Eventful Year

2004 is coming to a close, which leaves me to reflect a rather eventful year. I sit here in relative isolation. Working at home leaves me with many many hours all by myself, and it does sometimes leads to melancholy. So, I sit here and ponder the things that has happened in the past 12 months or so. And wow.. did I do and experience a lot, and it surprises even me.

This year saw me becoming a contractor of sorts. Took me the first four months of the year to supervise the renovation to my current abode. It was difficult. But well worth the effort. Chui and I now have a place we call home, and I hope some of our friends also feel like it is their home away from home. We have had more social visits in the past 6 months than ALL the social visits I had in my old condo. Excellent. To borrow Hannibal.. "I love it when a plan comes together!"

We have also become fast friends with CM. Unfortunately, we may now lose him to his grand master plan next year, but that is another story. But for what its worth, we have become pretty good friends and do load of stuff together. Its been a treat.

Holidays. What can I say. Somehow, I have managed to squeeze out quite a few trips this year. Lets see.. went to Phuket with the boys. Great fun as usual. Its funny how familiarity can be part of the fun. Considering we have been to Phuket at least 4 times now as a group, there must be something to be said about being familiar with the going ons that keeps us coming back. Ah.. and then there were the two excellent dive trips. We did Perhentian early in the year. It was good to return to the island where I got certified on being able to discover new things about the island, having been restricted to lessons the last time. And off course, we capped the year with another excellent week in Mabul's Sipadan Water Village. Again, there is something to be said about the famialirity of the destination. This time round, the place felt even better, and the people friendlier! Even managed to get invited to my only badminton game this year on the island. What can I say, but it was bliss. Would I return. A resounding YES.

Then there was Shanghai. I wrote a little about it in an earlier blog entry. The best thing about this holiday, is that it wasn't! Huh? Well.. it was a sponsored junket by Honda. Another friend of mine who is the editor of a big motoring magazine, sent me as his writer as he was unable to go. So.. here I went to one of the most expensive cities to visit in Asia, flew business class, was given money to spend, and was feted at every meal. What else could a guy want. Oh.. and off course I got to watch the inaugural F1 race there live, walked the paddocks and visited the BAR garage.

Chui and I finally made a trip (all by ourselves) to Bangkok. Had to plan early for this trip. Bought the tickets a few months earlier at the Matta fair and basically waited as the days counted down till we got to go. The trip was a little like the happenings over the past year. HECTIC! How we managed to cram in 3 massages, one spa treatment, meals, sightseeing, hours and hours of shopping and commuting into 3 and a half days is beyond me.

Ahh and then there was the whole episode with my partners at work. What can I do but heave a big huge sigh, and say, "it is finished". It wasn't a very good year at all when it came to my business. However, I believe the story is not yet finished. Things all happen for a reason, and the reason willl soon reveal itself..... I hope. But seriously folks, it is for the better, the wallet may be empty, but the resolve is still there. With the support from Chui, its still been a pretty good year despite the setback.

Off course there is much more that happened over the year. There is things that has happened with Chui, my extended family has become bigger with the inclusion of Darrel, and a smaller part James (Asha, my ex wife's new baby), hobbies, new people I met, stuff I bought... Many many things... but I shall not bore you any further.