Merry Christmas

• Merry Christmas!!!
• May all of you have a blessed and joyful Christmas
• No Christmas present coz Santa is busy with something else....
• Recession?
  

Year end

It is the time of the year again for the Christmas and new year celebrations. Well wishes and blessings are exchanged, hoping that everyone will have a merry Christmas and a good year ahead.

It is also a time to reflect back what were done and what not. I have done a lot of things over the year, but there are still a lot of other things that I have not done as well. Time will never be enough for me to do everything I wanted to do. And even if I have the time, there will be other limitations forbidding me in doing so.

One of the most significant events of the year is the temporary relocation to Liverpool. After almost three months, I have yet settle myself comfortably here, still without a permanent job, and still trying to cope with the cold weather. There's just a lot more to be done here and all I need now is to pick myself up, gain back my self confidence and be positive. That's not easy but I am really trying very hard to do just that.

It is most saddening to leave my parent alone in Kuching. This is the first time that I'll be away from home for such a long time. I've enjoyed the comfort of home under the care of my parent for 31 years and suddenly getting out of that comfort zone is really hard to bear. I miss them a lot. I miss home so much.

Other family members are dearly missed as well. My sister's family, my in-laws, uncles and aunties, cousins, etc. Will miss all the get-together and visiting, as well as the good food they always prepare for me, knowing that I like to eat so much.

Miss my bunch of friends as well. Will surely miss all the gatherings and drinking sessions during this festive period and Chinese New Year. They are still thinking where to gather for CNY as I will not be able to host one this coming CNY. I am certain someone else can do the job. Someone will have to take over for the next three CNY. Great bunch of friends. You guys and gals are dearly missed, especially this festive period.

My job also has to make way for my relocation. I remembered that evening that I had to break the news to my superior and then to my boss. I got the words out to my superior, but just do not know how to tell my boss about it. It was my superior who eventually told my boss about it. It's really sad because they've been treating me so well over the last 5 years. I've learned so much from them as well, not only stuffs in the corporate environment but a lot more other things that I could not possibly learn and experience elsewhere. I am ever grateful to have the chance to work so closely with them.

Those are the major "costs" that I paid for coming to Liverpool with my wife and chubby kid. But it is worth paying as I am now able to be with them all the time. Similarly, I will miss them so much if they are here and should I stay back in Kuching. I just cannot imagine how depress I will be then. The opportunity cost forgone will be much greater. This is the right decision.

Many of us will be setting new goals and things to achieve in the coming year. I don't really set goals and targets for myself. Just want to be happy and healthy. What is the use of setting target and goals that will be forgotten in less than a month? It may be useful to many, but doesn't work for me. Everything around us is changing so fast and it is now near impossible to forecast what will happen the next day. So basically goals and targets set will have to change as the surrounding factors change.

I am ending this year on a low. Just want to spend this festive season at home with my wife and chubby kid.

Santa Claus(es)...

• santa clauses all over town last sunday
• almost everywhere, every corner, every shop.....

Out-of-cash Santa

Hungry Santa

Shopping Santa


Posing & merry Santa

Mr & Mrs Santa

• these are actually participants of the Liverpool '08 Santa Dash
• but sadly could not break the world record
• I plan to be in the run next year
• pics taken using handphone
• must remember to bring camera out next time

landslide

• just realized that there's another landslide in KL
• still remember the one many years back (Highland Towers)
  
• I remembered that the Government at that time had taken actions and precautions on all those hillside projects
• Why is this happening again?
  
• My view: documented but not implemented
• Biasa-lah
  

wife's birthday

• today is my wife's birthday
• but this is the first time after we've been together that I won't be able to give her a present
• cannot afford to buy her anything
• the cake we got is a frozen strawberry cheese cake from Tesco for one pound
• Happy Birthday Dear....
  

Merseyrail

• took the train for the first time a few weeks back
• something like KTM but the frequency of train is much higher, thus the short waiting time
• very comfortable although the main station, Liverpool Central, looks really old

Liverpool Central

Old but effective railway

The train

• one can take a train here to smaller towns across Merseyside, as well as other main cities throughout England via Liverpool Lime Street Station
• most of the other stations are small and simple

Small and simple station

• there's no need for a big station when a train comes every 15 minutes, or less
  

XL Christmas tree

• there's a big christmas tree in city centre
• and it's a real chritsmas tree, unlike the ones back home
• a friend told me that this is not the biggest, and there's another bigger one elsewhere
• really beautiful...

reading

• Before I came to Liverpool, my dad suggested that I continue studying here as well
• but there's no way I could afford paying the fees
• however, I do put in effort to read when I'm free
• so my Pa Pa must be really happy with that
• this is one of the book I've done reading:-

• it's an interesting book, 600 plus pages
• and now I know alot more of my favourite beverage
• hi hi hi...
  

Iceland Foods...sucks

• went for a jog one fine Sunday afternoon
• always on the lookout for supermarkets and other interesting places when running
• found Iceland, a supermarket chain, known for their frozen foodstuffs near Edge Hill
• went in for a look and survey price of goods
  
• after a while, realized that the security guard is following me
• continue to look around, but having the guard following makes me really uncomfortable
• no more mood, so just ran home
  
• Iceland, damn you for making me uncomfortable, and very unlikely I will go back there again.