year in review - 2009

I had my fair share of ups and downs this year. On this last day of 2009, I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane to freeze the year's gains and losses, happiness and sadness, into one blog entry before charging into 2010 with newfound energy and fresh hopes for a better year.

A '+' denotes a positive event/emotion while a '-' represents a negative event/emotion.


January
+ I found a sister in Sunshine23.

+ I rediscovered Sydney and Australia in general with a fresh pair of eyes and saw how beautiful this country and her people are.

+ My relationship with Mum got better.

+ I found meaning in upholding the traditional practice of paying my respects to Dad instead of just going through the motion of lighting joss sticks and burning offerings.

+ Bro for the first time, opened up and shared with me his love life, his career plans, his finances, his observations and opinions on the various incidents and events surrounding us, his worries, and most importantly on something that's been bothering me for a long while because I never knew where he stood in this taboo topic and never dared ask - his feelings and thoughts on Dad's passing and how he coped through the years.


February
- I ate my way around Singapore and gained 5 kg in 2 weeks. (!!!)

+ Thanks to the amazing social networking site Facebook, I found my long lost Secondary 3 & 4 form Teacher.

+ I made my first trip back to the island (Pulau Ubin) I grew up on after having permanently 'migrated' to 'mainland Singapore' since the early 1990s.

- I was painfully reminded of my ex boyfriend after watching the movie 海角七号.

- I got severely homesick after coming back to Sydney from Singapore.


March
- In need of some distraction from the downward spiral into depression, I buried myself in work.

+ I finally bought a car and that greatly enhanced the quality of life here in Sydney.


April
+ Went for the Sydney Royal Easter Show for the first time and enjoyed myself greatly.

+ I started plurking, which brought me closer to the animews.

+ I signed up for a gym membership in an attempt to live a healthier lifestyle.

+ Participated in several social gatherings so as to widen my otherwise non existent social circle.


May
- Nothing much. I felt empty.


June
- Felt empty for most part of the month.

+ Bought myself a digital SLR as a birthday present in advance to cheer myself up.


July
+ I got a promotion and pay increment.

+ Went on lots of photowalks with my new camera and polished up my phototaking skills a bit.

- Went into recluse.

- Cried non stop for days on end. Stopped eating and lost 5 kg in 2 weeks.

- My health took a massive hit.

- I was depressed.


August
- Went through the first part of the month in a zombified state. The first realisation that I lost someone I held dear hit me.

+ Took off to Singapore to regain my sanity and rediscovered my self esteem.


September
+ Project Chio was born with the objectives: eat healthier, sleep better, get outdoors more, generally love myself more.

- A severe dust storm engulfed Sydney which affected my lungs badly.


October
- Organised a road trip to Canberra which was disastrous to the point I didn't even want to think about it when it ended. (To Likklegirl: sorry, I didn't blog it as promised as it would have brought back unwanted bad memories)

- Took another weekend off to recuperate in Melbourne which turned out to be a nightmare too. It was so bad I ended up crying more than before.

- I terminated the gym membership.

+ Three of my photos were selected for inclusion in the Schmap Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra guides.


November
+ I fell in love with the Diana F+ kit. I have not purchased it (yet) as I don't have time to devote to her at the moment. I have been reading up on and checking out lomography since.

+ Attended my first black tie event in Australia in which a work paper I wrote and submitted got my nominated company a joint winner placing for the Best New Business Award at the Wagga Wagga Golden Crow Awards.

+ A photo I took and named 'Leaving Home' was featured on the Flickr blog on several days and hit my personal all time high in terms of hits and interest garnered according to the stats.

+ I signed up for guitar lessons.

+ I discovered Muse and rediscovered Nirvana.

- I gave up on a work assignment.


December
+ I re-emerged into the human society by attending parties and functions in an attempt to re-build a life outside of work.

+ I splurged on gifts for myself as a priority over getting gifts for others, which was a first for me. And it felt good.


In summary, I scored well in friendships, family love, materialistic comforts, pursuing personal interests and career but failed terribly at romance, personal well-being and health. So then, farewell 2009. I hope 2010 brings me someone who loves me for me, better state of mind and good health.