absolute-ly missy

Although it seems like the recession is gradually lifting, it hasn’t taken away the impending sense of doom that I constantly experience as a young, working adult here.

Endless reports on rising prices of public housing, so much so that they’re reaching ridiculous realms, seemingly weak analysis provided to justify these trends, weird statements made that appear to contradict the idea of democracy…

And I’ve only cited a few examples here.

Increasingly, these reads are diluting my passion, pushing me (or, perhaps, part of the younger generation as well) away from a place we thought is home.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I do love this place.

A true-blue, born and bred local, I recognize and applaud all past achievements made, but just like how couples need to maintain their relationships on an on-going basis, our love can’t be solely sustained by past glories and stories.

Present actions and mapped plans ahead figure high in keeping this passion burning bright, but what I think I’ve seen so far… doesn’t look too encouraging, to say the least.

We want to stay, don’t push us away, please.

I’m sure that, by this time, most of you would be aware that the no-confidence motion has been passed, with the Old Guards being restored as the ex-co of AWARE. Although I wasn’t able to be there in person at Suntec on Saturday, I followed the entire proceedings closely via Twitter. Watching post-event videos of the EOGM, I can only imagine the level of tension and emotions that run throughout the course of the meeting.

Yes, the AWARE saga has come to an end and needless to say, I’m pleased with the outcome.

1 for equality, 0 for discrimination.

However, the end of this saga is only the beginning of the ex-co’s work now. The brand new ex-co, led by Dana Lam, and the work that they do, would be scrutinized more closely than ever, especially after their enormous surge in membership in these past few weeks. I sincerely hope that they will live up to their promises to promote gender equality for all, creating an environment for women that is pro choice and inclusive.

That aside, I think this AWARE saga is also a fantastic case study to examine the role and impact of the new media. Through virtual word-of-mouth,websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter, the Old Guard had quickly made their side of the story heard by the online masses. By communicating and promoting awareness of their situation and challenges, they were able to garner the support of many within an extremely short period of time - such is power and dynamic nature of new media and its tools.

This saga has showcased the might of virtual communication and online communities. As much as you and I might think that this is a good development, I’m sure there are those that are kept awake at night thinking how this could work for or against them, and what steps they can take to mitigate this risk. Wait and see.

I know it’s two weeks into 2009 and while many have already did their 2008 year-in-review and 2009 resolutions, I thought it will be good for me to spend a little more time to think over what I truly want and am able to achieve in 2009.

2008 has been a most turbulent year, especially since September when the financial meltdown began in the States. Since then, not a single day passed without some form of bad news on the TV or radio. News concerning bad debts, rescue packages, restructuring and layoffs haunt our headlines without fail everyday. Although the last two quarters for 2008 have been pretty bad, many estimate that the worst will probably hit us in Asia Pacific in 2009.

Personally, unlike the economic situation, 2008 hasn’t been all that bad for me. Certainly, it wasn’t a bed of roses, but I still am able to find several things that I’m thankful for.

In 2008, I have…

1. I’ve finally taken that step forward to make that first commitment and a second one again later in the year. And it’s only because that certain someone has showed me that it might be worthwhile to plunge and take that risk.
2. I’ve finally been to the other side of the world – to Finland, no less! Although it was a business trip and alot of time was spent on work, it was definitely a more than memorable trip to me. The disgustingly long journey there and back, the cold, cold weather, the peculiar food and the people I’ve met or gotten to know better during this trip have made their imprints in me.
3. I’ve visited Phuket with my loved one – it was a journey of 2 firsts – first time traveling with my partner, first visit to picturesque Phuket too!
4. I’ve gone crazily shopping at Bangkok with some of my colleagues – a few whom I’ve actually grown very fond of and close to.
5. I’ve also made slight process in my career path – it definitely feels good when your efforts are being recognized.
6. I’ve also undergone my first operation, and an extremely painful one at that. Although the wound has healed, I’m still currently suffering from some side effects from the surgery. No fun, this one.
7. Watched my first pop concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium – No doubt the Jay Chou concert was pretty enjoyable, but I wasn’t too taken with it. Given a choice, I would much prefer a musical or ballet performance.

All in all, these experiences have definitely helped to stretch my mind, helping me gain a little more wisdom to deal with life moving forward.

For 2009, here’s what I hope to achieve…

1. Cut down on harmful habits – I’m currently in the process of quitting smoking (since November 2008 ) and I think I’ve done pretty well on this so far.
2. Explore activities that I’ve always wanted to try, but never found time and energy to in the past – I’ve embarked on a new hobby since November/December 2008 and am still keeping it up. Hopefully, I’ll be able to improve my skills on this as I go along.
3. Nurture my relationship with my loved one to the next stage. Although it hasn’t been extremely smooth sailing all the way, but I certainly think that we’ve done pretty well for ourselves.
4. Make further progress on my career. Need I say more?
5. Adopt a more Zen mindset to handle whatever challenges life throws in my path, be it personal or work-related matters. Although, I’m no Buddhist, Taoist, Christian or Catholic, I’m slowly becoming attuned to the idea that what’s important in life is how you’ve lived it, not what you had (material possessions) when you were living it. Sounds extremely simplistic, but how many of us can truly own that mindset?

Some of my friends balk at the idea of making New Year resolutions, citing reasons such as they’ll only break them the very next day and hence, it is a futile exercise. However, I still think that resolutions can be good directives and help us establish what we want to achieve in the year ahead. Without them, don’t we look like ships sailing aimlessly in the wide ocean called life?

On this note, I definitely hope that you’ve made yours as well, and would love to hear what they are, if you would share them with me.

All the best to 2009.