clarencechen

I planned to publish an entry but it looks like it will not be happening anytime soon.

Fortunately, my iPhone has a livejournal application which allow me to pen down my random and irrational thoughts.

My 2 months old ASUS netbook just crashed on me with no apparent signs. Like one isn't enough, there are two. My Toshiba laptop decided to go on strike and I'm disconnected from the virtual world now.

Till both my laptops recover, I will post a thought-provoking and tear inducing entry.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Yet another indian had been attacked in Melbourne again. If you have been following the recent spate of events, you'll find that the Australian authorities are issuing the same statement over and over again (i.e. Isolated incident and not racially motivated.) How on earth can you have the brain and heart to say that it isn't racially motivated when time and time again, the attacks are always targeted at the Indians? There is a significant population of Chinese, Vietnamese, Myanmese, Koreans and etc. working and studying in Melbourne but why the Indians? The attacks on the Vietnamese is already on the decline but certainly not the Indians.

It is really saddening to read such news especially when those who were killed were students studying in Melbourne. The worst part is when they are the only child and their parents had to borrow a huge sum of money in order to allow their child to study here only to get killed and are in debt. Who can help? It's really unfortunate and I doubt the insurance payout is enough to pay off their debts. Even so, their only child is gone forever in a foreign land.

2009 had been a relatively dreadful year. I am writing this post to look back at 2009 on myself and whatever that I can cover in general.

Travel

Something that I've always like to do. It’s a source of motivation for me to save up.

I've re-visited KL using AirAsia for the first time in the first quarter of the year.

I saw a demonstration on the streets in KL which I was really excited about because this isn’t something that you can witness in Singapore, ever and hopefully, never.

The last quarter of the year was spent in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Hong Kong was for leisure with my family and it was really nice getting to eat good and cheap food in Shenzhen as well. This trip was joined by my uncle and my toddler cousins who made it even more enjoyable.

Taiwan wasn’t a leisure trip – (it was for army) but nonetheless, it was still fun.

The weather was literally cool, the people were nice and the company was right.

Taipei is certainly a city worth visiting and exploring.

I might just re-visit this charming city yet again!

2010 - I'll definitely be in Melbourne for the second half of the year but I definitely hope that I can travel to at least one new city before heading for studies.

LATEST: I’ll be heading for Bali in April. So I’ve got my wish fulfilled.

My 21^st @ Somerset Grand

Thank you for all who turned up showering me with lavish gifts.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate your presence and to a lesser extent, your gifts. Haha.

National Service

2009 was the year I got posted to 6SIR as a RFN.

Apprehension at first but it was all for nothing.

Went through AIT and POI training.

Went for my first deployment before I was given a temp down-PES.

Posted to HQ/S1 Branch and is currently there.

Busy but pretty fun to be in.

2010 – ORD year. Enough said.

Media and Entertainment

A year with great hits – think I Gotta Feeling, Poker Face, Halo and Fireflies!

A year with great artistes – think Lady Gaga, Owl City and David Guetta.

A year with not-so-good local tv dramas – think The Ultimatum.

A year with commendable movies – think Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Transformers.

A year with a transformation shopping experience – think ION, 313@Somerset and Illuma.

A year with FANTASTIC concerts – think F1 rocks and Jason Mraz

The year we bid goodbye to Michael Jackson and Brittany Murphy.
The year where MediaCorp lost Fiona Xie, Huang Biren and Ivy Lee.

2010 – Definitely more exciting with Marina Bay Sands and Singapore’s FIRST theme park at Resorts World Sentosa.

Economy and Current Affairs

2009 was just like a repeat of 1997.

I don’t like it but this just explains that life is always full of ups and downs.

Without 2009, people will not appreciate and embrace 2010.

Keywords that dominated the headlines of 2009 – Terrorism, H1N1, Retrenchment, China, Banks, Pay Cuts, Negative GDP, Recession and failed Copenhagen Climate Change talks.

Keywords that will dominate headlines of 2010 – Terrorism, H1N1, Positive GDP, Pay restore, Youth Olympics, World Cup

2010 is extremely significant because it is a new year and the start of a new decade. There are so many things worth looking back at 2009 and learning from it but it is impossible to cover it in an entry.

1 Jan 2010 – My sister got engaged and I can hear the wedding bells. Congratulations and my best wishes from the bottom of my heart.

2010 will be the decade of my life, my prime and I will definitely treasure it.