve ever heard of
- Paris Hilton is very much alive. Unfortunately.
- The Beslan school siege.
- Turns out them American soldiers have a penchant for abusing their prisoners.
- Janet Jackson ‘acccidentally’ bared her breast over Superbowl.
- Madrid railway bombings in March.
- The Athens Olympics were pretty darn impressive. And Greece won the Euro 2004 footie championship. Everyone’s still scratching their heads in confusion.
- Anwar’s released from jail.
- Ireland and Scotland ban smoking in public places.
- Superman aka Christopher Reeve passed away.
- Man Utd ends Arsenal’s run of 49 matches unbeaten.
- Movies of the year : Shrek 2, Spidey 2 (it was released this year right?), Kill Bill 2, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Incredibles, Passion of the Christ
- Turns out Beckham enjoys ‘sex’ over SMSs
- The RX-8, Merc SL55AMG, BMW M3…. Drool…
- The end of Friends.
- As of now, 135 000 are dead as a result of the tsunamis that occurred in the aftermath of the quake. The number might double as a result of disease.
I’ve probably changed a bit since the beginning of 2004, but heck, don’t we all? As long as it’s for the better, I guess. Here’s looking forward to 2005, and to all my loved ones, I wish you the very best.
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