It would've been a boring new year. I would've been doing nothing but staying at home editing my China vacation videos whilst waiting painfully for the end of 2005, and the beginning of 2006. I would stare blankly at my blog, wondering what I would write to my dear readers (or rather, the remainder of my existing readers).
I tried calling one friend after another, hoping desperately that at least one of them would, ah, accompany me for a Mamak countdown (International readers: a Mamak stall is an indian restaurant that's opened for 24 hours. It's a popular hangout place among Malaysians, either for drinks, chit-chat or to watch a ballgame) since it was pretty much what I did last year. Unfortunately, none was free. My usual Mamak buddy had flown off to UK.
Too stubborn to allow a boring uneventful New Year's Eve, I asked dad to go to the Mamak stall with me, and also my little sis (mom was already asleep). We went. Then we decided to go to A W instead, since sis ain't a fan of curry. Apparently, they were having a day-long celebration and countdown. So things were pretty festive, with people karaoke-ing and firedancers dancing with fire. We had our countdown then, whilst eating their endearing waffles. (... I ate the Chicken Sandwich too, when the hell did the Chicken Sandwich become a burger?)
I didn't bring my camcorder with me, otherwise it would've been another really wonderful video blog entry. What a pity. Note to self: I'm never ever going to go anywhere without my camcorder again.
Then I went home, made the very first phone call of 2006, to hear the one voice I want to hear. Heard it, and felt content.
What was 2005 like to me? The year turned 21. A year of many changes, a year where I underwent much emotional growth, a year when this blog became public, and I get entirely immersed into aspects of the Internet that I was never aware of just a year ago (the whole Web 2.0 thingie), and a year which I continued my progress as a filmmaker by finally working with cast members.
It was a year when I let go of many things that were part of me for a large part of my life. A 6-year-old mailing list started by me was entirely revamped, and in a way, murdered, and then I retired from my 4-year-old fanfic-writing career, and began working on original creative endeavours, most notable were my participation in the likes of Blogathon (which I wrote a story), and the Nanowrimo (which I wrote an unfinished novel), then I started maintaining a careful distance (not entirely shunning them, just not having that much time for them) from games, anime and manga, which were once a lifelong passion.
Falling out of love, then falling in love again. With the same woman. Walking on a thin line between angst and euphoria. Fame coming within my grasp, yet accidentally let go of due to an innate cynicism, a bitterness towards an invisible 'system' caused by my country's culture. A growing anger and annoyance towards things that can never be changed regardless of what I do. Narcissistic I am, good-natured I may be, but ultimately, my fiery temper and cynicism prevent me from becoming everyone's fairy godfather.
Academically? I finished my degree. Did fine with my Marketing and much better with my Literature (I major in Marketing, minor in Literature). Will spend another year in Perth to study Media Production. I'm excited. And I'm not being sarcastic.
This particular entry would've been finished earlier, but I suddenly discovered the joys of using MSN's video clip, and ah, got rather distracted.
New Year Resolutions? No idea. For readers of this blog, readers of my written works, audiences of my videos, I will continue working hard on my creative endeavours, I am a perfectionist, and I am perpetually critical of my own works, thus improvement and perfection will always be the only things I strive for. Just stay tuned.
Random Notes:
I tried calling one friend after another, hoping desperately that at least one of them would, ah, accompany me for a Mamak countdown (International readers: a Mamak stall is an indian restaurant that's opened for 24 hours. It's a popular hangout place among Malaysians, either for drinks, chit-chat or to watch a ballgame) since it was pretty much what I did last year. Unfortunately, none was free. My usual Mamak buddy had flown off to UK.
Too stubborn to allow a boring uneventful New Year's Eve, I asked dad to go to the Mamak stall with me, and also my little sis (mom was already asleep). We went. Then we decided to go to A W instead, since sis ain't a fan of curry. Apparently, they were having a day-long celebration and countdown. So things were pretty festive, with people karaoke-ing and firedancers dancing with fire. We had our countdown then, whilst eating their endearing waffles. (... I ate the Chicken Sandwich too, when the hell did the Chicken Sandwich become a burger?)
I didn't bring my camcorder with me, otherwise it would've been another really wonderful video blog entry. What a pity. Note to self: I'm never ever going to go anywhere without my camcorder again.
Then I went home, made the very first phone call of 2006, to hear the one voice I want to hear. Heard it, and felt content.
What was 2005 like to me? The year turned 21. A year of many changes, a year where I underwent much emotional growth, a year when this blog became public, and I get entirely immersed into aspects of the Internet that I was never aware of just a year ago (the whole Web 2.0 thingie), and a year which I continued my progress as a filmmaker by finally working with cast members.
It was a year when I let go of many things that were part of me for a large part of my life. A 6-year-old mailing list started by me was entirely revamped, and in a way, murdered, and then I retired from my 4-year-old fanfic-writing career, and began working on original creative endeavours, most notable were my participation in the likes of Blogathon (which I wrote a story), and the Nanowrimo (which I wrote an unfinished novel), then I started maintaining a careful distance (not entirely shunning them, just not having that much time for them) from games, anime and manga, which were once a lifelong passion.
Falling out of love, then falling in love again. With the same woman. Walking on a thin line between angst and euphoria. Fame coming within my grasp, yet accidentally let go of due to an innate cynicism, a bitterness towards an invisible 'system' caused by my country's culture. A growing anger and annoyance towards things that can never be changed regardless of what I do. Narcissistic I am, good-natured I may be, but ultimately, my fiery temper and cynicism prevent me from becoming everyone's fairy godfather.
Academically? I finished my degree. Did fine with my Marketing and much better with my Literature (I major in Marketing, minor in Literature). Will spend another year in Perth to study Media Production. I'm excited. And I'm not being sarcastic.
This particular entry would've been finished earlier, but I suddenly discovered the joys of using MSN's video clip, and ah, got rather distracted.
New Year Resolutions? No idea. For readers of this blog, readers of my written works, audiences of my videos, I will continue working hard on my creative endeavours, I am a perfectionist, and I am perpetually critical of my own works, thus improvement and perfection will always be the only things I strive for. Just stay tuned.
Random Notes:
- Narnia is the last film I ever saw for 2005.
- Steven Erikson's Midnight Tides is the last book I ever read for 2005.
- The video blog entry of my China Vacation video is the last blog of 2005.
- You can relive some of the most memorable blog entries Guestblogger Justin and I did in this blog on 2005 by visiting this page. However, it isn't complete, only the entries up to October 2005 are there. Will add more soon.
- It is incredible when I realize that Farris Hassan and my little sister are of the same age. Travelling by himself to Iraq. That's pretty hardcore. I wouldn't do that even if someone's paying me to do that. Well, I MIGHT do it if it's half a million, but anything less than that will be a no-no. All right, maybe $100,000 can convince me to go too. As long as I can bring my camcorder with me, and post up vlog entries. But it still sounds pretty daunting, and scary. Come to think of it, maybe $100,000 wouldn't be enough.
- My Playstation 2 is dead.
- I don't know, but the whole thing about Rein in the Stallion Sex article by Maureen Dowd reminds me of this webcomic Guestblogger Justin and I did.
- There will be at least five more video blog entries of my China vacation. But after the next video I make, the remainder will be short video clips, not the long music video-esque type videos like the first four videos. But of course, they're still going to be pretty good.
