Reflection on 2009

This is a bit overdue given that it is already February but hey, so much happened in January that I could barely breathe!
Travel
I travelled to the following cities for work and/or leisure in 2009: Hanoi, Tokyo (twice!), Kyoto, Hakone, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Phoenix, Brisbane, Seoul, Chiang Mai, Kuala Lumpur. I realized that I reeeeeally lurve Japan to visit that country sooooo many times within the past few years; and twice within last year!

I love travelling, not only because it provides a break from the monotony of life in Singapore but more because each trip is unique and I learnt something new on every trip. It could be something new about a city which I have travelled to before, it could be a new city that I am experiencing its culture and life for the first time or it could even be something new about myself. Life, like they say, is a never-ending process of learning.

I am hoping that 2010 will bring less travelling, especially for work. I need to spend less time in the air and more time on the ground :P

Friends
Been & Lian - no opportunity to continue our annual tradition of a shopping/eating/sightseeing trip a year since Been became a mother to Ashton, who is simply such a happy baby. I don't foresee the trip happening in 2010 because it is Lian's turn to be preggie and she is expecting her boy in April. But we do meet regularly for makan, mahjong, baking, cooking sessions and I hope these sessions continue into the new year. When I had surgery and had to be confined @ home, Been showed up @ my door with my favorite Carrot cake from PS Cafe :)

AQ - I am gonna miss our regular lunches @ CrossTalk Cafe in Suntec because my dear friend has resigned from her horrid job to become a tai-tai! Envy envy! But I am happie for her because I know it's for the best and since she is a tai-tai, she can always still pop by Suntec to have lunch with me! AQ showed up @ my door with her PSP and tons of magazines to keep me entertained when I was recuperating from the surgery.

Cindy - I continued to do lunches with Cindy @ her cart in Suntec. That poor girl has had a challenging year and it was usually a mega b*t*hing session every time we meet. Its amazing how our friendship had evolved since 1993; gosh, thats 17 years we have known each other!!

Dave - I knew Dave in 2002 and we lost touch after that. Somehow our paths managed to cross again this year and we did many lunches to catch up. Sharing the same passion in jogging also cemented our friendship further. When I had the surgery, Dave showed up @ my door with birds nest and health tonics.

Max - Was a god-send where my running is concerned. He was my running wikipedia when I needed help. He was my pacer when I needed one. He was there constantly offering advice and encouragement when I was training towards my goal. Part of the credit goes to him for my running achievements to-date.

Henry - still a very dear friend and I still hang out with him pretty often; although not as often as I had wished. Coffee and I got a new friend in 2009 - Seth! Seth belongs to Henry and he is so adorable and both Coffee and him make good playmates although Coffee tends to be a bit proud and refuses to be involved with Seth's antics sometimes.

Ling - I met her when we were working in the same project team in Kuala Lumpur. That was in 2001; gosh! Almost a decade! I will bunk in with her whenever I go to Kuala Lumpur and she will spend time with me and bring me around. Likewise, I do the same whenever she pops by Singapore for some r&r. In between these visits, we keep in regular contact via phone calls and MSN. We share a lot of deep dark secrets with each other; she does not judge but always ready to listen and share. I am blessed we are friends :)

Fatbirds - I spent more time with the Fatbirds as part of my volunteer work with the running group (and yes, we run together) as well as hanging out together to celebrate birthdays, movie screenings and eating sessions.

Ex-students - I still keep in touch with some of my ex-students whom I taught in NTU. Some of them have graduated and they have now become my friends. We meet for lunches and dinners and I am glad to continue to be an "informal mentor" to these young people facing decisions about their career options.

Peng Yew from Accenture - did not get to meet this bunch at all last year! We tried to arrange for dinner a few times but none materialised due to conflicting schedules. It is tough when one tries to arrange the schedules of 10 adults and 6 kids. Sigh! We'll just have to try harder in 2010.

Holliday - I made a long haul trip to Phoenix, USA last year but it was a pity that I missed the opportunity to meet and catch up with him because he was outta town. I don't know when I will be travelling to the US again (I hate long haul flights!) but I hope he will be making his overdue trip to this part of the world soon.

Family

Coffee put on more weight in 2009. He now weighs a hefty 7.2kg! Sometimes, I struggle to carry him. He is still very much the baby in the family and everyone spoils him rotten.

Mummy got a new job at Mos Burger; yes, she knows how to make my favourite Teriyaki Chicken burger from Mos Burger :). Chia Yew Hai registered his marriage and paid a deposit for a new HDB flat in Bishan. Papa is still the same although he is drinking and smoking less these days as he grows older.

Health

The year started with me being down with two bouts of major illness - those infections where antibiotics have no effect on and I could only lay in bed with high fever, cough, sore throat and a blocked nose, passing the days in a semi-conscious state.

Then I struggled with shin splint for a couple of months in the early part of the year and I had to cut back on my running. Then I sprained my ankle in September.

Just when I thought that it could not get worse, I found out that I had to go for a surgery as soon as possible in early December. It was the first surgery I have ever had in my life and the first time that I went under the GA.

I really hope that 2010 will be a much better year where my health is concerned.

Running
I bought running shoes and more running shoes such that I have never had so many pairs of running shoes before! :)
Achieved:
-Sub-50 for 10km in Singapore (March);
-Sub-2 target for the half marathon in Gold Coast (July);
-Sub-4 target for the full marathon in Seoul (November).
This is the year when I learnt that patience is required when dealing with running injuries and sometimes, less is more where running is concerned.

Shopping
Bought one (only one!) Bottega Veneta bag. I was reading my "Reflection" post for 2008 and I wrote that I need to cut down from the three in 2008 so I did achieve what I aimed for! Ha!

Shoes - countless pairs of them - boots, flats, running shoes, heels, sandals, flip flops, sneakers, mules.....

I also started buying jewellery like necklaces and earrings. I started a whole new collection of dresses - casual and formal. And oh, I bought two expensive watches, one of which is the most expensive item I have ever bought for myself in my entire life!

Work
The work-life balance struggle continues as my job scope increased in 2009 (where is the salary increase? - I hear you ask). I did not do any part time teaching this year because my boss was on maternity leave for 4 months out of 12 last year and there was no way I could get away with working part time in my full time job. I still love teaching and would definitely teach again given the opportunity.