Ushering 2008

Tomorrow I should be in London to usher the New Year with 350,000 people. I did not feel 2008 was coming but I knew 2007 was ending. Strange! It was until writing on the final pages of my diary that I realised 2008 is just days away! I bought a new diary two days ago and started filling it up with important dates for the new year. As I was writing in the names and birthdays, I noticed many of them fell on the weekends. Irene starts the weekend birthday list in February, then Sarah Lee, Mui Yen and Kelvin Ng for March. Lil Khoo for April, my mum in May, Winson in July, Eric and Yoke Mei in August, my car in September, Evelyn in October and Baby Brendan ends the list in November. Better opportunity to wish them on weekends than on weekdays.

2007 has moved on incredibly fast for me. As I sat back to recount those days of what I've learnt, mistakes I've made and goals I've achieved, I felt 2007 was an incredible year for me. I flipped through the pages of my diary and thought, "My God! So many things have happened this year!" I would describe 2007 as the "Year of the Great Experiences" for me. The lessons and experiences that have driven an impact in the way I think and live my life:

The Bad:
1. Trying to learn up Accounting and Finance in 8 weeks without prior knowledge of the subject is a bad idea. I ended up calling my Godfather on New Year's day to help me with the assignment.

2. ESD Assignment deadlines. They were all a mad rush!

3. Services in the UK are at snail pace. The Post Office, the bank, to see a doctor, to see a dentist, to get a Visa appointment, to get a National Insurance number, to get my laptop repaired (early this year), etc...OMG, they take ages!

4. I am still peeved at the weather pattern in this country. There are also no four seasons in this country but four types of winter!

5. I still can't figure out why cyclists are not allowed to cycle on the road shoulder. It's so darn dangerous to share lanes with motor vehicles. A cyclist who knocks down a pedestrian will probably cause injuries but a motor vehicle that knocks down a cyclist will probably cause fatality!

6. Long distance is not only bad for relationships but also for foreign language. My Japanese has crystalised to the level I have graduated from Japan and not improved at all. In fact, I have lost touch speaking it.

7. ShippingtoMalaysia Delivery Services takes 4 months for a parcel to arrive into Malaysia. How ridiculous! That's the last I'll use their service.

8. Better return to Malaysia during Christmas or find someone to be with at that time. It can be a daunting experience having to celebrate this day alone.

9. There are two frustrating things about taking the train; either it is delayed or has changed the platform number. The only difference is when to do the mad run.

10. Finally, J-net remains to be the greatest nightmare for me in 2007.


The Good
1. Learnt lots of stuff from Prof Nick Ashford. The ideas that I have learnt from the Sustainability, Trade and the Environment subject have profound impact in what I write in the papers, the essays and at work now.

2. Studying in Cambridge was a priceless experience. Wouldn't trade that with anything else. Not even a place in Oxford! Haha...

3. Attended as many talks as possible in Cambridge; topics ranging from politics, religion, war to weather talk.

4. The London Marathon....need I say more...

5. Opportunities to meet up with Malaysian ministers, renowned business owners and great leaders who have been swept under the carpet for a long time (like AI). Even foreign leaders like Al Gore!

6. Snow experience.

7. Living alone in another country has made my faith in God much stronger.

8. Paid to go back to Malaysia to do my research.

9. Learnt to use new softwares like Gabi, Vensim and MS Access.

10. Stronger feeling of love and affection towards family members, relatives and friends when away from home.

11. Very thankful to Shell and the British Council for taking care of their scholars so well. If only scholarships in Malaysia can be administered so effectively then we wouldn't have complaints of PSD scholars crying for a raise in their allowances.

12. The name "Cambridge" has opened many doors and job opportunities in Malaysia. Somehow it's difficult to find a good one.

13. Graduation ceremonies in Cambridge is quick but interesting. It can also turn out to be too quick for people who have flown all the way from home, 13,000km away, just to witness this once in a lifetime event. Thousands of pounds just for a 20-minute ceremony.

14. Good to know that the friendships in Malaysia have remained as strong as before I left the country.

15. Getting accustomed and liking the BBQ culture here in the UK. Hardly done any BBQ while I was in Malaysia. Probably because the weather is too hot and unsuitable for such an occasion.

16. Renewed relationship and knowledge of Malaysia by living outside the country. Having friends to come and visit while I was home makes an interesting tourist guide role to play.

17. Earning in pounds is a nice feeling. As long as there are still leftovers at the end of the month that is...

18. Working in the UK is quite flexible. There's this thing called flexible working hours. Some companies even have the work from home arrangement.

19. Learnt to appreciate what I used to have in Malaysia; family, friends, great weather for running, the rainforests, triathlon, training, a car to drive around, the nightlife and convenience of applying for things without the need to carry my passport, 3 months bank statement, a utility bill for proof of address and then wait for 6 weeks for them to be processed.


The Odd
1. Tolerance level towards alcohol increased! From a pint to four now (in 1.5 hours).

2. Learnt that beyond UK, not many people in other parts of the world speak or obsessed about learning English. An experience from visiting European countries.

3. Trading in Ebay UK can be so exciting and nail-biting. Everything under the sun can be found here. Try looking for used dentures and you'll get results too!

4. Learnt that UK is still not prepared to cope with snowfall. Public transportation and businesses can grind to a halt as a result of snow showers!

5. I still can't forget Japan.

6. Scotland has their own parliament even though they are part of the UK. Somehow the Scottish friends I know don't really have a good impression of the English. That's something I only found out here. Surprisingly this has some influence on students who are studying there too.

7. Punting is harder than I thought. I fell into the river!

8. The only time I sought attention was when I donned a Baju Melayu during our final course dinner. It was also the first time I wore one.

9. There are many Malaysians working and studying in Britain. Sometimes it can be really irritating meeting a few of them trying to speak in this thick (broken) English accent when they've only been here for 3 months. But most other times, it's great to see them around and catch up on news back home.

10. I noticed people here like having meetings for almost anything. Sometimes I have a few meetings in a day for almost everyday!

11. The divorce rate in this country is incredible. I was initially shocked to find people telling me that they have children and then, introduce me to their girlfriends/ boyfriends, but after a while I got used to the system.

12. Is religion dead in this country? A quote from a TV interview, "It took Jonathan 35 years to realise that God isn't real. Most of us have realised this by the time we turn 13..." Another ad wrote, "Christmas: The birth of Santa".

All in all, it's a superb year for me. 2008 will come after tomorrow. And I wish everyone a Happy New Year!