2010: Let there be light
Ipoh, New Year's Eve 2009
It's the first time in two weeks today where when I left work, the streetlights had not come on and I didn't need to use my car's headlamps yet.Despite the usual jam from workplace to home, I still reached early enough that school had not yet ended. A fact I noted because it was still bright* enough when I drove pass the school down the road from my condo to see the cars and busses lined up ready and waiting to pick the children up. From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the unfamiliar sight of an ice cream man with his blue and red cart with Nestle emblazoned boldly in white with yummy cold confectionary in its belly for peddling to the schoolkids once the bells chimed.Before you start pitiying or commiserating with poor overworked me, let me explain that I was on leave the whole of last week (hence no commute to work) and this week, I have been deligently pushing myself to put in at least two hours at the gym in my work building resulting in me only leaving my office in the shroud of the inky night. That would translate into 6 classes in 3 days- 2 RPMs, 2 Body Combats, 1 Yoga and 1 Belly Dancing. I'm thinking of attending another Combat class on Friday and if I do, that will make it my record to date of 7 gym classes in a week. I must say, gyming really hard has its merits as by the end of the day, I'm really physically exhausted and it helps my insomnia a lot. Speaking about gym, the funny thing I noted this week was that all the classes were absolutely packed! Even the normally empty 5.45pm RPM class on Tuesday saw a full house. Totally weird. It's like everyone is trying their damnest to fulfill their 2010 New Year's resolution #15678 to shed the kilos/ loose the spare tire/ fit into the expensive Size 2 Karen Millen dress by the end of January so they can put a check beside aforementioned resolution and say jubilantly, "Yippeee, I have reached my KPI for the year and hence have lived a year worth living!" Pffft, let's see how many of these eager beavers will actually still be here in July. Hur hur. If you couldn't already tell from the snide undertone of my previous sentences, I have not made any resolutions this year. Come what may, methinks. Why force yourself to commit to a list of things you probably will not achieve by year end? It's just setting yourself up for feeling dissapointed and like you have failed. As if life alone is not enough for that.During my recent sojourn back in Ipoh, I read my old schoolgirl diaries with my childish resolutions- lose 10kg, be more outspoken, make more friends, be more likeable (Huh??). None that I achieved in the span of one year. More like 10 years, maybe. Or maybe not even in 10 years. So, I say, to heck with New Year Resolutions! Seriously. By the way, this is my personal take on this matter. You are free as a lark to make resolutions if it works for you. Whatever makes you happy.I also read an article today, on why do we wish each other 'Happy New Year' when surely, all of us with lucid minds funtioning at optimum capacity, under no influence of any noxious substances, would know, the year ahead could never be completely happy? As surely as we need to breath and the Sun will rise in the East, there will be grief and tears and sorrow and suffering. Are we deluding ourselves or simply complying with tradition, or is 'Happy New Year' just another seasonal greeting, dished out automatically without much thought?Well, my take on this is that we wish each other that because although we know that times of sadness in the coming year will be inevitable, we wish each other well. And we hope that the happiness will overshadow the sadness and that in times of sorrow, we still have each other to count on- to be the beacons of light for each other in times of deep personal darkness. With that, I wish everyone, Happy New Year!
* Note- In Malaysia at this time of the year, it usually gets dark between 7-7.30 pm
Labels: Me, myself and I
