reflections and resolutions

happy new year y'all!

i feel really good - surprising considering how much i had to drink last night. but not all that much by most standards. let's see: a beer, a glass of red, a glass of white and champagne to toast the new year. my alcohol tolerance must be improving with age :D

as has been my tradition the last 3 years, i ushered in the new year the latin way. which means wearing yellow underwear, eating twelve grapes between 12.00 - 12.01, walking around the block with a travel bag, etc. (there are lot's more) and then attempting to salsa or merengue. last year we didn't make it around the block because we were at the black mountains and it was waaaaaay too cold and dark ...

let's see. today is tuesday. new year's eve was monday. and i got back from texas late sunday night. will prob blog about it later. i've already uploaded a bunch of pics from the trip onto facebook. i still think that blogging is a good exercise, so i'm going to try to keep it up this year as well. we'll see *fingers crossed* :P

reflections
tis been a good year for me. 2 things stand out in particular. travel and friends. in some ways the two go hand in hand, don't they?

it's not that i traveled more this year - but i think it was different in the sense that i had the opportunity to visit several places that i've always wanted to go to. (or rather buildings!) the jfk presidential library in boston, the angkor wat in siemreap cambodia, fallingwater in pennsylvania, the kimbell in fortworth texas. so perhaps it was more purposeful travelling.

i traveled for friends and family. went home to malaysia for my grandmother's 90th and shihanne's wedding. and then there were trips with visitors from home. went to dc with tzuanne in september. played tour guide to okm's parents in charleston, savannah & augusta in october.

in the past, visiting friends has been very low in my list of priorities when travelling. i also don't really enjoy bunking at someone's place - got this from my dad who doesn't even like staying with relatives, preferring a hotel. but this xmas i was the one who suggested going to see suresh and family and woan yoke in texas! we even stayed with wy in austin. and it was great fun :)

as always, it's nice to go places with my bubie. travelling together is special be it to places near or far! and so we also managed to squeeze in a couple of getaways to the nc coast and mountains.

this year saw many friends becoming parents. which has led to many changes in my social activities. dinners have to be at kid friendly places or at home. i constantly find myself shopping for toys or board books. and conversations tend to revolve around the topics like teething and sleep times. *yawn* (of course i realize that some never stop talking abt their kids - will not mention any names here ... hehe.)

i'm really happy for friends who've added to their family - they seem to be fulfilled despite the lack of sleep and loss of freedom in a sense. most malaysian friends have it easier of course as they have alot more help - hired and parents. rather than stir up maternal instincts in me, i think that seeing friends become parents has made me appreciate my freedom more ... i hesitate to write this because most people would not understand. it makes me sad and a little frustrated that i am made to feel that i have to conform to other people's standard of happiness. *sigh* that somehow getting married AND having children (note plural) is THE purpose of life. and to not is tantamount to being a failure in life.

staying in the US has made me more individualistic. more questioning. less materialistic - ironically :D


resolutions
i hv a long list of things i'd like to do this year so my resolution for 2008 is to get off my fat butt and start doing! :P

hopes for 2008
to be the best that i can be, where i am, with what i have! (can't remember where this quote comes from)

good health and happiness for all

viva 2008!!!